Your future year under the sign of the 5 elements

Living, working, researching & learning in community for teens aged 14 and over on our 5-elements farm

We are starting our project “YOUR FUTURE YEAR” on the 5-elements farm in the Waldviertel. The project is intended to help young people find their way professionally and develop independent life skills. In addition to professional qualification, the focus is on promoting self-organisation, teamwork and a sense of responsibility.

The lasting benefit lies in the young people’s personal development and in broadening their professional prospects, all the way to becoming holistic entrepreneurs. All project activities take place on a farm with shared accommodation, kitchen and housekeeping areas, and learning and working spaces. The surroundings allow practical experience, for example in agriculture or crafts.

The place of learning: a community farm …

We want to…

…create a lively place of learning and living

where people experience human development and sustainable community practice in close connection with the 5 elements.

…strengthen young people’s self-efficacy

This is about deliberately giving young people experiences of success. They take on their own projects or tasks and feel: I can make a difference.

…clarify professional interests through practical experience

Instead of just talking, the young people try out various professional fields hands-on, such as wood and metalworking, horticulture, event planning or media projects, as well as regenerative agriculture. This way they can discover their strengths and preferences.

…teach everyday skills (cooking, housekeeping, planning)

Independence begins in everyday life: from buying food to cooking together to organising the household and planning the budget, the young people practise every step themselves.

…show community life as a field for learning responsibility and resolving conflict

Living together day by day on the farm creates real team situations: who celebrates when, how do we settle conflicts, how do I take responsibility for others? This practice is an intensive school of social skills in which empathy, willingness to compromise and communication skills grow.

…make sustainable lifestyles tangible

Sustainability is not taught here as an abstract concept but lived: permaculture in vegetable growing, upcycling in the workshop, composting together, solar technology, small power plant technology or rainwater use.

… in harmony with the 5 elements

For this we use…

the qualities of the 5 elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – as an integrative design tool for cultivation, community and infrastructure.

By consciously assigning material, seasonal, organisational and symbolic aspects to the five elements, a holistic farm management emerges that makes use of both natural cycles and personal rhythms. Every farm activity can thus be fitted into a living system of elements – from planning to reflection.

Discover what your future year can look like

Would you like to experience the future year at TAPOJA live first before you commit?

Then our taster weeks are just right for you. In a relaxed atmosphere you dive into our lively community, try out various programme modules and get an authentic insight into everyday life on our farm. There is plenty of room for your questions and for personal exchange. This way you can find out without obligation whether our future year suits you.

After our taster weeks you decide whether you want to take part in our 6-month pilot year from January 2026 and which professional fields you would like to gain more insight into, such as

• permaculture design & regenerative agriculture

• travel and event planning

• holistic health

• beekeeping

• natural cosmetics

• woodworking

• electrical and small power plant technology

• water management

• seminar and ceremony leadership

• photography

• editing, marketing

• regional logistics

• IT technology

and much more.