As a volunteer with our Organic Farming Project, you will gain hands-on experience helping biologists cultivate and harvest organic vegetables through sustainable farming methods. On a parcel of land just outside of Oaxaca, biologists used bio-intensive farming techniques to turn infertile soil into a small, vibrant farm where a variety of crops now thrive.

The state of Oaxaca is the second-poorest state in Mexico (behind only Chiapas). Poverty and environmental degradation are consuming water and other once-abundant natural resources. Pesticides that are banned in the United States are still being used in Oaxaca, negatively affecting the health of farm workers and other residents. Bio-intensive farming requires no natural gas or petroleum, no pesticides and, best of all, uses up to 88 percent less water than commercial farming. Bio-intensive farming represents a valuable solution for Oaxaca’s threatened farming communities.

As a volunteer in Oaxaca, you will observe and implement bio-intensive farming techniques. Working alongside biologists, you will help clean, neutralize and prepare the soil through bio-remediation. You will plant and harvest various crops and help prepare fertilizer and compost. By assisting in the sale of crops at the local organic market, you will see the outcome of your labors first-hand as well as participate in the vibrant culture of Oaxaca.

As a volunteer you can:

	Observe, compare and implement bio-intensive farming
	techniques
	Work alongside biologists and locals to cultivate and
	harvest organic vegetables
	Sell organic produce and herbs at Oaxaca’s organic
	market
	Help prepare soil through bio-remediation
	Prepare fertilizer, potting soil and compost
	Apply organic insecticides when necessary and gain a
	deep understanding of Mexican agriculture

Choose from the following volunteer packages:
Bronze – volunteer work + hostel stay, including breakfast + first two weeks with group Spanish     lessons (15 hours per week) at a language school in Oaxaca.
Silver – volunteer work + home stay, including breakfast and late lunch + first two weeks with     group Spanish lessons (15 hours per week) at a language school in Oaxaca.        
Gold – volunteer work + home stay, including breakfast and late lunch + group Spanish lessons (15     hours per week) every week of your volunteer experience at a language school in Oaxaca.