Volunternship at Oudeberg Permaculture Farm
We have reopened our volunternship program for the summer months. Please note that this position is only open to serious students of permaculture who have completed a Permaculture Design Course or a Introduction to Permaculture Course.
About our Volunternship
Oudeberg is a working Permaculture Farm that functions across 5 Zones. We have established the voluntership program for people who have completed a Permaculture Design Course and wish to gain structured experience of farming with permaculture.
Thus this is not a volunteering program, where we provide board and lodging in exchange for work but rather an education and skills building program for serious permaculture students. We do not charge for the opportunity, but rather provide a platform whereby you can gain invaluable experience and learning in exchange for your whole hearted participation in our work regimes.
The nature of activities on the farm depends on the season and the types of projects that we are currently involved in.
If you wish to get a clear understanding of the demands and nature of permaculture farming then this program with us will be a very valuable experience. Not only will you interact with complex and well established and establishing permaculture systems you will get a very good idea of the management demands and context for a range of resource production systems that are diverse, ecosystemic, and locally integrated into the environment.
Work ranges from daily farm chores, livestock management, irrigation, working with machines, establishing new systems, working with soil regenerative processes, harvesting, processing, plenty of weeding and cultivating in gardens, tree management, building and construction, maintenance of tools and equipment, propagation, etc.
Because we are running a volunternship we provide information for learning about permaculture and regenerative farming in the form of videos, simple video courses, and PDF information. You are welcome to engage with this process in your spare time, however you will need your own laptop. A volunteer who shows competence will be issued with a competency certificate in specific areas when leaving.
Who can Apply?
- Only people over the age of 21 can apply.
- A Permaculture Design Course Certificate or Introduction to Permaculture Certificate is Essential.
- Exceptions to this requirements are people who have core building and construction skills.
- Volunteers need to be fit and healthy and be able to work physically and with vigour over an 8 hour day.
- Working on the farm generally suits young people who are fit or older people with specialised farming or building skills.
- Volunteers will need to have some of the following basic skills as we do not have time to nurture people who have no hands on skills or are not used to working with their bodies.
- An ability to distinguish common weeds.
- Experience in weeding gardens.
- Experience in using your hands.
- Ability to work with spades, rakes, hoes and picks.
- Basic organic gardening knowledge
- Basic understanding of permaculture concept, ethics and principles.
- Be able to carry and load.
- Volunteers will need to be able to engage with the farm context in the following manner.
- Be prompt with time.
- Get up early.
- Eat well and happy to live without meat and alcohol.
- Enjoy vigourous outdoor life.
- Enjoy your own company and be able to entertain yourself.
- Be socially conscious and considerate of other people sharing space with you.
- Be clean, hygenic and careful with equipment.
- Be able to cook for yourself.
- Be happy to take feedback and communicate any needs.
Terms and Conditions
- Participants are only accepted for a minimum of 3 weeks, which we can negotiate extending at the end of the period by mutual consent. We will not consider longer terms until we have met you and see that you fit right into our context.
- People who have volunteered here before can come for shorter periods.
- Weekends are generally free although if there are pressing needs then everyone gets stuck in regardless of the time. A farm does not work to the clock.
- We have internet, no cell signal. You will be able to access emails, whatsapp, surf websites and go onto social media. No streaming or downloading of videos or youtube.
- We will provide you with basic staples (oats, rice, salt, tea, sugar, potatoes) and whatever we can from our production systems in terms of vegetables, herbs and fruit. You will have to provide whatever else you need.
- You will integrate with staff and ourselves and do what we are doing, which is based on what is needed by the farm on a daily basis. We do not set up special tasks or processes for volunteers. Your job is to assist us and in exchange you will be housed comfortably and you will gain invaluable experience and knowledge around permaculture and regenerative farming.
- Meat and Alcohol are not to be brought onto the property, and drinkers, this will definitely not be the place for you.
- No smokers of tobacco please. We like our air clean and pure, which is one reason we live out in the desert.
- Please respect our privacy and our lifestyle as this is our home and our choices prevail here. If you are into self-reliance and keeping focused and present in a constant engagement with a cultivated ecosystem, then you will enjoy yourself. This is an exercise in conscious living and harmonising with nature.
- We do not make any exceptions for or entertain any religious practices that might limit how you engage with our systems. Participants need to be able to apply themselves whenever needed, including weekends if the context demands it.
Take a look at our Permaculture System
Follow the link below and browse our gallery to get an idea of the Context of the Volunternship.
Contact Us
If you are interested in participating in our program then please email Tahir and he will send you more information and an application form and we will get back to you within 48 hours. kent01cooper@gmail.com