Are you concerned about the impacts of intensive farming on biodiversity? Are you ready to get your get your hands dirty and to campaign for a fair and environmentally-friendly food system?
Apply to become an agri-activism volunteer! What is Agri-activism?
Each year, YFoEE is working together with the Caerhys organic farm to organise volunteering placements for young people to discover sustainable farming practices and to gain capacity in grassroots campaigning. A once in a lifetime experience, with many discoveries.
“I have seen the life-circle of a vegetable from sowing their seeds, to transplanting them to the open field, caring for them until finally harvesting and eating them.” Lena, Argi-activist volunteer 2018
“Four weeks ago I left my ordinary Dutch life to give it a try: working on a remote organic farm in Wales and work on a sustainable food system. I knew I was going to learn a lot of new things but I didn’t know I was going to have so much FUN!!” – Tosca, Agri-Activist volunteer 2017
This year’s placement will happen under the European Solidarity Corps framework (former European Voluntary Service). The project is open to young people under 30, traveling from any EU country, except the United Kingdom, as this is where the project will be happening.
See below for more information about the application process.
When?
Starting time: As soon as possible! There is currently a gap. Apply now!
Finishing time: November 1st 2020.
Agri-activism 2019 placement will be longer than the past years (6 months), so that volunteers can be involved in longer-term activities and gain even more from this experience.
Where?
Caerhys Organic Farm, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
Caerhys Organic Farm is supported entirely by sales to the local community around the St. David’s area. The farm is run by Gerald Miles, a prominent anti-GM activist who runs the farm on local, organic principles. By involving the local community and teaching volunteers about sustainable food alternatives, Gerald has created a community of people sharing and supporting organic food production, in a spirit of friendship and trust.
Your work
The placement has two objectives:
– To get a first-hand experience of sustainable agriculture practices and the Community Supported Agriculture network
– To develop a strong experience in grassroots campaigning and activism on environmental issues.
Your tasks:
– Farm work: Weeding, harvesting, sowing seeds and transplanting in the fields or greenhouses, clearing field areas, distributing the produce in the members’ boxes and more. In short, you will get your hands on everything, which is the best way to understand how modern organic farming is done.
– Campaigning and activism: That may involve strategising (along with Gerald and the other agri-activists), working on campaigning materials (posters, flyers, online materials, presentations), organising local workshops and participating in local and national actions.
– Other tasks: Writing about your experience on the YFoEE website, working together with the YFoEE working groups on European-scale projects.
Practical information
You will be hosted in the farm, and provided with monthly allowance for food and other spendings (£255). Your trip to Wales will also be covered (up to £275, return trip).
In total participants work for approximately 30 hours per week. Gerald will be your mentor, you will be working with him and other volunteers (local people, WWOOFers,…). Mentoring may take place outside ordinary work hours. Flexibility of working schedules is required for the campaigning side of the placement.
How to apply?
Send a motivation letter by April 20th 2019 to coline.malot@foeeurope.org and gm@caerhys.co.uk, mentioning:
– Your motivations for applying for this placement and what you hope to gain from it
– In your own words, what is wrong with the current food system and how we can work towards fixing it
– Your previous practical experience with (sustainable) agriculture and/or campaigning experience
– Your availability for the period
If you prefer to send us a short video message instead of a written letter of motivation, feel free to do so!
We encourage applications from people of any ethnic, social and religious background, sexual orientation and gender identity. We particularly encourage applications from people who are or who feel under-represented in the environmental movement. The local languages are English and Welsh, and campaigning will be done in English, but participants are not expected to be native speakers. Unfortunately, we are only able to fund travel from within Europe. Selection of participants will be in part based on YFoEE’s principles of intersectionality.
This year’s agri-activism volunteering will be a Erasmus+ funded European Solidarity Corps volunteering opportunity, coordinated through UNA Exchange (hosting organisation). Please, remember that you need to be under 30, and travel from any EU country, except the United Kingdom.
To be able to take part in the program, a second step of the application process will be to get in contact with an accredited organisation from your country, which will become your sending organisation. Find your sending organisation here.
