Volunteer with organic farmers in the Mondulkiri province, Cambodia

Infos

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  Description

  Hello friends,
  My name is Takihiro (you can call me Hiro) and my wife Sophea is our farm communicator. If you contact us, you’ll likely be chatting with her first. Together with a few close friends and supporters, we started an organic farming project, located in the peaceful mountains of Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia.
  
  🌱 About Me
  After completing a one-year program in Sustainable Agriculture Management with CEDAC, I worked with them in 2017 as a freelance farmer mentor and organic internal inspector for coffee plantations in Mondulkiri. My role was to help farmers adapt to climate change and practice sustainable agriculture.
  But I soon realized that what we learn in school and what we believe about balancing farming with nature is not always easy to apply. Sometimes, I felt regret—especially when natural solutions didn’t improve farmers’ lives or caused unexpected problems. We had many documents about organic farming, but each place has its own unique challenges. I felt we needed to focus deeply on Mondulkiri’s specific farming conditions.
  So, in 2018, I decided to leave my job and start farming. My friends and I began buying land to grow our own fruit and coffee—safe to eat, kind to the earth. Organic farming in Cambodia is not easy. It brings many challenges compared to conventional agriculture. But we believe in it.
  Even after the pandemic, when our farm faced difficulties like many others, we kept moving forward—still holding onto our dream.
  
  🌱 Plantation
  On our farm we grow a mixed plantation: coffee, banana, passion fruit, cacao and avocado. We also raise fish, which we use both for food and for storing water and fertilizer. We have a nursery where we grow seedlings for the farm. Most of our trees—coffee, cacao, and avocado—are propagated by ourselves.
  We are happy to share our knowledge and experience, and we are always ready to learn from new ideas brought by Workawayers. We live in a mountain house, surrounded by forest. Our philosophy is simple: what we have, we share.
  For us, the farm is not just land—it is like your house and your happy farm too.
  
  Coffee Cleaning Service
  We also partner with a local coffee company to clean beans harvested by farmers. Since coffee is often picked and dried using traditional methods, the beans may contain rocks, sticks, or plant debris.
  At our farm, we use machines to separate and filter the beans, ensuring higher quality for roasting and export. This work is usually done by our farm staff and villagers.
  We don’t specifically recommend this task for volunteers, but if you are interested, you are welcome to observe or join in. It can be a good way to learn more about the coffee journey from harvest to cup.
  
  🏡 Farmstay
  Our farm has three houses, but only two are available for guests.
  I keep my personal house reserved for volunteers, so you will always have a comfortable and private space to rest.
  Living here means sharing life in the mountains—simple, peaceful, and close to nature.
  
  🏡Location
  Our farm is located in Loakar Village, Mondulkiri Province, in the northeast of Cambodia.
  Mondulkiri means “the center of the mountains.”
  We are based near Saen Monorom City (whose name means “beautiful city”), in Sangkat Sokadom (Sokadom Commune). The farm is about 12 km from Saen Monorom City.
  We have trusted tuk-tuk partners who can pick you up from the bus station and bring you directly to the farm.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Enseignement

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide dans une ferme

  Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Aide informatique/internet
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Ferme

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Animaux

  

  Nature

  

  Montagne

  

  Randonnée

  

  Camping
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Our farm is close to the forest, where you can go trekking to enjoy beautiful views of nature.
  We sometimes visit local farmers in our community, including Indigenous families who also take part in coffee cleaning services. We hope you will enjoy traveling with us and learning how local people and Indigenous communities live.
  In the evenings, we gather for free conversation and sharing ideas. This can include singing, playing music (if you have an instrument), or simply exchanging stories. I once had an electric piano, but sadly it is broken now.
  We would love to exchange stories about the history of your country and share ours with you too.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  🤝 Help
  Our jobs depend on the season of the year—dry season and rainy season.
  ☀️ Dry Season (December to May)
  Focus on watering plants
  Clearing grass around coffee trees and other crops
  Caring for plants in the nursery
  Making compost for yearly use
  Coffee cleaning also takes place during this season
  🌧️ Rainy Season (May to November)
  Cutting grass (done mainly by farm staff)
  Planting new crops
  Cleaning grass around coffee trees and other plants
  Caring for plants in the nursery
  Applying compost fertilizer to coffee plants
  From October: harvesting avocado and Arabica coffee
  In Mondulkiri, the rainy season is a hard time for farm work—sometimes it rains for a whole week without stopping.
  
  
  🌱 Organic Practices
  Our farm follows organic methods, though not 100%. We have not applied for an official Organic Certificate yet, because certification is expensive and we don’t have enough products to cover the cost.
  However, we are proud members of an agriculture association.
  We grow a mixed plantation and do not use chemical pesticides or herbicides. Volunteers may encounter diverse creatures such as wasps, bees, and many kinds of butterflies. During the rainy season, you may also see earthworms as thick as a little finger and 10–15 cm long coming out of the soil.
  
  🐍 Snake Warning
  Since we began working with volunteers in 2018, we have never had a snake attack. There was only one case involving our staff, who encountered a non-poisonous snake.
  Our strong rule is: stay away from all snakes and immediately inform our staff if you see one nearby.
  
  🐒 Wildlife Warning
  We do not eat wild animals, and hunting is strictly forbidden.
  If you see wildlife such as monkeys, wild pigs, or civet cats, please keep your distance. Each year, some wild animals escape hunting and appear on nearby farms. They usually stay temporarily before moving on.
  During the rainy season, you will see and hear many birds that travel long distances to nest in our farm and nearby forest—creating families for the next generation.
  
  📚 Teaching Program
  I am also an English educator for a community school, supported by my friend (who built a farm nearby) and a group of teachers from South Korea.
  It is a part-time program offering free English classes for children and adults:
  Classes run Monday to Friday, from 4:00–6:00 PM
  One hour for children, one hour for adults
  Most students are Bonoung children from nearby villages or traveling from Senmonorom City
  The school is connected to our farm, and we encourage volunteers to join if they wish. Many rural students face dropping out of school, often due to financial problems. Most cannot afford professional English classes.
  Volunteers don’t need to be native English speakers—your contribution can be as simple as sharing dreams, stories, and imagination. Talking with foreigners is the key to improving their English.
  Note: If you decide to join the English classes, it will not be counted as farm work. If you have a teaching background and wish to help more formally, we can discuss and arrange together.
  
  🌾 Our Hope
  We hope that after working with us, you will gain a deeper understanding of farmer life and countryside living in Cambodia.

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Khmer: Courant

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  Hébergement

  🏡 Accommodation
  We have two houses for volunteers: my personal house and our farm project house. These are normally provided for guests to stay.
  On the farm, we also offer a camping-style option. There are places set up for camping with basic facilities such as a bathroom and lighting. If you wish to stay more privately, camping is a wonderful way to enjoy the night sky and see the stars and galaxies.
  
  🍲 Food
  Our food is local, and we usually eat meat.
  We are sorry that we cannot prepare meals for vegetarians or vegans, but you are welcome to cook your own food.
  If you would like to apply to work with us, please tell us about your situation and share any needs or concerns. This helps us understand each other better.
  
  🎒 What to Bring
  To make your stay more enjoyable, we suggest bringing:
  Natural mosquito repellent, soap, laundry powder, and eco-friendly toiletries
  Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, stained, or torn
  Card or board games
  Books
  Power bank
  Headlamp or flashlight
  We also have Wi-Fi available on the farm.
  
  🤝 Volunteer Plans
  Since 2018, we have been grateful to many volunteers who helped us. To give more options for working and exploring the countryside of Mondulkiri, we designed three flexible plans:
  $6 USD per day (three meals) – Work 3 hours/day, 5 days/week
  $0 USD – per day -- Volunteer might prepare your own food and work 3 hours/day, 5 days/week, with free evenings to explore Mondulkiri
  Note: These plans are flexible. You can choose, change, or adjust your plan before or during your stay. Just let us know one day in advance if you are working on the farm.

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  Autres infos...

  If you arrive in Cambodia (Phnom Penh or Siem Reap) during the rainy season and reach Mondulkiri at night, we recommend staying in town overnight. Internet connections may be difficult at night.
  You can contact us by Facebook Messenger (Sophea Kuch) or WhatsApp/phone (+855 78535025) to let us know when you arrive. We will arrange a tuk-tuk to pick you up from the bus station.
  The tuk-tuk fare is usually 20,000–25,000 riel ($5–6.25 USD).

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il aimait accueillir les digital nomads.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Cet hôte a de la place pour les vans.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Mes animaux

  

  Peanut

  He’s stay with us about 7years. He’s very gentle.

  

  Foxy

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