Volunteer at a backpackers hostel near the beach in Korcula, Croatia
Area: Pennsylvania
We are two suburban homesteaders with a tiny backyard flock of laying hens, honey bees, and approximately 2800 square feet of garden space. We're located in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania. Our goal is to produce as much of our own food as possible through organic methods, while demonstrating what degree of production is possible on a residential plot of land by ordinary people with no formal training in gardening or agriculture. In 2009 we produced over 600 pounds of food from our backyard, and in 2010, over 760 pounds. We expect to continue that trend going forward for the next several years. Since we grow for our own consumption and not for market, ours is very much a polyculture site. We have fruit trees and several types of perennial berries, a large garden of annual vegetables, and many culinary and medicinal herbs. Other interests include light DIY/construction work to address on-site needs, permaculture, herbal medicine (we're still very much beginners), various methods of food preservation, dumpster diving for construction materials, local foods, Transition, ethical consumption, and all aspects of sustainability. We look forward to learning more about the world, other cultures, and many areas of expertise from our volunteers. Plans for 2012 include the planting of a living fence to replace our old wooden one, installation of rain barrels for passive irrigation, as well as a tiny frog pond in the middle of the main garden. We'll also plant more perennial food crops, cook more meals with our solar oven, raise a few chickens and turkeys for the table, and learn to extend the growing season with our new hoop house. Finally, we'll experiment with the cultivation of Black Soldier Fly larvae for poultry feed.
Area: Washington State
Our Ranch is a 74-acre spread set in the "Out West" sagebrush steppe canyons and river valley in the Okanogan Valley of Washington. Surrounded by alfalfa fields, orchards, and State lands, It has a timeless peace about it that comes from land whose husbands labored with love and gratitude for its bounty. At age 50, I bought the land that became The ranch. It was a decommissioned orchard and had been "rode hard and put away wet." With my 70 year old friend, Betsy, we began to create from the rubble an oasis of health. We are in the fifth year of transformation and now boast of producing hay, grass-fed beef, pork, chicken and rabbit; all are raised on pasture. As we plant our hay fields and food crops, we will do so as organically pure as possible; however, we have no plans to jump the hoops required to label our products "organic". We are against the ingestion of foods laced with herbicides, pesticides, hormones or antibiotic additives. We mindfully avoid Genetically Modified Frankenfoods. We prefer to grow our own food-- for our people, horses, mules, ponies, steers, pigs rabbits and dogs. Between 2010 and 2011, We have hosted well over a dozen farm volunteers and with their help, we accomplished oh-so-much. Our hats are off to these fine people. As always, we're looking forward to meeting new volunteers. Their chemistry and energy is just so invigorating.
Area: Umbria
WE HAVE A LOVELY GUY HERE RIGHT NOW, SO WILL REVIEW THIS WORK AFTER HE'S LEFT - THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GARDENING!! CHEERS! We are an English couple living in Umbria close to Montefalco. We have a place which is basically as we want it on the inside, but is a work in progress outside! We have a wine tour business that keeps us busy and a dog which keeps us even busier! We've been living in Umbria full time since 2007 and can't think of anywhere else we'd prefer to be!
Area: Brittany
Hi, I am James and along with my partner Jennie we have purchased a former lockeepers cottage on the edge of Lac de Guerledan in Brittany. The property itself has been empty for some years, formerly owned by EDF and is situated in a stunning rural location on the banks of small lake and close to the village. Saint Aignan is a very small community village with a bar, epicerie, church, marie and school. Lac de Guerledan is a very busy resort in the summer months for french families. There are numerous watersports, fishing, walking, cycling. We have Kayaks and bikes to use. With the limited facilities that we have, we will make you as comfortable as possible and hope that we both enjoy our time together.
Area: Andalucia
We are family of three, Father(Ricardo,51 years) works as shop assistant, Mom(Toñi, 45 years) works as manager of supermarket and Me(Miguel, 25 years) that I'm studying Nursing and working as spinning instructor. Father works full time and Mom works part-time, I'm free of work and study since beginning of July to end of August. We live in south of Spain, in a city called Huelva, it's near from Seville (1 hour by car) and borderline to Portugal. Where we live, the nearest beach is 10 minutes by car or 30 minutes by bikes (we have 2 bikes to go to the beach). I'll be in Ireland to help some host in August, then, We would like to host as well.
