Volunteer Program
What is it like to be a Granja Tz’ikin Farmer?
At Granja Tz’ikin we have created a small permaculture community, where people are coming and going, but also often returning to. If you feel the call to be completely emerged in the rural farm life, you have found your family away from home.
Waking up with the morning sun, ready the milk the goats, to feed the chicken, harvest their eggs and water those pretty plants. Let’s sit down with a cup of coffee, let’s check-in how everyone is doing and make a plan for the day, shall we?!
The daily tasks are varied. You will help us care for the animals, making compost, doing garden work and nursery work. Other typical jobs are helping Maria, our local chef, in the kitchen with making fresh cheeses and yogurt, but also cooking the breakfast and lunches for the farm family from the daily harvest. We are also doing a good deal of natural building and carpentry, so those skills can be sharpened as well. Finally we can always use help with decorating, for example with painting and crafting, to keep this place shining.
When the tasks are done it is time to explore the surroundings! Go take a shower at the waterfall, climb the rocks and jump in the lake, meet are neighbors’ initiatives, take hikes or visit one of the many different kinds of villages in the area. But maybe, you just feel like laying down in the hammock with this feeling of satisfaction after a workday on the farm, while opening a cold beer. If you are lucky someone decides to organize a family dinner, is it you?!
So, what is the deal?
You will work for six hours a day, starting at 8.00 am. In exchange for the work you will receive a sweet farm breakfast and lunch. Lunch is served around 2.00 pm, that is also the end of your workday. Of course there is home coffee available, made from our home grown beans, or you can make yourself herbal teas. Saturday and Sunday are our days off, those days meals are not provided. That gives you the opportunity to explore your own cooking skills.
For staying at the farm we charge our volunteers a discount rate of 80 Quetzales (11$) per night to stay in our dorm. We also have private casitas available, ask us about the possibilities.
To make this exchange happen we expect a commitment of minimal two weeks. Furthermore we trust you on judging if you have what it takes to become a Granja Tz’ikin farmer.
No experience necessary.
We are still growing and learning a lot at Granja Tz’ikin. By staying with us as a volunteer you support us a lot in this process. The more volunteers we can educate, the further we can spread the impact of permaculture. We are very grateful for your interest in taking part in our project and we feel excited to have you here.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!