Tending the Land in a Shared Living Community

CODE: US-SCI L13.1

Work

Role and Responsibilities

• Assist with the care and maintenance of greenhouses, garden beds, and production fields
• Work alongside program participants in garden activities, adapting tasks to individual interests and abilities
• Support harvesting and distribution of produce within the Stanton Home community
• Collaborate with staff to maintain daily routines and program schedules
• Contribute to an inclusive, respectful environment that encourages active participation
• Help ensure continuity of garden projects as needed

What to Expect

Volunteers are part of the team. The work is practical and collaborative, and relationships are central to the experience. You do not need to be an expert gardener, but you should be open to learning, working outdoors in varying weather, and engaging with people of different backgrounds and abilities.

This placement offers an opportunity to contribute to a community-based program, gain experience in sustainable gardening, and share in the everyday rhythm of life at Stanton Home.

Accomodation and food
Stanton Home provides both housing and meals for volunteers. Volunteers receive either a private or shared bedroom and share a bathroom, with accommodations located in one of our residential homes, the volunteer house, or at the farm. Volunteers have access to the food provided in the residential home where they live. Nutritious, locally sourced meals are prepared during volunteer shifts, often using fresh ingredients from the Stanton Home biodynamic farm.

Free time possibilities
Stanton Home is located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, in the western most part of the state. The region experiences four distinct seasons, with varying temperatures and weather throughout the year. Great Barrington is a small rural town, nestled in the Berkshire Mountains. The area is a popular vacation destination, known for outdoor activities, fall-foliage-viewing, farm-to-table food scene and thriving arts institutions. Great Barrington is a creative hub with a Main Street and side streets packed with shops, theaters, and restaurants. Located approximately 140 miles north of New York City and 120 miles west of Boston, Great Barrington and the whole of Berkshire County is known for its natural beauty, importance in American history, and is considered a traditional picturesque New England town. Public transportation options are very limited in the area, so Stanton Home provides vehicles for volunteers’ personal use, following specific guidelines for use.

Project hosted by
This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), organized together with Kyodo Gakusha (since 2000 here), a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who want to learn farming, who want to live in the nature, etc. They have 5 communities in Japan incl. Maki and grow animals and vegetables in an ecological, organic way. Maki is located in a very isolated area (not accessible for cars and we have to walk 4 km in the mountains!), so it once became an abandon village in 1970s and then, was revived by Kyodo Gakusha. Over 10 people were living till several years ago, but less and less in these years (almost nobody in the winter), so vols. are needed even more!
Requirements:

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have intermediate English skills, and hold (or be able to obtain) a valid driver’s license permitting driving in the U.S. Volunteers must maintain a U.S. phone plan and provide proof of personal medical insurance coverage. Travel and personal expenses are the volunteer’s responsibility.

Local English language tutoring is available.

Training & Support
Volunteers receive supervision from program staff and the Volunteer Coordinator, who also serves as a mentor and intercultural liaison. Required trainings include: Orientation and program overview, Policies and protocols (including safety, boundaries, emergency procedures, and mandated reporting), Certifications in First Aid, CPR, and bloodborne pathogens

Schedule & Time Off
Volunteers serve approximately 40 hours per week, receive two days off each week, and accrue two vacation days per month of service (with prior approval).