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11 Apr 2026
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Description
Namaste fromthe Coconut Farm! Reopening August 2026
Hey friends, I'm Shashi, calling this serene coconut farm in Marchanahalli village (near Maddur, Karnataka) home. Picture 110+ coconut trees, peacocks strutting around, birds everywhere, multiple wells for refreshing swims nearby, and sunsets that stop you in your tracks. We're right off the Bangalore-Mysore highway (just 5km away), with restaurants and basics easy to reach if you need a break.
Our Story & What's Next
Back in 2024, two amazing volunteer friends (who turned into family) helped me start a tiny mud house project. Today, it's our cozy kitchen and community dining spot. After a pause, we're reopening in August 2026 to build a real village community—non-commercial, just peaceful farm life away from city chaos. We're starting slow on this established coconut farm: improving soil with nitrogen-fixing local plants, permaculture design, mulching, biochar, and living fences. We'll also craft relaxing structures (not mud houses) for chilling and killer sunset views—all part of the design. Once topsoil's thriving, we'll layer in multi-crop farming and natural landscaping. That's our main goal—reviving the land gently. So basically we are going to start with crafting structures to chill and then meanwhile also work on planting.
Who We're Looking For
We want folks ready to ditch the urban grind for village rhythm: 5 hours of hands-on farm work a day (soil magic, planting, etc.), then free time to chill, swim, or hike. Ideal if you have natural farming experience—tell us what you've done before. No experience? If you're eager to learn, contribute, and thrive here, write anyway. Bonus if you're cool with group cooking (we all pitch in for fun, veg-focused meals; non-veg on request). We're hunting local help for kitchen duties, but volunteers have to join in to prepare meals.
Community & Guest Vibes
This is about creating a tight-knit group living simply. To keep the farm going, we'll host weekend guests—volunteers help with easy stuff like campfires (which we love anyway). It's all low-key, connecting with nature and each other.
Your Stay
Camping: Bring your tent or use ours—set up anywhere on the farm.
Backup: Small village room nearby for extra comfort.
Food: Home-cooked, healthy veg goodness (gluten-free/vegan/oil-free options); chip in for groceries.
Tech: Decent network on farm (better spots exist); full signal at the village house for work/calls. WiFi's in the works but tricky here.
Daily Flow: Work mornings, then slow life—clean air, good food, stars at night.
If this sounds like your vibe—peaceful, purposeful farm days—drop us a message with your background. Let's grow this together!
Living in this tranquil environment offers a down-to-earth and relaxing experience, allowing you to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. The physically demanding tasks have already been completed, and now we are focusing on the enjoyable and creative process of plastering.
If you would like to learn more or have any questions, please feel free to write.
Essential languages for communication here are Kannada, Hindi, or English. I myself can go with any south Indian language as well.
I look forward to welcoming you to this wonderful opportunity to connect with nature, contribute to our project, and create lasting memories.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Interests
Events & social
Vegetarian or vegan
LGBTQ
Pets
Farming
Self development
Sustainability
Music
Plant care
Gardening
Books
DIY & crafts
Architecture
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Yoga / Wellness
Fitness
Nature
Hiking
Cycling
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Benefits of Cultural Exchange and Experiential Learning
Travellers participating in a cultural exchange at my coconut farm in Marchanahalli, Karnataka, South India, can expect to benefit in several ways and have the opportunity to learn various valuable skills. Here are some of the potential benefits and learning opportunities:
Cultural Immersion
Local Traditions and Customs: Travellers can immerse themselves in the local village lifeatyle, food, and building style in villages, gaining a deeper understanding of the way of life in rural India.
Language Skills: They have the chance to learn or improve their language skills, especially in Kannada and Hindi, by interacting with locals and engaging in day-to-day conversations.
Sustainable Living and Farming
Sustainable Practices: Participants can learn about sustainable living practices, such as building with natural materials, composting, and organic farming, which they can apply in their own lives.
Farming Techniques: They can gain hands-on experience in farming, including nurturing coconut trres, how and when to harvest them and planting trees, improving soil quality, and understanding the principles of organic agriculture. We have 90+ coconut trees we need to improve their condition and make them harvest to their potential.
Creativity and Construction
Earth-Bag Mud House Construction: Volunteers can see and learn how we built our earthbag farm house. We already raised the walls. You can ask questions and find out how we did it.
Plastering and Roofing: Participants have the opportunity to learn the art of clay plastering, support with simple roofing, and interior designing with mud, contributing to the creation of a sustainable living space.
Culinary Exploration
Cooking and Nutrition: Travellers can explore vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, and oil-free cooking, learning about nutritious meal preparation and gaining insight into local karnataka culinary traditions.
Personal Growth and Connection
Nature Connection and Artistic Expression: Participants can connect with nature, relax, listen to variety of birds chirping and engage in creative activities such as flow art practice(juggling, dapostar, staff, & mace), music around a bonfire, going to temples around, natural wells for a refreshing dip, and outdoor games like badminton, fostering a sense of community and personal well-being.
Interpersonal Skills
Community Living: Volunteers will learn to live in a small, remote village, experiencing the simplicity of farm life, collective cooking, and the joy of sharing love and food with others.
This cultural exchange opportunity offers travellers a chance to broaden their horizons, gain practical skills, and create meaningful connections while contributing to a sustainable project in a beautiful rural setting.
Help
The help that is required here is to assist with a variety of tasks including clay plastering, gardening, watering plants; which we do everyday, completing the mud house interiors. Additionally, volunteers are encouraged to contribute to the aesthetic improvement of the farm. The primary focus is to foster a communal living environment where ideas are shared, things are grown, and the overall aesthetics of the farm are enhanced.
Specific Tasks
Plastering: Assistance is needed in the clay and lime plastering of the earth-bag mud house. Volunteers can help as professionals suggest. We have ladders and stools to work with height. Its hardly 10feet and we should be doing fine with our expert guidance.
Gardening and Plant Care: Volunteers will be involved in tending to the coconut trees and ensuring the well-being of the trees.
Completing the Mud House: Work on the completion of the mud house interiors and flooring with clay and cob is an integral part of the project.
Cooking and Community Meals: Openness to cooking vegetarian community meals is encouraged. Donations of rice, dal, ragi, and/or wheat flour are appreciated, and volunteers have the option to skip paying for groceries.
Expanding Base Camp and Flooring: Help is needed in expanding the base camp and improving the flooring.
bnb: The mud-house will be on bnb and we would.want volunteers to manange check-ins, check-outs, look into everything that a visitor needs.
Expectations
HelpHours: Volunteers are expected to contribute a minimum of 4 hours of help per day.
Schedule: It can be scheduled according to our comfort and requirement. Water timings change weekly so we would have to adhere to that in order to water the fields.
The overarching goal is to live on the farm, care for it, farming and complete the mud house. This communal living experience provides an opportunity for volunteers to engage in meaningful work, contribute to the farm's development, and be part of a collective effort to create a sustainable and harmonious living space.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hindi: Fluent
Kannada: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
I would love to learn german, russian or spanish and also teach indian languages
Accommodation
At our farm in Marchanahalli, Karnataka, South India, volunteers have the option to camp using their own tents or stay at the base camp(outdoor setup) with a mosquito net.
Additionally, there is a shared room available approximately 1km away from the farm, however, it is rarely used. Since the beginning, we have been living and sleeping at the farm itself.
Camp Your Own Tents
Volunteers are welcome to set up their own tents at the farm. We provide space, mats and blankets.
Base Camp Stay
The base camp provides comfortable accommodation with a mosquito net. The net can hold 2 people and its occupied. If required a mosquito net for more, we can arrange it based on requirement. Its free to stay at the base camp.
Room stay
While a room is available about 1km away (with mats to sleep) we encourage volunteers to consider the immersive experience of sleeping at the farm itself, enjoying the tranquil setting and the captivating night sky. Staying at our room in the village is free as well.
Embracing a simple and minimalistic lifestyle during your stay will enhance your connection with nature and the farm environment, allowing you to fully appreciate the beauty and serenity of the surroundings.
What else ...
Leisure Activities and Local Amenities
While staying at our farm in Marchanahalli, Karnataka, South India, volunteers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the simple and serene village life and make the most of their free time. Here are some activities and amenities available in the local area:
Village Life Experience
Embrace Simple Living: We encourage volunteers to try and live a simple life, similar to the local farmers around us, as part of the immersive experience.
Relaxation and Meditation: Free time can be spent relaxing, meditating, or reading amidst the peaceful surroundings of the village.
Art & small projects: encourage participants to create art on paper or in solid form and proactively involve in creating things in the farm
Pursue your hobbies: free time.can be spent to do what you like to do
Local Activities
Exploration: Volunteers can take leisurely walks in the fields, visit the nearby temple, and participate in local traditions such as "harikathe."
Swimming: Enjoy a refreshing swim in the wells within the village.
Recreational Pursuits
Engaging Hobbies: Volunteers are free to engage in activities such as learning flow arts, practicing yoga, and playing board games (feel free to bring your own, but we also have two sets of cards available).
Transportation and Connectivity
Local Transport: Rickshaws are readily available to take volunteers to the nearby town, which is well-connected with bus routes.
Essential Errands: For grocery shopping and other essentials, volunteers can utilize a borrowed bike, with the village's house, wells, and small shops conveniently located within walking distance.
During their time off, volunteers can enjoy the tranquility of the village, engage in cultural experiences, and explore the natural beauty of the surrounding areas. It's important to note that while engaging in recreational activities, we emphasize the importance of respecting local customs, refraining from any violent or disruptive behavior, and being considerate towards other farmers and animals in the vicinity.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We do not have wifi but our network is allowing me to work at the farm. From the room in the village you get very good network for using mobile hotspot for work. I am working remotely as well as a event manager and I'm able to manage my work
Space for parking camper vans
There's a while lot of place for people to camp or park vehicles. They are welcome to get their own vehicles
Can possibly accept pets
You are completely responsive for your pet and if you think you can handle them, we are pet friendly
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
