ESC: Working at a biodynamic farm together with people with need for support

Name: ESC: Working at a biodynamic farm together with people with need for support
Start: 2025-07-01
End: 2026-07-01
Location: Zelhem, Netherlands

Code: 460846828412d90443 Copied

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

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The Lava Legato Foundation carries out activities related to charities, volunteer work and work in aid of the community.
The Lava Legato Foundation focuses on three areas:
· volunteer work & informal learning
· special education
· local community
and works on social entrepreneurship to support the three focus areas.

The Lava Legato Foundation works with a group of professionals and volunteers who organize and coordinate international volunteer activities and develop educational programs. One of the structural activities is facilitating volunteer work, in Rotterdam and The Hague for a great variety of organizations, but also in Vorden at the biodynamic farm Urtica de Vijfsprong. Up to date information about these activities can be found on the Lava Legato Facebook page.

💼 What the programme involves

Volunteers play an essential role in a variety of operational activities across different areas of the farm. These activities include: Outdoor Fields/Gardens and Greenhouses: Engaging in the cultivation of fruits, plants, herbs, and vegetables. Dairy Section: Assisting with the production of various dairy products. Cattle Section: Taking care of the cattle both in the stables and around the farm. Restaurant: Supporting kitchen staff, preparing the restaurant for lunch, and assisting with events. Farm Shop: Helping staff manage and operate the small on-site supermarket. Volunteers will work alongside other volunteers, clients dealing with psychological and psychiatric challenges, and professional staff members. The working schedule runs from Monday to Thursday, focusing on practical, hands-on tasks. Proficiency in Dutch is highly beneficial, while a good command of English is necessary, as English will be the primary language of communication.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Accommodation: Volunteers have a house with private sleeping areas and shared facilities, located in a small village. Be prepared to cycle in all weather conditions. The house offers a peaceful environment ideal for unwinding after work. Transportation: Bicycles are provided. The farm is set in a scenic rural area in Vorden, perfect for exploring nature and cycling. Please note that this can be physically demanding.

🍲 Food

Food: A food allowance is provided, and volunteers can buy meals during work or bring their own. The local area also has shops for any additional supplies.

🎒 Leisure activities

Leisure activities is something that the volunteers decides for
themselves. Some volunteers explore the country in the free days, others
join a sports club, this is something that we do not interfere with.

⚠️ Requirements

The Participant profile: The starting date is fixed, but we are flexible with the end date. We are looking forward to applications of motivated volunteers who are interested in biodynamic farming and working with people who are in need of extra support. Because of the restrictions of this project, we can only host EU citizens. Although we appreciate volunteers who have an educational background in social work, we would like to stress that volunteers only execute operational activities, working together with clients who live at the farm or visit it to work there. It is important that volunteers do not mind to work outside, also when the weather circumstances are not ideal.
Deadline: No application deadline

🤝 Meeting point

Volunteers are picked up from a nearby train station. This is usually
Zutphen. They travel on their own from the airport to this train
station.

ℹ️ Additional information

Training will be provided by the national agency: an on arrival training (5 days) and a midterm training (2/3 days). You will also receive training on the job to learn to execute the different farm activities. The farm is a biodynamic farm and also operates on an anthroposophic foundation. This means it follows holistic and sustainable agricultural practices that consider ecological, social, and spiritual aspects, aiming to harmonize the relationship between people, animals, plants, and the environment

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

NL46084

01/07/2025 at 00:00 → 01/07/2026 at 00:00

Closed

0 / 2

♂ 0/1 ♀ 0/1

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

Zelhem, Netherlands

Netherlands

🌍 Location info

Local currency

Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)

Timezone

Central European Summer Time

Local time: 21:43 (12/11/2026)

🛡️ Before you leave

Security information

📞 Contact us

[email protected]

+32 2 888 67 13

Contact form

✅ Features

🏠 Accommodation

Collective

🗣️ Languages spoken

Dutch English Western Frisian