Organic Farming and Permaculture Assistant

Mr. Sujan Parajuli
Volunteering to Learn
Z Street Thamel, Kathmandu Nepal

t: + 977 9841538578
e: info@volunteeringtolearn.org
w: www.volunteeringtolearn.org

Closing Date: 31 January 2010

Nepal is still rooted in agriculture, so spending time on a farm
will shed light on many aspects of Nepali culture and language.  But
volunteers have been drawn to this program for more varied reasons: to
learn skills in running an organic farming operation so they can start
a business back home,  to take a sabbatical from desk jobs by working
outdoors for a month or longer, to learn techniques to help relieve
hunger among impoverished people without using toxic pesticides or
fertilizers.

No matter what your skill level, you can volunteer with our Organic
Farming and Permaculture Program and gain hands-on experience helping
farmers, students and local communities cultivate and harvest organic
crops, vegetables, fruits, herbs through sustainable farming methods. 
We work with several vibrant farms within Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and
Pokharawhere a variety of vegetables, crops, fruits and herbs now
thrive.

Staying on our farms, you will have opportunities to learn more
about organic farming, experience rural Nepali lifestyles and practice
Nepali. Volunteers participate in the seasonal and daily rounds of the
farm and household and can also engage in community projects. Specific
activities may include:

• milking buffaloes
• plowing
• planting or harvesting vegetables, fruits, crops and herbs
• developing forest farms
• helping to design new projects
• preparing compost
• controling pests with organic methods
• preparing organic liquid fertilizers
• preparing biogas.

Of course, growing food is only part of the job. Next comes all the
work that gets that food to the table. In Nepal, that work is often
done by women, but in many of our host homes, men are encouraged to
join in too. So volunteers may learn to churn butter, grind turmeric
and specialty flours, prepare spicy chutneys, and learn how to make
homestyle Nepali dal bhat.