We count on people to help keep the place growing, happy and alive. If you think you would be interested in volunteering with us, once you have read this page. Please contact us.
Be informed about future jobs, volunteer positions and courses by joining our mailing list below.
What is it like volunteering at Keela Yoga Farm
Check out the following videos from past guests at Keela Yoga Farm to see what they thing about the farm and hosts:
2022 Video – Natural Building Course
2022 Video – Permaculture Volunteering
2020 – Photos – Life during Lockdown
2019 Photos – Natural Building Volunteering
2019 Photo – update of the year
2017 Photos – 2017 volunteering
For more photos please do check us out on Facebook
Volunteering Option 1: Permaculture Teacher Apprentice
Prerequisites. 1. PDC Certificate Holder. 2. Started their permaculture diploma with the permaculture association UK or equivalent
Dates: During any of the PDCs, Food Forest courses or Natural Building courses, you will start with the team before the event starts. See dates
This is for someone actively working towards their permaculture diploma and is committed to becoming a permaculture teacher. You’ll need to be solutions-focused, flexible, a team player, able both to take the initiative and follow instructions (and decide for yourself which is appropriate), and willing to embrace all the challenges and pleasures of life as part of a learning community in a dynamic off-grid setting. You’ll gain backstage experience in course design and management, help with the delivery of both classroom and practical sessions, and have opportunities to deliver selected sessions if you are ready to do so. If you want, you’ll also have access to support on your teaching pathway and other diploma designs from Tom Henfrey, the only registered diploma tutor in Portugal, and of undertaking design work onsite if you wish. You’ll be fed, housed and well looked after for the duration of your stay. You’ll be responsible for the costs of travel to and from Keela Yoga Farm, and anything else you get up to during your trip.
Usually, we will have one apprentice helping with the classroom-based theory classes and one helping with the outside practical classes.
To apply, please contact us
Volunteering Option 2: Permaculture Course or retreat Assistant
Prerequisites. PDC Certificate holder, a past guest of Keela Yoga Farm or someone very keen to help us run our courses.
Dates: During any of the PDCs, Food Forest courses, Yoga retreats or Natural Building courses, you will start with the team before the event starts. See dates
This is for someone who wants to deepen their experience of Permaculture and off-grid living. You’ll need to be solutions-focused, flexible, a team player, able both to take initiative and follow instructions (and decide for yourself which is appropriate), and willing to embrace all the challenges and pleasures of life as part of a learning community in a dynamic off-grid setting. You will be working in the gardens, in the kitchen and with animals.
To apply, please contact us
Volunteer Option 3. General Farm helper
Prerequisites. Physically and mentally fit, wants to learn about a permaculture farm and help keep our farm going while we run courses and retreats.
Apply by contacting us or on WWOOF Portugal
Dates: During any of the PDCs, Food Forest courses, Yoga retreats or Natural Building courses, you will start with the team before the event starts. See dates
We have three roles.
- Kitchen assistant – Helping the chef with cooking and washing up. Ideal for someone who wants to improve their vegetarian and vegan cooking skills.
- Farm assistants – Helping around the farm with the garden, natural building, and animal husbandry. Ideal for someone who wants to live off-grid in the future and get some new skills.
- Assistant guest host – Helping with cleaning, keeping the place tidy, a bit of gardening and organising rosters and community events.
When contacting us, please let us know which course or retreat and which role you would like to apply for.
What is included when you volunteer at our permaculture and yoga farm:
- Healthy organic meals, much of which is from our farm or neighbouring farms
- Get closer to the food you eat
- Learn how to cook
- Onsite yoga/meditation classes (only during internships, retreats and courses)
- See permaculture systems in action
- Time to relax, unwind and get back to nature
- Learn new skills in permaculture, natural building, healthy and sustainable living
- 2 days off to relax or visit local places, usually, once per month we spend one of these mornings helping local communities and farms
- Experience being part of a community! (only during internships, retreats and courses)
What is required of volunteers?
- Minimum 2 weeks stay
- A positive attitude
- Look after our tools and equipment as if they are your own
- 5 work days
- Assisting in the kitchen on some days
- 5-6 hours per day working
- 1/2 a day volunteering at a local project every month on a Saturday as part of our community help program
- Willing and interest to learn and work hard
- Assisting with community tasks (cooking, cleaning, lighting fires etc)
What does your day look like when volunteering?
These times apply for the weekdays and vary depending on the season
- breakfast
- 9 am – 12 am working
- 12am – 3pm – lunch
- 3 pm – 6 pm working
- Dinner
- Weekends off
Prefer to come and do more things relating to permaculture? Then join as an intern instead of volunteering. this has set start dates and a more structured program.
Community Facilities
- Community straw bale house – a large house with a fully functional kitchen, dining room and chill-out area, charging stations, a projector for movie nights and free WiFi
- Yoga deck with a view
- Outside hang-out areas: stone circle, BBQ area, food forests.
- Long drop vermiculture compost toilet
- Washing machine (1 EUR peruse including organic washing liquid)
- 3 showers: 1 Indoor shower room with wood-fired hot water in a tropical greenhouse, 1 outside solar shower open to nature, 1 natural waterfall (cold shower and only during winter and spring)
- 45 acres (18 hectares) of land to walk with many chill-out spots, hammocks and viewpoints
- 2 dogs, 3 cats and 9 chickens to interact with daily 🙂
Local Village
The village is small and quiet and has a cafe with a small convenient shop (with free wifi) and is a 25-minute walk from our farm.
Food
- We are mostly vegetarian, but we can cater for strict vegetarians and vegans if required.
- Most of our food is locally sourced directly from various farmers (except some other products which we have to get from abroad)
- We can also cater for most allergies, including gluten, lactose etc. Gluten-free products tend to cost slightly more than normal, so we charge EUR 5 extra per week if you like this option.
Yoga Classes on site
VOLUNTEER NOW or join as an INTERN
Laura van der Vegt January 29, 2016
Good evening,
I just found the Keela yoga farm on the internet and i am very enthusiastic. My name is Laura, I’m 25 and I am from the Netherlands 🙂
I am looking for a place to volunteer, and where I can practice some yoga. I am free in the month April, so that (part of) month would be ideal. I see the Keela yoga farm is still being build, the project seems amazing! Would there be any volunteering opportunities already :)?
Hope to hear from you!
Kind regards,
Laura
Laurence Manchee February 2, 2016
Hello Laura,
Thank you for your message, unfortunately we wont be ready for volunteers until September 2016 as we haven’t yet bought the land. However we will ourselves volunteering on nearby farms from April, so please stay in touch and maybe you can join us.
All The best
Laurence & Kimberly 🙂
Ilka Pia Claren April 4, 2016
Hello
I love your vision! It is happening all over the planet that wonderful people start permaculture projects! I would love to join you for a while. I am trained in Film and Photography and also I am a passionate natural builder and would love to help you build up the place. I subscribed to the mailinglist so I can get news. I will be in Portugal in June for an intensive building workshop, would be great to visit you after, maybe until then you will have started your project!
All the best from germany!
Ilka Pia
Laurence Manchee April 25, 2016
Thanks for your message, we hope you can join us next year with some building. We will be building so many cool stuff that we have been planning and designing and we have a sustainable architect who is amazing to lead the projects. I will be adding her info to the site this week.
Speak soon,
Laurence & Kimberly
Vanessa Pinto April 6, 2016
Hi Keila!!!
I’m a Portuguese biologist and yoga teacher wishing to join a growing and amazing idea like yours. So if you need volunteer, help or any support, just contact me by e-mail!
Wish you the best,
Vanessa
Laurence Manchee April 25, 2016
Ola Vanessa,
We would really love to have you. We will contact you once we have the land and plan.
Obrigardo
Laurence 🙂
Isabela April 8, 2016
Hello Laurence & Kimberly,
I’m so glad I have found your blog and your Keela Yoga Farm Projects.
My name is Isabela, i’m 34 years old Portuguese born in Brazil. I have been working onboard cruise ships for the past 5 years and now adjusting back to a natural way of life in land.
I would love to volunteer and contribute in your Project after September. Also as i’m available now in April and May I would contribute in similar projects you may know.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
Isabela
Laurence Manchee April 25, 2016
Ola Isabela
Thank you so much for your message. We would love to have you. Please stay in touch. As for volunteering this year, there are many wonderful families that host people on woofing Portugal. Otherwise please join our Facebook and mailing list, we will be posting about places that are good for volunteering over the coming weeks.
Please stay in touch
Obrigardo
Linda August 24, 2016
Hey you dear people,
We are three people, from Israel and Germany, currently travelling through Portugal to check out about ecovillages and communties as we plan to make this possibly a new home for us,too. We would be very inteested to volunteer with you for some days or weeks as your land and the vision you share sound beatiful and on the nerve of time.How is your plan about opening up for volunteers from September on going?
Could be get in touch with u? Currently we only have a german phone number, but email woukd just be as fine.
We would love to hear from you, and until then, all thebest for your retreats and workshops abroad and in Portugal!!
Linda
Laurence Manchee August 24, 2016
Hi Linda, please do stay in touch, we are just waiting on legal documents for the land purchase to go through. If you join the mailing list we will shoot a mail out once everthing is sorted. Thanks Laurence
Linda August 24, 2016
Ok, here igo fkr ghemaiking list☺all thebestwith thelegal issues
Camila Rueda August 28, 2016
Hello, my name is Camila, I am 22 years old and I am stuying ecology and environmental protection in Berlin. I practice yoga since 2 years and I found this place, and would love to enjoy some weeks with you at this community. I would love to join Keela Farm as a volunteer in September or October. I want to do something different but ofcourse traveling and meeting new people, and learning new things in my vacations before I start again with my studies. This seems like a new experience for me and I want to share with you. Let me know if there are some places available.
best wishes
Camila
Laurence Manchee August 29, 2016
Hi Camila – thank you for your message. Please do join our mailing list and we will let you know if we open for volunteers that soon. We are still finalizing documentation for the land purchase.
Grace September 11, 2016
Hello my name is Grace. I am 27 years years old Irish girl. My partner Ruben and I live in Cork Ireland at present. We are so glad we have found your blog and your Keela Yoga Farm Projects. We will start our six months travel of Portugal in February next. Our main focus is to experience a new way of living, experience a life more connected with nature surrounded by likeminded people and to learn how to live sustainably. Ruben is Portuguese and I am learning the language. We had a great pull to contact you because Ruben and I want to learn more about permaculture. I trained in Kundalini yoga last year and I am a Shaman of the Peruvian practice for six years now. We would love to volunteer and contribute in your Project.
Hope to hear from soon,
Best wishes,
Ruben and Grace 🙂
Laurence Manchee September 18, 2016
Sounds great, please join the mailing list on the site for an update on volunteering opportunities for next year. Thanks
Frank October 29, 2016
I signed up for the mailing list and am anxious to learn more! I’m thinking of moving to Portugal on a residency visa, and I’d like to go somewhere near a project like this where I can do some unofficial/volunteer work to keep busy in my spare time and learn about permaculture and alternative building. Best wishes!
Anat June 28, 2017
Hello my name is Anat, Im a graphic designer from the US who just finished a permaculture course in Israel and am super passionate about natural building. I was curious if you have any building projects coming up. I will be in Portugal in September and would love to help in any way 🙂 congratulations on all your success and look forward to hearing from you, Thank you!
Laurence Manchee July 3, 2017
Hi yes we do but we have set start dates. im sept they are 7th or 20th. please could you fill out an application form on the website. regards Laurence
Evans Mangwende October 29, 2018
Iam a Zimbabwean and founder at Mangwende Orphan Care Trust. The Trust’s thrust is in assisting orphans and vulnerable children by establishing friendly projects that alleviate their economic and nutritional standing. We have been running a supplementary feeding programme for orphans and vulnerable children for the past 3 years and have been farming to feed them. I have acquired land which is more than 10 hectares and I want to turn the land into an ecovillage/Permaculture academy. I need hands-on training, to be mentored and to connect with others who share the same vision.
Elisa March 17, 2022
Hello Lively People,
I would love to do the intern month of natural building, but I was wondering if I could bring my 6-year old son, as he stay mostly with me…
Thank you!
Laurence Manchee March 17, 2022
Hi Elisa
A building site is usually not safe for a 6-year-old child so we could not be able to accept you with a child due to the associated risks.
Thank you
Laurence
Selina August 14, 2022
Hi Laurence, my name is Selina, I live in Germany (Saxony), I am 24 years old and am studying Social Work ( Master). I am extremely interested in foreign cultures, farms and am open to new experiences. I was in Ireland for two months last year and did an internship. This experience was an absolute personal enrichment. I am adaptable and very keen on movement, I would love to hear from you and hope for a positive feedback. Best regards Selina:)