Wwoof- india (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)

Chotian village: Jaspreet Kaur daughter of Jaspal Kaur 18 year old girl who lost father and uncle through debt related farmer suicide. She was sponsored to go to private school and wants to be social advocate and can act as local translator as her English is good. Geewa Singh (small-farmer) 7 acres, is doing natural/traditional farming since he started maybe more then 40 years. Growing wheat/rice/cotton/onions/pumpkins/turmeric and different pulses such moong / dal /black gram. Willing to diversify. Jiwan Ram (retired teacher). 1 acre organic for own use since one year 2010 of total 4 acres. Growing organic wheat/ also growing some vegetables.

Gaga Village: Pargit Singh (Farmer) Total 27 acres and of which organic 3 acres wheat (3 different varieties) and rice also some vegetables for own use. Had kidney problem that is why motivated to grow healthy food for own use and is slowly converting more land into organic. Uses different techniques. Gurdeep Singh (farmer and son of village head). 2 acres organic for own use of 26 acres. Grows wheat/rice/vegetables and pulses. Plans to convert more into organic.

Kalbanjara village: Rajwinder Singh (farmer) Total 54 acres of which 3 ½ acres organic/natural. Wheat/Basmati rice, vegetables and some pulses. Some fruit trees. Very motivated and experiments with different techniques/mulching/composting/manuring etc. Is cooking on gobar gas.Bihari Mandir (local vetenary doctor). Got some land by his dispensary where he grew trees, some crops and is also influential in convincing other farmers to convert part of their land to organic. He knows a lot of farmers because his work.

Chajla village: Labh Singh (Cooperative Society inspector). Total of 7 acres on which he grows 1 ½ acre organic wheat/rice, vegetables, pulses, sugar-cane and some fruit trees. Very motivated and interesting that he is part of the farmers cooperative society. Which in future could be helpful in setting up organic coop. Is also thinking of setting up a shop for organic produce in his village. Could be helped with figuring out how to approach this.

Nangla: Amrik Singh (Poet and gardener) Orchard of 2 acres with over 30 different varieties of fruit trees planted more then 20 years ago. Very motivated individual and good gardener.

A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.) Many possibilities:

Practical: Working on the land with the farmers/labourers. Crops grown are wheat/rice/cotton/some vegetables, pulses. There is also an orchard with many varieties of fruit. Work depending on season.

Awareness and education: Projects include strengthening the group, gathering data of farmers/ organizing central organic seed bank/collecting different organic seeds./organizing facilitating meetings/ collecting books for organic library. Helping set up kitchen garden programme in schools, educating schoolchildren about nature and organic farming. Creating farmer-consumer links by collecting data i.e. phone-number and addresses of possible consumers of organic food in region. How long you have been doing Organic Farming Different according to individual farmer 1 year, to 40 years Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency Nope Suggested length of stay for volunteers Minimum one week Accommodations (number and type) In the villages or in small town, many different options according to what you wish We can host more then one volunteer at a time but please contact coordinators to get detailed information. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) Again there are options on this front to if you have skills/knowledge that you can transfer to local community, it would be most welcome. Expectations of work for volunteers All in deliberation with particular host Is transportation available? Yes Languages spoken English/Punjabi/Hindi again dependant on host Can you host children or pets? In consultation with particular host Special diets Vegetarian And any other specifics for your farm It is not your typical WWOOF situation and the options are very open and depends on your own resourcefulness and creativity on how you want to assist Nanak Kheti A lot of work can be done on creating awareness and strengthening the group. Also possible to stay with different farmers.

IND 111Farm name Parshada Contact name Moonstar A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.) Parshada is an open space with an intention to be an Urban Organic Farm, a Share Store, an Open Kitchen and a Studio Space which is available for the community to share. The evolution of PARSHADA has a common theme of moving away from the market economy of fixed prices and instead stepping into the value based economy. The contribution to the workshop can be made as per each person's own possibility and capability. Celebrating the spirit of sharing and ownership of a community space just like a Gurudwara where contributions can be made through kitchen rations (preferably organic), kitchen utensils or financial contribution, according to your own capacity. We have a belief that if the community sees value in a space like this , it will nurture it’s growth. Breads ,cakes , and cookies here are made without baking powder and yeast, a healthier alternative of ‘Sour Dough’ which is used by the local ‘Gaddi’ people from Himachal. We will also be happy to share the ‘Sour Dough’ culture with you, so please bring an empty glass bottle with you. We at PARSHADA open kitchen believe in using less processed food and more healthier alternatives, jaggery or gur instead of sugar, peanut butter and sesame butter instead of dairy butter/ transfats /ghee or oil and steaming instead of boiling or frying. How long you have been doing Organic Farming - I became interested and started organic farming five years, although I was living in different cities so could not continue with the same farm, I volunteered on other farms started urban farming in Chandigarh one and half year ago, Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency – No Suggested length of stay for volunteers Indefinite, depending upon the communication and interaction, Accommodations (number and type) Upto four or five people could be accommodated, and two per room, with shared bathrooms, both Indian and Western styles toilets. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) - We are always building things out of waste, we recently finished making tables, cupboards, lamps out of old waste wood, so it is an open house, anyone can join in, Expectations of work for volunteers - To take part in activities which meet their needs for creativity and contribution and joy, there is work to do, but there is joy to be lived as well! . It is a community space where everyone is working together in the running of the space, where there aren't any hired help or paid staff, so whoever is living here is supporting it according to their own interests. So if somebody likes farming, they are welcome to do mulching, or sowing or harvesting or water management, as per their own interests, or if someone connects with cleaning then they are welcome to do that, or if someone likes building things out of waste, they are welcome to join us in creating up cycled useful creations, or work on creating the SHARE STORE, where friends are invited to leave things they no longer need and take things that they need (clothes, shoes, books, bags, household items) or work in the OPEN KITCHEN, which is an oil free, healthy kitchen , which is open to people who want to eat with us, we have an intention to cook as much as possible only organic food.Is transportation available? - Yes, cycles, Languages spoken - English, Hindi, Punjabi, Can you host children or pets? - Children yes, pets no, Special diets - We eat oil free, vegan ,adding raw food to our diets , but can accommodate vegetarian preferences too, we discourage any meat or non vegetarian cooking and eating, and thinking! And any other specifics for your farm Here is the blog . Dharamsala ( Himachal Pradesh ) is six hours by bus. Then there is a Harrapa Archealogical site only less than an hour drive. Chandigarh itself is a popular tourist place as it is an intentional city, built with the support of Le Corbusier in 1960, with architecture inspired to connect people and open spaces where he had envisioned and written that he hoped people take time to spend the evenings in the sector 17 piazzaz , where someone is jamming on the guitar, while people are strolling by, and enjoying spending their evening

IND 112 Farm Name : RB Farms Contact Name :Ram .B , Educated and worked in the west (US,AUS & UK) moved back to India 3yrs ago. Location(Address & Description of Land) : The farm is at, Warrangal District, in Andhra Pradesh. It’s about 70kms from Hyderabad an hour and a half drive by car. It’s a 40 acre Land, which is to be cultivated at the moment we are only doing a few acres.It has a farm house (two bedroomn ,living & kitchen) to stay , Ample place for Tents , We do have two 5 person Tents too. Places to See : The farm is equidistant from Hyderabad & Warrangal town (District HQ of Warrangal District)The city of Hyderabad and it’s Monuments Charminar, Salr Jung Museum, Golconda Fort , Various other Palaces , Temples. Warrangal has a unique 1000 Pillars temple and lakes, hills , forts to see. Volunteers can do good amount of Trekking & Kayaking in the their free time. The Farm Owner has two Kayaks. Organic Farming : We are just starting in mid june with the help of a local organization which is into Organic farming. Your expertise will be much appreciated. The Farm is not certified yet. Suggested Length of stay for Volunteer :We welcome volunteers from July 2011 and depending on their contribution to the farm in terms of their expertise and imparting knowledge to local farmers they are welcome to stay from a minimum of a month to as long as they wish to stay. Accommodation :It has a farm house (two bedrooms , living & kitchen) to stay , Ample place for Tents , We do have two 5 person Tents too. Non-farming Opportunities Activities : We do welcome your expertise in alternative construction and Solar energy. There are two villages nearby which could benefit from your expertise in these areas. Expectation of work from Volunteers: As we understand it to be a mutually beneficial activity, the work of the volunteer should speak for itself , we will not demand or Impose any work. We will discuss the nature of work and if it’s mutually agreed upon, we will welcome the volunteers. Transport : We will provide transport from Airport/Rail Station to the farm and there is a scooter which can be used by the volunteers at the farm. Languages Spoken : English ,Hindi & Telugu Children & Pets allowed ?: Children allowed if accompanied by their Parents, Pets at their respective owners responsibility. Special Diets: None,can cook anything they want , Western or Indian food both are available

IND 113Farm name    Vishwaneedam Contact name  Ananta Putel Location (address and description of land) Balangar District in Orissa state 76 70 28 We are a small community and live on and cultivate around 10acres of land at the foot of the Gandhamardhan hills near Harishankar in western Orissa. Our land is divided into farm land and a living area. We also have a small hill with an old mountain house on top, many trees, and a pond which we use for rainwater harvesting. The soil is mixed red and black soil and becomes very dry in the hot season from March to June and very moist in the rainy season from June onwards. It is a very quiet spot which is very close to the nature and offers a great view on the Gandhamardhan hills.Only 5 minutes of walking from our farm and living area, we have another 5 acres of land where we run a school for unprivileged children from the region, such as orphans, girls, and children from poor families. A brief description of organic activities (crops, projects, goals, etc.) We mainly cultivate for our own consumption at the moment. However, our goal is to make a living from organic farming, i.e. sale of our own farm products. Among the plants we cultivate are vegetables (spinach, pumpkins, lentils (dhal), ladyfinger, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more), crops (rice and wheat), and fruit (water melon, mangoes). We use only organic seeds and manure/compost instead of fertilizer. Projects for volunteers are varied, for example constructing a bamboo frame for organic compost, gardening activities like watering and removing weed, reforestation and our future water conservation project. We would also like to extend our farming activities to the school ground and set up an organic school garden. Vegetable cultivation is done throughout the year. From December to March, there is the cool season where the wheat work has to be done. In the summer season from June to August is harvesting time for mangoes, water melons, and spinach. The rainy season from July to November is pedi (rice) cultivation time. How long you have been doing Organic Farming Since 2011 Whether the farm is certified (if yes) name of certification agency No Suggested length of stay for volunteers Minimum: 2 weeks Maximum: 4 weeks Accommodations (number and type)We can host a maximum of 2 volunteers at a time in one of our guest rooms right next to the living house which offer beds and mattresses, electricity, and mosquito nets in front of the window. We recommend bringing mosquito nets for the bed and a torch for power cuts. Non-farming opportunities/ activities (alternative construction/ restoration project, alternative energy, etc.) One hour every day is dedicated to community work, i.e. all community members work together at a common project (e.g. cleaning community ground). There are always construction works to be done, e.g. a store room, drain, cow shelter, and a new living house. During the mango season, we need help with making mango pickles and jam. For those who enjoy working with young children there is always something to do in the school, too. We would be very happy to receive people with organic farming experience who can share their knowledge with us. If you are good at handicrafts (painting, carpentry, mechanical work…) we will sure find an interesting task for you. Artists (dancers, musicians…) and sportsmen are also very welcome, especially if you feel you can pass on some of your knowledge to the children in school. Expectations of work for volunteers We expect volunteers to work six days a week from Monday to Saturday 7 hours per day: 8 – 12 and 3 – 5, plus one hour of community work from 5 – 6. Sundays are free.I s transportation available? We have two train stations within reach: Harishankar Road (1 hour by motorbike) and Balangir (2,5 hours by motorbike). We will pick you up from there. Please make sure you tell us when and where you arrive and with how many pieces of luggage well in advance. Please note that we are not able to transport suitcases; backpacks are no problem though. Languages spoken Oriya, Hindi, English, some French and sometimes GermanCan you host children or pets? Children are welcome (up to two). Please consider that we live in simple conditions which might be difficult for smaller children. No pets possible. (We have 3 dogs, one cow, and one duck.)Special diets Mostly vegan; sometimes eggs, milk, or fish from own pond served. And any other specifics for your farm We are two families living together in the Vishwaneedam community. There are three children around, Evan, Ram, and Jishnu. Our aim is to live a life in quest for truth, or in other words, away from the business world that we used to be a part of. We are convinced that our activities here will contribute to making the world a better place. Besides the residents of the community, there are friends and supporters who come here regularly to live and work with us, for example Sanjay from Patnagarh, Mike and Anke from Germany, and Eugen from Switzerland. Several activities are possible, for example participating in the daily yoga lesson, hiking in the Gandhamardhan forest where there are beautiful waterfalls and a small natural “swimming pool”, or a visit to Harishankar temple with its waterfall which is a worship place attracting many people every year.

IND 114Farm name: Chaman Rishi natural farm Contact name: Mirra, Kullu dist, Himachal Pradesh. Location: Farm located at about 2000m altitude in rugged mountainous terrain, in the Garsa valley. not far from Kullu and Parvati valley. our farm is family run and mostly self sufficient. Plots are scattered around 4 acres Brief description of organic activities: We grow crops like corn, beans, wheat, fruits like apricot and apple, along with raising cattle like cows or goat. How long have you been doing organic farming: Since many years although we do not have certificate due to the high cost of certification. Suggested length of stay for volunteers: Unlimited, but a minimum of one week is usually required. Accommodation: House is old and big so we have a number of rooms for the volunteers; water is plenty on the farm along with toilet and bathroom. Electricity is also there. Expectation of work for volunteers: Usually 5 hours per day with one day off per week. Is transportation available: Main farm-house is 45 min walk up the hill from main road. From there Bhuntar town is 40 min by local bus. Language spoken: Hindi, local dialect, English Can you host children or pets: Usually no Special diet: Food is completely traditional like chapati-roti, lentils, vegetable and wild delicacies growing around... on request mutton sometimes. but food mainly vegetarian. Any specifics concerning the farm: lots of walking here as we own small plots scattered in the mountains. Terrain is very alpine type and surroundings are wild and beautiful. We are near protected alpine forest.

IND 115Name of the organization – DAA Nationwide Contact name Dr. Samvit Audichya Location Villages around Udaipur in Rajasthan but within the same district. There are buses and trains coming to Udaipur every day both from Delhi and Bombay and also from all the big cities in India. Once you are in Udaipur we can arrange for pick up if you wish , till the accommodation ( you have to pay for the pick up more or less 100 Rs) Description We have been working with developing organic gardens and farms within our youth centers so we can provide some fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables to the kids from these villages that are coming to our youth centers specially to the girls who are being ignored by the community for a number of reasons most because of the gender bias in the society. Time period We only have been making these efforts for the last few months, more then anything else we wish to do it only so we can offer some health and free diet to the village kids. Length of the stay for volunteer It should be at least one month’s time. Accommodation Shared accommodation with a home stay, max number of people 4 in total and 2 per room. Non farming projects Taking care of the maintenance of our youth centers (villages) and our home stay (Chandra niwas in Udaipur) and also spreading the word both offline and online. Expectations Spend at least 3 to 4 hrs in the garden and take care of the vegetables and plants, watering and cleaning the farm would be a part of these activities. Transportation Yes (walking distance) Languages spoken Hindi , English Children and pet No Special Diet No They would be given simple Indian vegetarian food.Any other thingin and around Udaipur there are a number of place and also villages where they would be interested in going , place like chittorgarh , Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh, Jhadol, Ekling Ji etc within udaipur they have spend time on the weekends or in the free time in and around the fatehsagar lake or lake pichola , places to hang out and see are like princes garden , city palace , number of temples like Jagdish and Neemach mata. there are a number of garden and roof top restaurants where you can spend the evenings or pool places where they can spend some time. About Udaipur get more information -

IND 116Farm Name- Dr.Devendra organic farm and herbal garden Contact Name- Abhinav kumar MauryaAbout me- I'm student in BHU university doing my bachlors in “AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE”. i wanna make world safe place to live.i have a bubbly family and have lots of energy and love for anyone around us. Our perspective is one of "if it is worth doing, it is worth doing it well" - a perspective of excellence, but not an economic one, excellence in simply doing the best with what we havefarm is in Jaunpur district near Varanasi(oldest living city of world) in Uttar Pradesh.Landscape and Environment of my Village My farm is totally in rural environment.it is totally in natural environment,whole village have many small gardens of Mango,guava,Blackberry and native plant species.Nearby Canal is 1km and River is 3km far it provide a best destination to visit during free time.Village people are extreamly friendly,volunteers can intract with anyone in village,here my whole village is like a combined family. It is best place if Volunteers also looking for a close view of real Indian culture, tradition and custom.Volunteers become a part of this village family as they put their first step in Village.Organic Activities- Organic farming is normal farming method which followed by indian former since ages long,but in past few decade chemical Agriculture model spread rapidly and reduces area of natural forming,but in my farm my parents never use chemicals they are against use of chemical for food prodution,though at their time they do natural farming for own satisfaction which is not bounded under any law and norm. After my first year of collage, I concluded that the safe future of resourses for our next generation can be maintained only by sustainable use and development models.so I started my project based on Organic farming,permaculture and sustainable development.Now my farm consist of a compost unit,a buffalo,a cow to develop an integrated approach.For my efforts I got the award of best “Integrated Farming Model” by my University-Institute of Agricultural sciences. Mainly cereal crops and vegetables are grown in my farm.vegetables include pumpkin,raddish,carrot,couliflower,tomato and main crops are Wheat,rice,maize,potato also herbs like Basil ,termric etc.Accommodation,length of stay and working hour- Volunteer will stay with my family in my house.There are many rooms in my house,u can use separate one or can stay in the big room with my sister.there is no need of sleeping bags and bedding,each and everything u will get from my house.You will be a part of our family and can use anything which is used by my family.Volunteer can stay according to there choice,Minimum 20 days and then u can stay as much as u want,it depends on how well u are adjusted in my family.Volunteers have to work only 3-4 hours in a day,2 hours in morning and 1-2 hours in evening. Volunteer work involve simple practices like weeding,harvesting the produce etc.Beside that u can help in cooking. Things to do in free time- Volunteers can do a lot of things in in there free time 1.They can learn Yoga and Pranayama(but only when my cousin is at home) 2.Can learn HEENA(Hand Painting) and cloth painting.....(if my sister is free) 3.Can learn Cooking Indian Food. 4.Can learn Hindi. 5.Can visit nearby river and natural greenery. 6.Can play Cricket. 7.Can watch Indian movie. 8.Can read novels from home liabrary. 9.Can teach poor Village childrens. 10.Can go to nearby cultural fest.