ESC: Community horticulture

Code: 37131 Copied

Ireland European Voluntary Service Environment Social work European Voluntary Service Environment +1 Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

💼 What the programme involves

Based at an ecovillage community farm, our volunteers experience a year’s cycle of organic vegetable production and distribution, and acquire a full set of skills to grow food for a community or small business in an environmentally beneficial way. Regular tasks include sowing seeds, watering, weeding, harvesting, and weighing veg. Other seasonal tasks may include preservation of surplus crops (pickling, preserving etc) and assisting with building projects. While the primary commitment is hands-on farm work, some volunteers also take an active role in supporting the farm’s related projects, such as our food hub and digital farmers market. Volunteers will also be immersed in Ecovillage life and experience community living, collaborative governance and decision making. All this combines to provide a lived example of practical activism as a direct response to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and over-consumption.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Accommodation is in shared housing with other volunteers. Membership of our Community Farm allows you to take as many organic, local vegetables as you need. Locally baked sourdough bread is provided each week, and you also have credit for monthly bulk wholefoods orders. Everything in the village is within a 5 min walk, including a pharmacist, bookshop, cafe, and small supermarket. Sporadic train and bus services connect Cloughjordan to major cities and nearby towns, and local residents are also willing to provide lifts.

🎒 Leisure activities

All volunteers attend a week of induction and orientation on first arrival. Our farm production team train volunteers in all aspects of practical growing skills, and are on hand to answer questions on a day to day basis. Throughout the year, volunteers also attend specialised workshops on relevant topics such as cooking, composting and seed saving, and also attend group sessions with a focus on non-violent communication, group dynamics and personal development. Other classes are available locally, such as yoga, martial arts, and Irish music.

⚠️ Requirements

The Participant profile: If you want to spend a year growing vegetables, you like to put your hands in the soil, and you don’t care about getting wet in winter, this project is for you! If you're passionate about organic farming and want to learn more skills, even better. Only apply if you’re interested in healthy food and local food systems, and you’re keen to learn practical skills to address the climate and biodiversity crisis while experiencing community life in an Ecovillage. We welcome self-motivated individuals who enjoy working as part of a team, and would like more experience of working cooperatively.
Deadline: No application deadline

ℹ️ Additional information

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?

Training before and after the project
Health insurance during your project
round-trip travel reimbursement
accommodation and food
pocket money
language course
Return Week-end
Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport

Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.

📅 Available sessions

IE37131

02/09/2024 at 00:00 → 17/10/2025 at 00:00

Closed

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ℹ️ Key information

Age required

18–30 years old

Solidarity donation

0.00 EUR

French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).

📍 Location

North Tipperary Green Enterprise Park, Oxpark, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, E53 VP86, Ireland

Ireland

🌍 Location info

Local currency

Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)

Timezone

Greenwich Mean Time

Local time: 21:07 (12/11/2026)

🛡️ Before you leave

Security information

📞 Contact us

[email protected]

+32 2 888 67 13

Contact form

✅ Features

🏠 Accommodation

Collective

🗣️ Languages spoken

English Irish