Each year people from around the world visit Bija Vidyapeeth to learn about ecological agriculture, eat fresh organic food, and enjoy the beautiful simplicity of rural India. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds––from lifelong farmers to first timers––to join our learning community. Some volunteers come to study agriculture for an entire season; others just to experience farm life for a few days. The only requirement for volunteers is a willingness to try something different and learn new skills.

Volunteers are welcome all year round, for any length of stay. We recommend at least 2 weeks in order to really understand the way farm functions, but are happy to have visitors for any length of time. For long-term volunteers who do not already speak Hindi, we recommend an intensive Hindi language course of perhaps 2-4 weeks in order to communicate clearly with staff and project coordinators.

Volunteers participate in the life at the farm in a communal manner. They spend time their days working with the dedicated organic farmers and seed keepers who run Bija Vidyapeeth. They help prepare meals, do ongoing gardening activities such as weeding, and help maintain a clean, healthy environment for everyone on site. The general activities of the farm vary from season to season, and specific activities vary as well. All volunteers should be able and willing to work as a team and for the betterment of the community. This includes interaction, cooperation and enthusiasm when working and living alongside the staff, interns and other volunteers. The farm is a community and everyone contributes to its well-being. The following outline gives an idea of the activities the volunteers carry out throughout the year:

September - December

·         Millet harvest season

·         Sowing of Beans and Vegetables

·         Rice harvest

·         Rice threshing

·         Rice  cleaning

·         Seed selection and labelling

·         Winter sowing begins (vegetables: onion, potato)

·         Turmeric and ginger harvesting

·         Organization of the Seed Bank

·         Documentation of the yield of different crops

·         Soil analysis

January - April

·         Less heavy work, lots of weeding

·         Wheat, Barley, oats harvest

·         Seed selection and labelling

·         Tree planting

May - August

·         Seed Selection

·         Organizing of the Seed Bank

·         Summer vegetable sowing and care

·         Rice sowing

·         Rice Transplanting

·         General labour

·         Tree planting

Apart from the above activities, weeding, grain and pulse sorting and cleaning, cleaning of common areas, meal preparation, and other activities are constantly done year round.

For more information on living and studying at Bija Vidyapeeth follow links to the left and see the FAQ’s for Prospective Interns, Researchers and Volunteers page.