Organic Farming and Permaculture Project

Our Organic Farm social enterprise is also an Agroecology Training Centre located on the western coast of Ecuador. This area was once dense forest and has largely been cleared for cattle farming and cropping. Over the last 30+ years; the founders have been working diligently to relive the soil and ecosystems. The farm is a model of sustainable agriculture and Permaculture. It demonstrates practices such as sustainable agriculture; alternative technologies; seed saving; organic material composting; natural building construction; and optimizing circular life cycles.  The practices are further multiplied because the farm is open to the Ecuadorian public as a learning and recreational farm park. Volunteers at Río Muchacho participate in a wide variety of activities related to agriculture; environmental education; communications and agrotourism.

Some of the activities will include:

• Nursery work: filling bags; sowing seeds; weeding; fertilization; irrigation
• Reforestation work: planting; weeding; mulching; staking; pruning
• Creation and maintenance of vegetable gardens: preparing beds; planting; weeding; harvesting; irrigation
• Work with the farm animals: feeding; cleaning corrals and enclosures; giving them some love
• Composting: making new compost piles; watering and tending existing areas; caring for worm beds; filling sacks; spreading compost
• Teaching English (for long term volunteers)
• Food preparation/transformation: helping with meals (especially if interested in local cuisine); preparing salsas; marmalades; sauces; and spices for sale; seed-saving
• Preparation for visitors (groups of farmers from different parts of the country; groups from other volunteer organizations in Ecuador; short and long term tourists; other volunteers)
• Miscellaneous work on the farm: helping with construction and repair of cabins; painting projects; making cultural artisan products; making banana circles; planting bamboo; etc
• Communications; social networking; marketing; design
• Ecotourism; public relations; guiding

We also offer internship opportunities for US$350 for the first month but every additional month is free. We were chosen by National Geographic as one of their 8 favourite places in Ecuador. If you love to learn and be in nature; come out and join our farm family!