Organic Farming in Iceland (1:2)

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will be working at one of the few organic farms in Iceland, located in the East of the country. Our main task will be to harvest (by hand) vegetables, mainly potatoes, beets, beetroots and lettuce.

Alongside the harvesting tasks, volunteers will clean the vegetables and make them ready for consumers in the Icelandic market, as the farm sells its products in different stores and organic shops around the country. Volunteers will also pick berries from the surrounding area.

Around the farm there is a young forest that can be maintained and cleaned if the harvesting jobs are done. Volunteers need motivation to work mainly outdoors doing very physical labour and under ever changing weather conditions. As the farm is largely run by volunteers, SEEDS volunteers will be working alongside volunteers from other organizations. Note that volunteers will work all working days and on Saturday mornings as the camp takes place on the peak of the harvesting season. Volunteers will be provided with good waterproof overalls and gloves for the work.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will be hosted in a local house, sleeping on beds or mattresses, sharing rooms (2-4 persons in each room). Please bring your own sleeping bag. The house is equipped with a shower, washing machine and a kitchen.

Volunteers will share the duties of preparing food, cooking meals and cleaning. Please keep in mind that during this work camp only vegetarian food will be provided, which also means eating mainly local, organic food from the farm.

Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION: The farm is one of the few organic farms in Iceland and is run with the large support of volunteers. About 20% of the farm area is used for cultivation of different crops and the rest of the land is grassland with a forest of about one million trees planted there since starting the farm in the 1970s. The two major crops grown are barley and potatoes. Others include parsley, kale, beetroot, lettuce, kohlrabi, carrots and cabbage.

The farm is located in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað, Iceland's easternmost populated municipality; 16 km from the largest town in Eastern Iceland called Egilsstaðir (population 2268).

The area is beautiful and has a lot of interesting sites. The biggest forest in Iceland, Hallormstaðarskógur is located within the district. The farm is located very close to Lagarfljót, the home of the mythical creature “the Lagarfljót Serpent” (Lagarfljótsormurinn) which was believed to have been spotted last in early 2012 by a local farmer. Other interesting animals in the area are the wild reindeers, counting about ten thousand in the area.

The East Fjords of Iceland have a special landscape, dominated by long, narrow fjords and steep mountains. This is one of the oldest regions of Iceland shaped by glaciers in the Ice Age.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). The closest bus stop and local airport is located in Egilsstaðir (EGS). The ferry “Norræna - Smyril line” sails from the Faroe Islands and Denmark and docks in the harbour of Seyðisfjörður town, 27 km from Egilsstaðir.  

SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back. Apart from being cheap and convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 150 (Euros) to be paid to SEEDS. Please note that the fees are to be paid on arrival in Euros or Kronur and they include full board and lodging (food and accommodation) for the whole duration of the project.

Some free time activities will be organized for SEEDS volunteers as a day trip and excursions in the area. Some of them will be free of charge while others might require a financial contribution.

Please bring warm clothes as the weather in Iceland can be cold in September.

AGE: +18