Palagure - Urban Farming Project

  Costa Rica

• North Western Region: 
Alajuela

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks

Description: Palagure volunteers work with children, young people, and neighbors interested in developing organic community gardens in uncultivated lots, school yards, and yards inside the city of Alajuela and the surroundings. Thus, totally healthy, nutritional food sources are produced while embellishing urban spaces and educating the participants about environment questions.

These gardens will be created with differing technical approaches such as: Biointensive gardens, permaculture, companion gardening, managing medicinal plants, production of organic fertilizer, and natural biological control of plagues, among other topics.

Highlights: Volunteers can stay with us at Casa Palagure which is only 10mn from the San Jose International airport and practically in the center of Alajuela.

Our Facilities Include:
* Comfortable beds in shared rooms
* Free wireless high-speed Internet
* Hot water
* Free laundry facilities
* Organic meals
* Transport to/from International Airport

Qualifications: No qualifications required.

Cost in US$: $25/day

2. Volunteers - $25 person/night (Includes hosting, 3 meals/day)
The volunteer program offers the opportunity to live in Casa Palagure for a period of a few days to a few months.

This is the best way to learn about biointensive agriculture and to be fully integrated in the ecological movement of Alajuela. Rooms are shared, with free laundry facilities and free Wireless High-speed Internet.

Special Offer!
Free Spanish classes 4hrs/week for volunteers staying with us for two weeks or more...

3. Spanish Courses - $5/hr (Group) - $8/hr (Individual)
The volunteer program is Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 12:30pm (half past noon). Because of this, we are able to offer Spanish classes for visiting volunteers in the afternoon. Classes are taught by young people, fluent in English, with more than five years experience in teaching Spanish as a second language.

4. Exchange with Organic Farms
Palagure is part of a wide network of organic farms throughout the country and are able to give you valuable advise on your following destination. If you are staying with us for than 2 weeks or more, we can also organize field trips to other farms or projects that you may like to visit...

For the most part, planned field trips to organic farms located in the beautiful rural areas of Costa Rica, require the participation of two or more volunteers who have the flexibility to extend their stay as they please. Added costs incurred by these trips may vary and will be discussed in advance.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: We receive volunteers from all around the world. The common idea that unites every volunteer is that each person is willing to donate his/her time and money in order to reach out to individuals and communities in need. International volunteers tend to be: * Travelers who want to contribute to the communities they visit * Around-the-world travelers who want to make a 'different and useful' stop on their journey * Students on summer, winter or gap year vacations * Graduates seeking experience in the field of international development * Professionals on career breaks, sabbaticals or on leave from their professions * Retirees seeking to do try something different * Group and family travelers * Individuals looking for a way out of the rat race

Age Range: 17-50

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 3-8

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview

Palagure - Urban Agriculture's Mission Statement: There is an obvious urgency to take action within urban areas of Costa Rica. In these areas, authorities have shown little concern regarding the deterioration of human values toward the environment. Through this lack of concern, they have accentuated this deterioration of the environment in our society. For this reasons our organization is dedicated to work with volunteers within urban zones. OUR GENERAL OBJECTIVES ARE: " Applying values of urban agri-ecology, by means of educational, productive, and artistic activities, directed toward the population of the city of Alajuela. " Promoting the organic agriculture in the city as a sustainable form of nutritional, cultural, and communal integration.

Year Founded: 2007