Tierralegre "El Huerto Escolar"

Tierralegre "El Huerto Escolar"

Manager: Antonio Jacovo& Miguel Huerta
 tierralegrehuerto@gmail.com
 https://www.facebook.com/Tier ralegre/ 
Languages: Spanish, English
office address: No. 49 A María Asunción, La Huerta, 48898 La Manzanilla, Jal, Mexico
El Huerto Escolar (the student garden) at Tierralegre's Focus on growing, maintaining, and using local produce. The farm is about 2 hectares, and has been operating since 2012. It has shaded and open growing aretion:as, as well as an irrigation system. We practice organic farming techniques without chemical fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides.
 
Main crops: Vegetables, greens, herbs, plantains, pineapples, camotes (indigenous sweet potatoes) and other tubers

The farm is most active during the winter tourist season of October-March and the weather is best at this time but we are open to arranging visits any time of the year.

Work needed from WWOOFers: Working with the students to help improve soil conditions. General gardening tasks such as weeding, planting, and harvesting. Assisting with maintenance of the property. Assisting with community programs, sales to local business, etc as needed. The produce is sold by the students in the weekly market in town; proceeds go to maintaining the program. 

Hours per day: 4-6
Days per week: Minimum 4

Description of lodging: Volunteers will be able to use the kitchen facilities (sink, stove, and fridge) at the farm. The site has a composting toilet and shower facilities. There is a lofted sleeping area, however, a tent and sleeping pad are needed as it is covered but open air. We also have a platform set off the ground for tents a/o hammocks with mosquito nets. We hope to continue developing lodging spaces for visitors. 

Description of meals provided: Visitors are welcome to any produce from the garden. Groceries for breakfasts and lunch will be provided. We cannot guarantee 3 square meals per day but will arrange for meals from local supporters and restaurants as well.  

Rules and restrictions: As the garden is a youth program, we reserve the right to request any credentials or background checks to work with the youth. We expect responsible and respectful mentors to set good examples for the youth. 

Min. and max. length of stay- To maximize the long term impact for the visitors and for the project, we hope you're able to stay for a minimum of 1 month; shorter stays can be negotiated however. Longer stays are also possible.

Note to WWOOFers: The farm is a five-minute walk from Tenacatita Bay, with swimming, kayaking, and surfing nearby on the 11-km long beach. La Manzanilla is also home to a mangrove swamp ecological reserve, with crocodiles and many bird species. The town of about 1500 people is a tourist attraction and there are many restaurants and small shops.