­VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Visiting as a volunteer here gives you a unique opportunity to spend some time really close to nature. The Land is like a little world of its own. It is a lush, sheltered, tree-covered landscape that is an absolute paradise for a wide variety of wildlife and for the people who work here. It is hard to imagine that, when we first bought the Land in 1989, it was a huge, wind-blasted, prairie-like eroded field, devoid of much wildlife, where even the nettles were poor.
Now it is full of life! And the life is lush and beautiful!

Volunteering is an excellent way to get to know more about Plants for a Future and the plants we grow here. Volunteers are given a comprehensive guided tour of the Land with information about many of the plants growing there and a taste of some of the edible plants that are in season at the time. You will also be shown how to make your own salads from the various perennial salad plants we grow.

Residential volunteers are welcome, normally from April to October. Day volunteers who live locally are welcome at any time of year (weather-permitting!)

There is a variety of work, which tends to be seasonal in nature. Some parts of The Land have become overgrown by weeds and brambles, so part of the work will be weeding and clearing. Moving mulch materials such as wood-chips – an absolutely amazing resource – or compost, can also be an important job. As we weed and clear, we also make big compost heaps, a very important part of any organic system. Depending on the time of year and the weather, we may also like help with planting out new plants; and harvesting. If you want to help pick apples, for example, then come in September or October. If you want to help pick kiwi fruits, then come in November or December! And there will be plenty for you to take home too!

As a volunteer you will help with a multitude of tasks, all of which will help you to develop your gardening and plant skills. For example planting, mulching, harvesting, propagating, pruning, watering etc.

While at the Land, you will be blessed with being in an environment where you can enjoy being close to nature and where you can wake up in the morning to the singing of birds and, with luck see a fox, a barn owl or even a deer come wandering past before you even have breakfast.

As a volunteer there will also be opportunities to swim in the local tidal creek, walk in the local woods or by the coast, or to join in with a Yoga class, Ki Aikido class, or play chess in the local club.

Other things to consider:

1. When we first came here conditions were very basic and it has been a long, gradual and still continuing process of upgrading them.
2. We have our own pure water on tap obtained from a borehole on the Land.
3. We have mains electricity, which is supplemented and often supplanted by the electricity produced from our solar panels. This is used to provide cooking facilities, hot showers, lighting, recharging batteries etc.
4. WiFi is available to all visitors, usually providing an excellent connection to the Internet.
5. There are compost toilets, where your contributions can help return fertility to the Land.
6. We also have a rest and sitting area inside our agricultural shed.
7. There may be a caravan available for you to stay in – depending if someone else has booked it first. The caravan has no electricity, so please bring a good torch. I am hoping soon to get another caravan that will have electric… work in progress…
8. We may also have a spare tent that you could stay in, please check on this. There are lots of beautiful places to camp!
9. Sadly, we currently still do not live on the Land, and currently live in a nearby village. When there are visitors, your main host will spend most of the time at the Land, but there are occasions when she cannot be there.
10. Your main host currently teaches yoga in Lostwithiel on a Monday morning. These classes are often held at the Land in the summer. Visitors are welcome to join in.
11. For residential visitors, it is easier if you avoid arriving on a Weekend or a Monday.
12. You are asked to be partly self-catering in food. We normally prepare food together in the evening. Cooking facilities are available and there are usually a variety of salad leaves and flowers available, as well as greens for cooking. In summer and autumn there are a variety of berries and unusual fruits available from the Land. There are also usually lots of apples and sometimes also kiwis from the Land. We have a wealth of different herbs you can pick for cooking, or for making tea.
13. We no longer grow a big variety of conventional vegetables, as perrenial plants have replaced these in the diet. Depending on what’s being grown this year, a few conventional veg are normally available, eg. Kale, potatoes. A few veg are often bought in for visitors.
14. We also provide basic wholefoods such as oats, rice, lentils, soyamilk, oil and various flavourings. If you want bread, please ask for it before you come, as I tend not to eat it myself.
15. If you want anything special, you may need to bring it yourself.
16. Visitors are requested to respect the vegan ethic on site, and stick with a vegan diet while on site.
17. Please do not smoke in indoor spaces.
18. If you need more supplies, the nearest basic facilities are in the nearby village of Lerryn, about 3 kilometres from the Land. Here you will find a village store with a few basic foods and a cafe. There is also pub in the village. Apart from that, there is a wider range of shops in Lostwithiel about 8 kilometres away.

We are situated in a truly beautiful part of Cornwall. There is a tidal creek nearby (at walking distance) where you can swim when the tide is in. There are lots of footpaths for those who like to walk, with several kilometres of paths passing through woodland (these woodlands are one of the areas said to have been the inspiration for the book ‘Wind in the Willows’).
We are also only about 5 kilometres from the coast where there are some stunning walks along the cliffs and lots of beautiful bays where you can swim.

So, whether you want to come for a day, a week or more, please contact us to arrange a mutually convenient time.

Please DO make an arrangement before you come, so we have time to prepare for your visit!

If you are interested in volunteering, please:

• Phone 01208 873554 (If there is no answer, please leave a message and you will be phoned back ASAP). Please note – this phone does NOT take texts.
• Write to Plants for a Future at The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG.
• Or email [email protected].

We are also on the WWOOF website (wwoof.org.uk), and on Diggers and Dreamers.

LONGER TERM INVOLVEMENT

We are looking for a few people who share our values and ideology, to become involved on a longer-term basis.

If you are interested in longer term involvement, you would normally start off by coming as a volunteer.