CALL FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR SUSTAINABLE GARDENING AND COOKING ON A FARM IN ITALY

Are you interested in sustainable food and agriculture and exploring different cultures? Apply now for this European Solidarity Corps long term volunteering project!

Project details

• Where? Passignano sul Trasimeno, Italy
• When? From June to December 2025
• How long? 7 months
• Who can participate? 18-30 years old citizens, living in EU member countries or Ukraine
• Deadline for applying: 6 April 2025

Activities

• Logistics and maintenance: preparing areas to host spring/summer festivals, repairing and upcycling
• Gardening and agriculture: taking care of the vegetable garden, seeding, caring and collecting local organic products; experiencing, learning and promoting self-production of food as a mean for sustainable living; taking part in theoretical and hands-on permaculture sessions with certified trainers
• Cooking: preparing seasonal menus and shopping lists, making conserves from the farm and local farmers, preparing meals for groups according to environmentally sustainable criteria
• Building: kitchen related furniture and cooking areas
• Workshops: involve other volunteers in garden and kitchen, carrying out cooking workshops with groups
• Communication: updating Kora cookbook and creating content for social media (recipes, videos, photos)
• Independently of your role, when Kora hosts a group, all volunteers and staff (as a team) help prepare for the arrival and clear up after the departure of of the group.

Volunteers will work 35 hours per week on assigned tasks, with two consecutive free days per week (not necessarily Saturday and Sunday). These hours include 1 hour for a meeting with the coordinator of the activities, that coaches the volunteers on their tasks, meetings with the mentor, that evaluates the volunteers’ project, satisfaction and learning process. It’s also possible to organise Italian language course, if the Italian-speaking volunteers, supported by Kora staff members and provided with all activities we made in the past, are happy to lead it. If this is the case, the language course will take 2 hours a week.

Volunteers will dedicate an additional 7 hours per week to shared community responsibilities such as cleaning and cooking. While we encourage volunteers to engage in community life, we expect everyone to approach their roles with dedication and reliability.

Criteria

• 18-30 years old citizens living in EU member countries or Ukraine
• Available for the whole duration of the project
• A passion for farming and cooking
• Collaborative spirit with a willingness to take initiative
• Practical problem-solving skills and adaptability
• Respect for community living, sustainable practices, and eco-friendly lifestyles
• Ready to live in an intercultural context in a rural area, where the closest town with facilities is at 20 minutes on foot, downhill… and uphill back
• Basic level in English
• Interested in learning Italian
• Driving license is welcome but not necessary.

Logistics and support

• Food will be provided by Kora and it will be mostly vegan and vegetarian for environmental reasons, and an opportunity to discover more about Italian and Mediterranean traditions. Volunteers will also get 10 euros a month for food extras, to be managed autonomously, and can request specific dietary options after the selection
• Accommodation will be in a house on the farm premises, in rooms shared with other volunteers of their same gender. The house is equipped with kitchen, bathrooms, toilets, wi-fi, and washing machine
• Pocket money of 6 euros per day
• Health insurance (www.henner.com)
• Travel expenses will be refunded up until a fixed amount (211 € from 100 to 499 km distance, 309 € from 500 km to 1999 km, 395 € if more; the budget is higher if more than half of the itinerary is made by sustainable means of transport: train, bus or carpooling).

Hosting organisation

The project is organised by Associazione Kora in collaboration with different supporting partners.

How to apply

1. Fill the online form below
2. Send your CV with picture to [email protected], writing “Application for Kora Garden to Plate” in the object of the mail.

Infos and questions: [email protected]

Follow us on our website and social media to find the next opportunities!

Instagram | Facebook 

The deadline to apply is 6 April. The pre-selected candidates will be invited to an online interview that will take place in April.

Support:

Food and accommodation will be covered by the European Commission; you will have health insurance, pocket money (5 euro per day) and an Italian language course. Food will mostly be vegan and vegetarian for environmental reasons, and an opportunity to discover more about Italian and Mediterranean tradition. Travel expenses will be refunded up until a fixed amount (285 € from 100 to 499 km distance, 417 € from 500 km to 1999 km, 535 € if more; the budget is higher if you travel only by train or bus). You will be accommodated on the farm premises and will share the room with another volunteer or 3 other volunteers of your same gender. The house is equipped with kitchen, bathrooms, toilets, wi-fi, washing machine.

We support different diets and promote the use of local and sustainable products as much as possible. Please be aware that we do eat animal products and work with animals on the farm.
We try to source as many products as possible, within our budget, through partnerships with local farmers and shops.
If you follow specific diets, please be aware that it might be your responsibility to take care of your own dietary requirements (i.e. cooking or complementing meals if needed), especially when there are no groups hosted on the farm.

Criteria:

• Available for the whole duration of the project
• 18-30 years old
• Resident in EU member countries or Ukraine
• A passion for farming and cooking
• A collaborative spirit with a willingness to take initiative
• Practical problem-solving skills and adaptability
• Respect for community living, sustainable practices, and eco-friendly lifestyles
• Interested in learning Italian
• Ready to live in an intercultural context in a rural area, where the closest town with facilities is at 20 minutes on foot
• Basic level in English
• Driving license is welcome but not necessary.

How to apply:

1. Fill the online form below
2. Send your CV with picture to [email protected], writing “Application for Kora garden to plate” in the object of the mail.

Deadline to apply is 12 January 2025. The pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an online interview.

Infos and questions: [email protected]