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Assist on a Permaculture Farm
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Location:
Cotacachi, Imbabura, Ecuador
Organization:
CASA Interamericana
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Start date:
November 6, 2009
Sex:
All are welcome
Skill(s):
carpentry, fundraising, Other, plumbing
Area of Focus:
Energy Conservation and Green Living, Farming and Agriculture
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End date:
November 6, 2011
Age:
Seniors (65 and over), Adults (18-64), Families
Language(s):
Spanish
Last updated:
November 6, 2009
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Description:
Finca La Fe
Finca La Fe is a 10 hectare farm in Pucará, Ecuador. On the western flank of the Andes at 2100 meters, the farm is located in the Alto Chocó cloud forest, one of the world´s ten most bio-diverse ecosystems. The land is comprised of approximately 20% primary cloud forest, 20% secondary cloud forest, 30% agricultural land and orchards, and 30% grazing pasture.
The farm is organized as a mixed economy venture: part private and part public. While organic produce will be sold for profit, the farm itself will also be home to a non-profit education center and demonstration permaculture project that will receive volunteers and students and host seminars.
Despite being virtually abandoned for most of a decade, Finca La Fe is already producing organic citrus, yucca, raspberries, pineapples, avocados, beans and corn at market levels. The farm is also a member of the Agro-Artesenal Coffee Association of the Intag River Valley (AACRI), a 400 member fair-trade, organic cooperative born as an economic alternative to a proposed open-pit copper mine in the region. Two thousand coffee trees will be producing beans by 2012 to add to AACRI’s exportcapacity to Japan, the EU, and the USA.
Long term plans for the Finca include construction of an interpretive trail that identifies both cloud forest and agricultural plants, the installation of solar showers and composting toilets, the implementation of water storage tanks and a gravity-fed irrigation system, sample agriculture plots that will be used to test different organic and biodegradable pesticide and fungicide solutions, native species reforestation studies, and the implementation of an integrated permaculture design plan.
Volunteers will help with:
• The day to day operations of the farm like, planting, harvesting, weeding, elaboration of organic fertilizers, management of tree nusery, and long-term planning and implementation of the farm´s permaculture design.
• The building of infrastructure for the farm. Examples include solar showers, composting toilets, greenhouses, bread oven, composting facilities, chicken house, tilapia pond, and rainwater collection and distribution system.
How to Apply:
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Permalink:
http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/VolunteerOpportunity/184353-19/c
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