📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Situated in the beautiful landscape of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schaalsee, the members of association Eschenhof ( Gardening together aim to run an organic farm together. Since 2015, the members plant and grow different vegetable crops, potats and herbs in foil tunnels and in the field. There is also an orchard with trees, shrubs and berries and you can find cozy little spots where members socialize together and kids can familiarize themselves with the surrounding nature.Working together is closely connected to the name of the association ( Gemeinsam Gaertnern - Gardening together: The essential aspect of the farm is combining social commitment with an alternative way of producing and consuming food; acting in an ecological, climate-friendly and sustainable manner. For further information about Eschenhof please visit http://eschenhof-verein.de/ .
💼 What the programme involves
The volunteers are welcome to help the association with revitalizing a piece of abandoned land and make it viable for sustainable gardening. Together you will create garden beds and afterwards plant herbs, vegetables, shrubs and trees. Later on, this area will also be used for social purposes and as a meeting place.There will be all kinds of gardening work to do, sometimes physically demanding (for the ones who like to use their personal strength). During your volunteering, you can learn a lot about Perma-Culture, a concept where selected plants are cultivated together in a way that only needs a minimal amount of energy and fertilizer. The inventor of this cultivation method won the Alternative Nobel PrizeYou will learn gardening work by practicing it. It is a great chance to get experience in the agricultural area, learn about permaculture and sustainable use of nature. At the same time, you can see the association as a good example of an alternative and very social way of producing and consuming food. As there will be close contact with German native speakers, this workcamp is a good possibility to improve your German language skills.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will live on the Eschenhof farmland. We will build up a small campground. You can choose between camping in big tents and sleeping in single or double tents. Therefore, it is a simple but good life. There is a shelter with tables and benches, where you can eat and play together, a bar and a fireplace, as well as many beautiful areas for relaxation. We will do the cooking in a rather professional kitchen. It would be great if you could bring some musical instrument you can play. There will be plenty of time in the evening to sing and dance all together.There is a supermarket nearby where you can buy all the essential things, or you just harvest it freshly from the garden.
📍 About the location
GroE Ruenz is a small village located in the Northwest-Mecklenburg region, which is famous for its beautiful alleys and lakes. In about 5 km distance, you can find a beautiful place for swimming. The medieval town of Luebeck, with its numerous sights, is about 23 kilometers away. The Baltic Sea with its nice beaches and coves is not far either. A visit to selected places of the nature reserve is also planned.There will be a joint decision regarding which places the group will visit.
ℹ️ Additional information
Volunteers will need sleeping bag, towel and swimming apparel. For gardening, please bring sturdy shs and working clothes. As the region is rural, it is possible to make cycling trips. Everyone is welcome to bring a music instrument, since some friends of the association are musicians and would be happy to perform together with foreign musicians.