Volunteer at permaculture projects worldwide

What is a permaculture farm?

To understand what is a permaculture farm, we must first explain the concept of Permaculture. It stems from the words "permanent" and "agriculture", and can sometimes be a difficult concept to grasp. You may think of it as homesteading, but it encompasses so much more!

Basically, permaculture is the philosophy of living in harmony with nature by developing creative solutions that highlight sustainable agriculture. 

Farmers who practice this observe the world's natural processes and mimic them in order to yield crops that are self-sustaining. That is what we call a permaculture farm.

Who created the concept of permaculture?

The idea of permaculture as a more economically-viable approach to farming was first coined by Tasmanian wildlife biologist Bill Mollison in 1978. 

He explains the meaning of permaculture as "the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way."

During his career, Mollison learned how the ecosystems of the world are slowly being destroyed by humans and wanted to propose a more environmentally-conscious way of life.

His simple mantra, "work with, rather than against, nature", expresses what a permaculture farm really is. Designing a farm that operates on a system modeled after nature itself is guaranteed to free up your time, hard work, and eliminate waste.

There are many permaculture projects listed by Worldpackers hosts from around the world for volunteers to choose from. 

Each one teaches the volunteer the ways of permaculture farming, equipping you with a wealth of knowledge you can use to live sustainably and teach others to do the same.

What are the principles of permaculture?

Permaculture is built on a set of three ethics, which are:

• Caring for the earth
• Caring for its people
• Placing limits on our needs so we can aside enough resources to accomplish the above principles

These provide the blueprint for creating a permaculture design that sustains itself.

What is permaculture design, you ask? It emphasizes how the landscape is laid out, what species thrive there, and how everything works together to create synergy. If everything is designed with this in mind, the local environment will be greatly benefited and see tons of progress.

Permaculture design is all about the relationship of each element and how it all works together. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Implementing techniques such as agroforestry, rainwater collection, natural building and organic farming are a few examples of good permaculture design.

To really ensure a homestead operates on a well-designed model, farmers should follow the 12 permaculture design principles:

1. Observe and interact with nature
2. Catch and store energy
3. Obtain a yield
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback
5. Use and value renewable resources
6. Produce zero waste
7. Design from patterns to details
8. Integrate rather than segregate
9. Use small and slow solutions
10. Use and value diversity
11. Use edges and value the marginal
12. Creatively use and respond to change

Living by the permaculture principles provides us with valuable tools we need to no longer be dependent buyers, but instead become responsible producers.

Practicing permaculture is important to local communities because it prepares them for an unpredictable future where there may not be much energy left to use.

The world is constantly changing and evolving, so learning about permaculture methods and techniques is of utmost importance for staying prepared. If everyone practiced sustainable farming through permaculture, the world would be a very different, improved place.

What are the benefits of permaculture?

Some of the benefits of adopting permaculture techniques are:

• Reduced waste
• Reduced water usage
• Less pollution
• Less toxins from pesticides and other artificial products
• More self-sufficiency

How to volunteer at a permaculture farm with Worldpackers

There are plenty of permaculture projects in need of the help of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the environment.

Compassionate hosts from all corners of the globe will make you feel like you're part of a close-knit family as you do your part to make their sustainable community run more efficiently. Not only will you do meaningful work, you will be learning and growing as you go.

Different projects will give rise to new thoughts and ideas that you can teach others to help them understand what permaculture is. 

To live this transformative experience, just browse through the options listed here at Worldpackers and check out the tasks and benefits of each one. Then you can sign up, put together your profile and apply for the positions you like the most.

Examples of permaculture farms looking for volunteers

Permaculture projects are both educational and fun! Volunteering at a permaculture farm will require physical activity and a can-do attitude as you help the hosts accomplish their goals.

You could, for instance, work at an orchard in Bulgaria planting fruit that also serve as a food source and shelter for birds and insects. 

In exchange for your work, besides getting free accommodation and other benefits, there are plenty of hands-on learning opportunities.

You might even be able to take part on free courses offered by your host. This permaculture project in Kenya offers just that in exchange for your skills in gardening, animal care, and photography.

If you volunteer at this eco program in Mexico, you'll learn how to do bioconstruction and permaculture farming in a beautiful location 30 minutes away from the historical town of San Cristóbal de las Casas.

You can also contribute to the work done at permaculture farms doing tasks that aren't directly related to it, like producing multimedia content to advertise a permaculture center in the awesome state of Bahia, Brazil.

Nature has a solution for every problem faced in the garden. Learn from nature at any permaculture farm or related project and you'll walk away with renewed purpose to make your little corner of the world run sustainably.

Be a part of something that works well on its own, building a better future for the community that has put their trust in your capable hands. 

Not to mention you'll have a blast exploring the area around the permaculture farm in your down time, this time experiencing nature with a fresh perspective.