Colin is a South African with lots of experience with animals and people having worked in 5 star game lodges for nearly 10 years. Starting as a game ranger for Gorah Elephant Camp in Addo Elephant Park, his career took him into lodge management, and into the Okavango Delta. After a couple more game reserve experiences, he decided he’d had enough of making money for others and wanted to try making it for himself instead. Oh, and he married Nicky in 2004 too. So, in June 2008, he started life as a farmer . Since then, he’s learnt a lot, lost some veggies, done a lot of weeding and lettuce packing, and is now beginning to establish a market garden to be proud of. He also repairs everything (water pumps, electrics, gas, vehicles), makes feed for pigs and dogs, manages the farm and all the vegetable production, shares responsibility for the trading store with Nicky and occasionally goes fishing.
Nicky is from England but has been living in South Africa since January 2004. After five years of working as a journalist in London, she arrived in Africa as a volunteer for Willing Workers in South Africa. She proceeded to volunteer for a couple of years and then worked for Wild Coast horse Trails, managing their working rider programme. She is an experienced horsewoman and works as a freelance horse trails guide, as well as caring for and training her own horses. Nicky is responsible for all the computer work, website and marketing. She’s also the number one jam maker, though Colin makes on occasions, and white witch of Mpetu with her herbal ointments and oils. Nicky also helps run the shop, keeps the books, cares for horses and rabbit, shares responsibility for the pigs, ducks, chickens, bantams and dogs. She goes riding – for work, for pleasure and for socializing!
Between us, we have a wide range of skills that we are keen to share with others, just as we are eager to learn from others. Our experience in hospitality makes us, well, hospitable, and we are, in general, nice people and good hosts. We are passionate about our life here in south Africa and, specifically here in the Eastern Cape, and want to share our experiences with others and gain from the skills and knowledge that our guests and volunteers bring to the farm.

Eastern Cape

Volunteers here have the opportunity to develop new skills and experience life on a South African small-holding in one of the most beautiful, untouched areas of this diverse country. Based on the Wild Coast, our farm is in the malaria free province of the Eastern Cape.
Peas on Earth aims to farm holistically, applying techniques of biodynamic and astrological farming to rehabilitate, its soil and its own unique ecosystem.
In keeping with these goals, we have both animals and plants on the land, rotating and providing one another with a mutually beneficial ecosystem which supports a diversity of species with the aim of improving the soil for future generations.
As a result of this diversity, our place is able to offer volunteers a range of different opportunities, from horses to herbs; painting to pigs!
As part of our own growth, we hope to establish a community garden in order to encourage the local community to become more self-sustainable; eat more healthily; and also benefit from the sale of excess produce.
We are specifically looking for volunteers to assist with the improvement of our grazing land through the removal of alien species; people with building/maintenance experience to assist with the development of the farm buildings and with extending and improving our fencing.

English, Afrikaans, Xhosa

Volunteers are accommodated in our farm house in a variety of rooms, depending on demand. Some volunteers may have to share a room but never with more than one or two other people. Volunteers have use of all shared areas of the house, including bathroom, kitchen and living room.

We are specifically looking for people with previous experience in building and fencing, and also for clearing alien and non-indigenous plant species.