Wwoof- india (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)

A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.) Dragonfly is an IMO certified organic integrated farm.   We grow a variety of fruits like Papaya, Banana, Custard Apple, and Figs.  We have planted over eight thousand trees of various kinds. We have a fairly large population of free range birds : chicken, turkey, ducks, and guinea hens.  We also have cows on the farm that help us make our own compost and nutrient preparations.  We have a fish pond the waste water from which is used to supply additional nutrients to our crops.  Our entire farm is drip irrigated to conserve water.  We are trying to move towards a no tilling model. Some of our cooking needs are met by biogas that we generate on the farm.  The farm supports six families all of whom live on the farm.  We provide for housing and also education for the children in these families.  In addition, we also employ people from the local villages.  We hope to make our farm an economically sustainable venture. How long you have been doing Organic Farming 6 years Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency Yes, by IMO.   website - www.imo.chSuggested length of stay for volunteers At least 2 weeks Accommodations (number and type) Available, more can be arranged either on the farm or close by. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) We would like to build capabilities for value addition on the farm.  For e.g., build a solar dehydrator for our fruits.  Build more accommodation for woofers out of natural materials like bamboo that is available on the farm. Expectations of work for volunteers 8 hours a day 4 days a week.  The other days, they are free to travel.Is transportation available? Local transportation Languages spoken English Can you host children or pets? Pets - yes.  Children - No Special diets Cooking facility availableAnd any other specifics for your farm There are few waterfalls and trekking opportunities. The hill altitude ranges from 2500 ft to 4000 ft Further distances are as follows: Salem - Yercaud Hill Station - 45 Km- Mettur Dam - 100 Km - Hoggenekkal Falls - 110 Km- Bangalore 200 Km Trichirapalli ( Has Rock fort and Srirangam temples) - 134 Km- Madurai 192 km - Pondicherry 200 km

IND 183Farm name The Golden Greens manages 4 estates in the Nilgirs (tamilnadu) & Wayanad (Kerala) 1) The Blue Mountain Estate-100 acres, 2) Settukunnu Estate-7.72 acres, 3) Choladi Estate-8.39 acres, 4) The Green Gardens-4.70 acres Contact name S.V.Laiju Location (address and description of land) Estate with Residential Facility: The Green Gardens, Wayanad, Kerala A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.)  We are converting The Green Gardens into an eco-farm project. It is spread around on 4.7 acres of natural landscape with tea/coffee/pepper/archanut, eucalyptus, etcFocus : Start a small dairy unit, switch over to bio-fertilizers, Make an eco-lodge, Cultivate organic vegetables & fruits, use renewable energy for self sufficiency. How long you have been doing Organic Farming Farming Since 2009. Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency Not yet Suggested length of stay for volunteers One week to Six month Accommodations (number and type) One Bed room, Living & Drawing, Attached Bath, Small pantry with Cooking Facility.  How many volunteers you can accommodate at one time  Two people at a time if they can share the bed room. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) 1) Office work 2. Architectural & Interior designing 3. Construction & Restoration, 4.landscape, 5.Horticulture, 6.Hospitality, 7. green-energy, 8 Artists & 9. CSR activities Expectations of work for volunteers Office work - Graphic/Website designing, Social Media Promotion, E-mail marketing Architectural & Interior Desinging - Participate in our Dzign & Décor division activities Construction & Renovation- Must complete a work once started (Carpenters, Maisons, Painters, Fire Oven Designers, etc)Landscape- Planning & implementation without disurbing the natural condour much Horticulture-Paricipate in day to day activities of Floriculture, Organic farming and other farm activities Hospitality - Cookery class Green Energy - Bio Gas, Solar & wind mill Artist : Painters, Craftman, etc CSR activities: Young entrepreneural program, Health care program, Micro Credit, Paliate care Is transportation available? Yes  Languages spoken Hindi or English Can you host children or pets? Regret to say no. Special diets During working days Lunch is served at the office however the other two meals are to be cooked by the WWOOFers at home. WWOOFers working at the Estate, all 3 meals are to be cooked by them Food material will be supplied by us. And any other specifics for your farmWe have at present just one cottage in 4.70 acres, it overlooks our tea garden. It will be fun for couples looking for solitude In the lap of nature

IND 184 Farm name Samata Holistic Location (address and description off land )   Arambol, District Pernem. Goa  403524  Description of land: The land is gently sloping into a valley of rice fields surrounded with coconut trees.  Chemically farmed for almost three decades, and left to lie fallow the last two years, we’ve begun rehabilitating the soil with the intention of nurturing the land, while growing a large portion of the Samata's fresh produce. Our team includes the Goan family We'll who have leased us their land, and ourselves being city-bred Indians and traveling foreigners, who have been disenchanted with the grind of capitalist society, and are looking for ways to be self-sustainable in a rapidly changing world. The Garden is also a research experiment, to see by doing, how long it will take to rehabilitate depleted soil, and be able to compare the results of organic farming to chemical methods.  Only through our success will be be able to show by example why organic is superior in every way. An example we hope the local neighbours would like to follow. With a mix of traditional vedic farming practices, biodynamic principles, appropriate modern technology and a healthy dose of research, experimentation and observation, we hope to cultivate in ourselves a respect for Mother Nature,nuturing ourselves as we nurture the land. How to reach by train or bus? Goa is connected by train to all the major cities in India. Direct trains from Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and New Delhi to name a few. For information on how to get to Goa by train from where you are, use the website of the Indian Railways (IRCTC). Once in Goa, a network of local buses can be taken to reach us at Arambol in North Goa. Pre-paid Taxi's and bike taxi's are another travel option. A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects,goals,etc.) Samata Holistic Retreat Center is a yoga center in its second year.  One of the objectives of the garden is to provide our kitchen with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants, so that our guests have a wholesome experience, complete with organically grown food. The second objective of the garden is to experiment with and bring back into practice, Vedic methods of rejuvenating and tending to the land as well as using aspects of Bio-dynamic farming practices. Doing this by engaging with the local community, is our third objective.How long you have been doing Organic Farming   Ours is a new project. At the writing of this form we are one year old. Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency The farm is not certified. Suggested length of stay for volunteers Minimum two weeks   Accommodations (number and type) Two bamboo huts.  Four volunteers on a twin sharing basis.   Accommodations are two bamboo huts with hot water shower and electricity.  Internet access (Wifi) also available. Non farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy,etc.) As growers in the tropics do, we will tend to the soil in the monsoon, which is also the 'off-season' in Goa (April to October).  During the monsoon we are going to be doing a wide variety of projects: Green Fencing , Green Manuring , Garden-bed Preparation , Monsoon planting/harvesting , Weeding and garden maintenance , Edible Landscaping for the expansion of the center’s properties Food Preservation Various green building projects Various jobs for day to  day existence: cleaning, cooking, etc.  Expectations of work for volunteers Wwoofers are expected to contribute daily for up to 5-6 hours in the above tasks.  Sundays are free.  All skill levels are welcome, enthusiasm and willingness are appreciated. Is transportation available?  Transportation  is available to and from the site, motorbikes and scooters can be rented for personal use.Languages spoken  English and Hindi are spoken Can you host children or pets? Sorry, no children or pets Special diets Communal Vegetarian World Cuisine And any other specifics for your farm:The picturesque beaches of North Goa (Ashwim, Mandrim, Morjim and Karim in North Goa) lie in the same stretch as Arambol. Turtles are known to nest on Morjim in the season. A ferry ride across the river further North, takes you into Maharashtra to an old fort on the cliffs now converted into a hotel.Is transportation available?  Transportation is available to and from the site, motorbikes and scooters can be rented for personal use.Languages spoken  English and Hindi are spoken Can you host children or pets? Sorry, no children or pets Special diets  Communal  Vegetarian World Cuisine And any other specifics for your farm: The picturesque beaches of North Goa (Ashwim, Mandrim, Morjim and Karim in North Goa) lie in the same stretch as Arambol. Turtles are known to nest on Morjim in the season. A ferry ride across the river further North, takes you into Maharashtra to an old fort on the cliffs now converted into a hotel.

IND 185 Farm name - Valley view farm   Contact name – Bobby Location (address and description of land)-Valley view near Nanital , Uttrakhand . The nearest rail way station is Kathgodam A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.)-Plantation ,growing vegetables ,garden work and crops How long you have been doing Organic Farming -I am a starter Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency- No Suggested length of stay for volunteers – One weekto 3 monthAccommodations (number and type)- 20 rooms , we have rooms with attached bathroom but u have to sleep on floor we will provide mattresses Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) – Work at restaurant which is just over the farm ,I also need a person good in software work like web designing etc Expectations of work for volunteers-for 4 to 5 hours per day Is transportation available?- Yes we can provide but u have to pay for oil Languages spoken –Hindi and English Can you host children or pets? –Yes we can host children and pets Special diets –We are running restaurant mostly all type of food is available And any other specifics for your farm- The farm is situated in the lap of nature in mountains with beautiful sight we can arrnge morning yoga classes and meditation

IND 186 Farm name Vinayak Farm  Contact name Kapil  Mandawewala  Location (address and description of land)  Jamnagar Gujarat A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.) The majority of the farm has black cotton soil and the entire 20 acres is drip irrigated. We grow various kinds of fruits & vegetables including Papaya, Watermelon, Sweet Lime (Mosambi), Mango and practically all types of seasonal vegetables. In addition we also grow some pulses, local corn and fodder for the animals on the farm (a pair of oxen, one cow and two small calves).  Two sections of our land of about 2 acres each at each end of the farm have been left to a completely natural state i.e. no tilling, no outside inputs and minimal irrigation in addition to the other organic practices. We also have a half acre shade-net house, however, the net has been damaged due to high winds in the area. How long you have been doing Organic Farming Vinayak Farm is a 20 acre organic farm 15 kms from Jamnagar, Gujarat. We have been doing organic farming for over 5 years.   Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency The farm is not certified as majority of our produce is sold locally via a farm shop and a CSA type arrangement in Jamnagar city. Our customers know and trust us and are free to visit our farm anytime. Suggested length of stay We would like to host volunteers who in addition to the farm day to day work can also help us with some of the above goals/projects and who would like to spend a minimum of 15 days to 3 months.  Accommodations (number and type) We have an office cum room that can easily fit two people. In addition plenty of space is available for tenting if volunteers are more in number. We also have washroom and bathroom facilities Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) Some of our planned goals/projects are: Improve the structure and design of the farm shop , Increase the farm product range by adding value/processing farm grown produce , Improve the two sections left to natural state by implementing permaculture/natural farming practices ,Create an area by fencing about half an acre for the farm animals to roam around ,Install a small Aquaponics system ,Introduce chickens on the farm ,Repair the shade-net house to grown some off-season vegetables ,Create a small one acre patch near the housing area as a home kitchen garden based on permaculture principles ,Build 2-3 eco-friendly housing structures to host guests and volunteers ,Organize activities on the farm to attract tourists and set it up as an eco-tourist destination ,Start an organic restaurant catering food made mostly from farm grown produce, Start a farmers market in the two nearby cities of Jamnagar and Rajkot for farmers to be able to directly market their produce to the customers’  Expectations of work for volunteers We would like to host volunteers who in addition to the farm day to day work can also help us with some of the above goals/projects. We expect the volunteers to work 5-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. The hours of work can be arranged to meet the expectations of the volunteer and the needs of the farm Is transportation available? As the farm is located on the main highway plenty of transportation is available. Languages spoken One local labour family lives on the farm who mainly speak the local languages Hindi & Gujarati. The owner of the farm has studied Management of Information Systems and worked in Consulting in the United States for 9 years before returning to India to start organic farming on his family farm. He is fluent in English and can speak very little Spanish and Italian. Can you host children or pets? Farm is children and pet friendly. Special diets  The farm is owned by a vegetarian family, hence no eggs or meat are prepared/cooked or brought on the farm. The food provided will be local and vegetarian. And any other specifics for your farm Jamnagar the Jewel of Kathiawar, is on the coast of Gulf of Kutch in the state of Gujarat, India. It has unspoilt Islands & beaches, hills, temples, palaces, forest, fantastic bird life in the bird sanctuary & marine sanctuaries and fascinating corals and marine life in the Marine National Park.One can visit the:City Lake full of 75 varieties of Birds , Islands full of sea shells, corals, birds, octopus,Unspoilt Beaches, both white and golden sands , Hills with temples on top , Forest with leopards, jackals, wolves, jungle cat, blue bulls, hyena, snakes , Temples ranging from the ancient to the new also includes a Guinness World Record holder , Bird Sanctuaries with 250 varieties of birds , Marine Sanctuaries with dolphins, octopus, turtles, dugong, fish , Marine National Park...The closest beach is Balachari, 26 km from the city. There also are other beaches further away, and this area has much unspoiled coastline which is worth exploring, with permission from Conservator of Forests Office, Tel: [phone], Nagnath Gate, Van Sankul, Ganjiwada, Jamnagar, and with an awareness that after a visit to unspoiled areas we should be able to say that we may visit the area again, still unspoiled. How to Get There: Jamnagar is 92 km from Rajkot By road: State transport buses and private luxury coaches connect Jamnagar with various centres of Gujarat. If you’re coming from Rajkot on bus, the bus passes right through town before reaching the bus station, so you can ask to be let off at Bedi Gate By rail: There are daily trains on the Western Railway with direct connections to Ahmedabad. By air: There is an airport 10 km from town, so it’s a relatively inexpensive rickshaw or taxi ride. Various domestic airlines connect Jamnagar to Mumbai.

IND 187 Farm name-  Bir Organic Model Farm Contact name- Spero Latchis Location (address and description of land) Bir, HP.. A brief description of organicactivities (crops, projects, goals, etc.)  Crops to include wheat, barley, millet, amaranth, linseed, and all types of vegetables. How long you have been doing Organic Farming-This a a start up project. Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency. Not yet Suggested length of stay for volunteers We really need someone for a long term commitment. One year is really minimum . They can come and go and see the sights, but need to stay for entire year's growing season. Shorter term volunteers won't really help us during this first year. For now  we are really looking for one experienced person,  Someone could come for 3 months, travel for a few weeks, stay for another 2-3 months, travel home etc.  But we really need them to be mostly here for the whole year. Accommodations (number and type) Excellent western style housing with one roommate. . They will share a house with one foreign homeopathic doctor volunteer. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) none Expectations of work for volunteers- To manage the start up of this farm, must be an experienced farmer capable of managing a 2 acre farm. Labourers and foreman will be provided. Is transportation available? No Languages spoken- Hindi and English Can you host children or pets? No Special diets- Organic food and produce And any other specifics for your farm- This is Govt of India project in accordance with the organic department of Palampur University.The scientists at the University will be overseeing the technical aspects of the farm.Day to day overseeing and management is what we are looking for.We are near many  Tibetan monasteries as well as Dharamshala where the Dali Lama lives. There are also many great mountain treks right outside our door. They can see all this from our website.  

IND 188 Farm name:swaYYam. Contact name:Ms. Malvikaa Solanki. Location (address and description of land): swaYYam, Gundlupet Taluk, Karnataka The land is just a few meters away from the last bus stop, next to a lake. Once you email us we will give you detailed instructions. A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.): Today the land stands barren with 2-3 wild forest trees next to a dry lake. The key objective is to regenerate the adjacent lake and heal the soil to its original glory – a dry and moist deciduous forest - using principles of nature, wherein we work with nature rather than against it as Masanobu Fukuoka advocated. We start work from April, 2014 to put in place a few bamboo and earthen cottages, a living fence, a community kitchen, water harvesting systems, nursery for forestry, Ayurvedic and medicinal trees, vegetable gardens to cater to the food requirements of the residents etc. Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency: No, and would also not require the same in the future. The forest follows natural farming principles for it's own health and sustainability; it is not an effort to maximize profits by way of pricing the goods through branding or certifications. Suggested length of stay for volunteers: A minimum commitment of 15 days is essential to enable a worthwhile engagement. Accommodations (number and type): Various possibilities of a house in a village, dormitory, bamboo huts and mud houses on the land, which we will build soon. You could help us build some too.Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.): The project offers a wide range of working possibilities – vegetable gardens, nursery, seed saving, composting, vermicomposting, natural soap making, cooking community meals, natural buildings, natural soap making, making pickles, spice powders, jams, kombucha, documentation, tree planting, mulching, watering, maintaining the community space, educational workshops, building up a live fence etc. Expectations of work for volunteers: We start work early, of course depending on the weather and work for about 6 hours, Monday to Friday (although, there are no holidays for farmers and the love of the work makes it fun). We are always flexible in considering your individual needs and preferences. We appreciate creativity and initiative and welcome any ideas you may have to improve our project and our community. We consider wwoofing, an opportunity to share, learn and exchange. We are as much open to learning from you as you are. Is transportation available? Bus services to the village are quite convenient. Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Kannada. Can you host children or pets? Given that we are not very far from a Wildlife Reserve Forest (tigers, elephants, leopards and wild boars) we would NOT be able to host pets. Children however are very welcome Food: swaYYam is a nonprofit project that does not generate any income. We are just starting the project thus we expect a little contribution to support our NGO project it is 200 Indian Rupees per day (this is about 3 USD) per person , though such contribution is not needed from those who have stayed 2 months showing dedication, taken on a role of responsibility and committed to a minimum of 4 months. And any other specifics for your farm:Volunteers should not smoke cigarettes, use drugs, or drink alcohol during their entire stay. Only come when this is a realistic lifestyle for you. We follow and practice an eco-friendly lifestyle, please, bring your biodegradable toiletries or you can buy from us. It’s preferred that the women use washable sanitary cotton pads or a moon/she cup. Keeping the ethos of the land, plastics or any non-biodegradable materials, you will need to take them back with you and cannot be littered, burned or disposed off on the land. Internet: You will have free limited access to the internet for a couple hours in the day. We aim towards living off the grid and become independent from non-renewable energies.; therefore a wise use of electric/electronic gadgets will be very much appreciated.