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Help and Learn about Regenerative Farming, Tree Crops, & Garden!

5.0
(21 reviews)21

The experience

It's pretty flexible here. There're a lot of tasks that can be done at any time by individuals and other times when it's great to have a group of people helping on a single endeavor. Some of the things that you might do are harvesting, planting, gardening, brewing and spraying compost tea, mulching, pruning, forestry, farmers markets, running the stand, beekeeping, scarecrows, gathering data, irrigation, mowing, fertilizing, and making biochar.

What you offer

21 hours of help per week

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Tent: You will sleep in a tent at a camping site.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Permaculture Course: Take part in our Permaculture course for free.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Dedicated Workspace: Specific space for you to work remotely

Requirements

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

At camp chestnut, there are several choices for where you can lay your head and have your personal space. 1st come 1st serve.

-3 campers. These are all in the barn. All have electricity.
-Teepee tent. 18' across with wood burner, futon, dresser, & table.
-Barn room. In the loft of the barn. Has electricity, bed(s), and large closet. It's also where the microscope and telescope stay.
-Blueberry stand. This doubles as a little insulated outbuilding with a porch, wood burner, an upright piano, a bed, and storage space. Unavailable during blueberry season.
-Tents or hammocks also welcome.

The camp kitchen is at the barn. There's plenty of fridge space. Bathrooms are outhouses, the great outdoors, or at the farmhouse. Laundry at the farmhouse by appointment. The shower is wood-fired, gravity powered. Water is from the well and is excellent. Wifi around the farmhouse.

Activities & Shift

Most days, helpers are welcome to get up and get started, stop, and take breaks whenever they wish. Just be mindful of the time that you are actually helping. Every now and then we'll need a concerted effort at something specific, like when we need to fertilize and it's about to rain. Meals are flexible. We provide or cover the cost of food so that volunteers can eat whenever they want individually or communally. Oftentimes we all do dinner together, and it's fun to rotate who cooks and who does dishes. We respect everyone's dietary choices and make substitutions when need be. There are often campfires in the evening. The stars are amazing.

Rules

- Clean up after yourself.
- Respect our family's private space around the farmhouse.
- Respect our property (don't flick your butts, don't leave bikes and tools out, etc).
- Respect each others' private space, lifestyle choices, and bodies, stuff, etc.
- Be courteous to everyone.
- Talk to Martin first if you'd like to bring a pet or companion.
- Don't take pictures of the Amish or treat them as curiosities. They really hate that.
- Keep Martin informed as to when you're arriving and leaving. Just don't suddenly bail and leave us hanging.
- Try not to bring covid to the farm, and take precautions to avoid contracting it.
- Don't be wasteful. Don't leave lights or fans on, etc. Recycle, compost, & give scraps to dogs and chickens.