International placement in Sant Marti de Tous, Spain III

 

My work at Tous has proven to be one of the greatest experiences of my life. The feeling of ending a long day with clothing filled with soil and mind filled with knowledge was simply satisfying.

Everything in the field was available to us as WOOFERS so this made up most of the food that we ate while we were there, and it was convenient because we were only a stone’s throw away from our kitchen.

Volunteering abroad on an organic farm thought me a lot about farming. I learned a good deal about sustainable living at the same time, gaining an insight into a new culture while teaching you a lot about yourself.

Working on the farm has given me a new perspective on what I do in my daily life. At the farm I didn’t just weed plots, harvest crops tend and look after the chickens. I fell in love with the crops, the work, the chickens, and the pace of life.

I leave the farm with a warm feeling of genuine gratitude. I am grateful to have the opportunity to meet such incredible people, to grow the food that protects our environment and health.

This journey for me was an unforgettable experience, filled with many metaphors for life and possibilities in planning mu future. There were some thunderstorms and other extremely humid hot days and even stressful ones too, but at the end of the day there was a community of passionate welcoming curiosity driven individuals who I spent my time with.

Marti not only welcomed me, opening his home, but most of all sharing and showing me first hand his dreams and plans for his project and for his young family. When your allowed to share this, it sparks a confidence and hope for my own future. I want to put my education knowledge and my work placement into practice working through my options and then follow my dream, bringing food from farm to table.

As we are experiencing a rise in the cost of living growing your own vegetables, fruits, something we can all do in a small way, whether you have a garden or a window box. 

This is all a positive for the ground that we tillage and the environment and the sustainability that links back to the local community and the health and wellbeing of all.

What I have learned is that as a society we have options and choices in how we see each other and the world around us, where we live depends on our behavior and our love for earth, we share with each other.

I think that this experience has taught me that there’s other ways, lifestyles that are possible and sustainable for the environment. I have meet people who are doing what they want to be doing with their life. I will never forget the time I spend here, to be able to learn new skills, different farming techniques and to get to cook with fresh organic food.