Dominica
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Join us on a "timeless" permaculture farm with an epic view of the sea, in the rain forest mountains on Dominica. (Not Dominican Republic!) We are solar-powered, off-grid, and surrounded by natural springs and pools.
We are an inspired group of people, trying to live sustainably and independently / resiliently to build a better way of living. We are exploring the art of living in a real community on-site, and connecting to the local community around us. A long-term volunteer here will be one of us, invited in many cases to weigh in on decisions on how to improve things.
We are 3 here currently - 2 men, 1 woman, all expats. In October, we will be joined by another woman and 2 girls (age 6, 9).
Our up-and-coming organic farm is currently run by only 1 person, and it is need of volunteers who want to get their hands dirty and work with the soil! We're busy building beds, creating food forests, exploring how to battle pests, harvesting beans, making composts, feeding chickens, seeding and transplanting plants, building orchards, cleaning bamboo groves, creating paths through the jungle, building trellises and greenhouse space, making animal structures, fermenting vegetables, building campsites and more. We're utilizing permaculture principles in farming. There is much opportunity for a volunteer to take on some sizable projects that they can manage / learn from.
We also could use volunteers interested in construction of ferro-cement hurricane-resistant domes. This is an affordable and simple way for people in many locations to provide extremely protected dwellings for themselves. The 2 guys are engaged in creation of all kinds of new structures, and they hope to bring this quick / affordable method of building to people / areas that are in high need of it.
In addition to the farm and domes, we are starting a tiny hostel project for travelers who are interested about learning off-grid, sustainable living. As a result, we may have a few visitors, who stay in separate facilities.
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Language practice
Help with Computers / internet
Teaching
As such, there are many opportunities for learning:
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Learn permaculture farming
- plant recognition, soil chemistry, adaptive farming techniques, mulching, -- freedom to experiment with new techniques!
*️️️️️️️ Food preservation
*️️️️️️️️️️️️ Learn hurricane construction techniques
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Meet local Dominicans, and engage in drumming, music making, singing.
*️️️️️️️ Community style living
No specific skills are required, but they are helpful. Here are projects:
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Managing the permaculture garden. Garden tasks include: weeding, planting, terracing, drainage, mulching
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Building hurricane resistant ferro-cement domes. Tasks include: mixing cement, apply cement, painting, moving sand...
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ General construction: Interior finish work (for someone with woodworking skills), building animal enclosures
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Indoor tasks: Food prep, house organization, general upkeep
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Computer tasks: Building websites, graphic design, more
English, French
Volunteers will need to stay in tents. We are working on tent shelters. We have 2 kitchens, and volunteers will have option of cooking for themselves.
Toilet is compost, and there is hot water shower available.
We can cover basic meals (coffee/tea, beans, rice, a few eggs, farm veggies), but we can offer nicer things like cheese / meat / drinks if volunteers wish to chip in on these costs.
We are 30 min drive from Roseau, with an excellent view over a valley and the ocean yonder. It is a 30 minute walk to the main road, where you can hitch or can catch bus into town. We share one vehicle, but we make regular trips into town.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
More than two
4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
