GARDEN TO PLATE
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERING IN 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 1 April to 15 December 2026
- How long? 8,5 months
- Who can participate? 18-30 years old citizens, living in EU member countries
- Deadline for applying: 25 January 2026
Activities
- Cooking and food preservation (core activity):
Supporting the preparation of seasonal menus and shopping lists; helping to cook meals for hosted groups following environmentally sustainable practices; preparing conserves and preserved foods using ingredients from the farm or local farmers. - Workshops and knowledge sharing:
Involving other volunteers in kitchen activities; co-organising and facilitating cooking workshops for hosted groups - Communication and social media:
Creating content for social media, including recipes, photos, and videos, to document and share daily activities and sustainable food practices. - Short-term and team volunteers – Shared Cooking Support:
During some periods, the volunteer will help with the team’s daily cooking for themselves. This includes supporting simple menu planning, shopping, and preparing shared meals together with other team members, following environmentally sustainable practices. - Gardening Support:
In their spare time, and especially when there are no larger groups hosted, the volunteer will help with basic garden activities in the small garden. This may include maintenance tasks such as planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and drying herbs. - Team support during groups hosting:
Regardless of their specific role, all volunteers and staff work together as a team when Kora hosts groups, helping with preparations before arrival and cleaning and resetting spaces after departure.
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
- 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
Fill the online form below.
Infos and questions: [email protected]
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The deadline to apply is 25 January 2026. The pre-selected candidates will be invited to an online interview.