Since we came to live on the farm, we have casually received foreigners eager to learn and to help us.
The first to come were Ciryl, Emmanuel, Nuria, Santiago and
Mariano, Cristoph and Française, and Jacob. The
experiences, the cultural exchange, the friendship, and the mutual help
are things we very much like having on the farm. So, when we
found out about WWOOF, we wanted to try it out and see if it could work
for us. The first volunteers arrived in May 2005. Since
then we have received many volunteers, always departing as friends,
satisfied with their time with the family. From the beginning we
hosted volunteers in our house, sharing day-to-day life, but we want
them to have their own space and be more comfortable, so we began
building a house for our volunteers.
Emmanuel with Poupeé and
Capitán
We like to receive volunteers who are genuinely interested in organic agriculture, natural foods, food preservation, etc. We prefer that volunteers stay a minimum of one month, the ideal being 3 months, since we really want our volunteers to have a richer experience and learn as much as possible. Volunteers gain more from the experience when their real motives are to learn and live farm life.
***We are especially interested in hosting people who want to come for a long stay, specifically in order to learn organic farming. Please let us know if this is your intent and we will talk about different conditions for your stay. We are also interested in hosting people with knowledge of permaculture or alternative construction and learn from you.
LANGUAGE
In the house we speak only
Spanish. We like helping our volunteers with their Spanish,
teaching them what we can.... When there are more volunteers,
they often speak English to each other and help one another with
translations when necessary. The same is also true of French,
German, etc.
SHARED LIVING
Usually
we host up to 4 volunteers at a time. We receive more during the Apple harvest.
The interactions between the
volunteers are very positive. There are common ideas, interesting
stories to share--about their journeys, their countries, and what they
do. There are good conversations at the table and interesting
discussions. At the farm you will also find many books and
information about natural foods and agriculture. Depending on the
interest of the volunteers we sometimes offer talks about nuturopathy,
yoga and meditation.
FOOD
Our diet is very simiple. Our
family is part vegetarian and part vegan. The base of our diet
are the vegetables from the garden, fresh and flavorful. We also
have a small store at the farm where we sell products from other farms
(organic wine, olive oil, olives, organic grains, etc.). We serve
3 meals a day and offer herbal tea and fresh fruits for snacks.
Breakfast: Herbal tea, mate, homemade bread, jam, sugar and fresh
fruit.
- A nearby farm sells fresh cheese and milk; you can make yogurt from the milk.
- At the farm store you can buy honey, dried fruits and grains.
Lunch and Dinner: Vegetarian food, with big salads
and fresh vegetables from the garden, eggs, little dairy, grains and
pasta. Our table is very creative, always full of different
colors and flavors; everyone leaves the table satisfied. These are the things that we can offer you. If you need other food or drink you are free to buy them in town and cook to your taste in the kitchen. Every Friday we make bread and eat pizza for dinner!
HOUSING
We have a volunteer house in the apple trees next to a
stream. It is a dormitory-style bedroom with a bathroom, and this
year we hope to put in a small kitchen and a library for talks and
classes, etc. We have sheets for summer, but in winter you should
bring a sleeping bag for the cold nights. You may also bring a
tent and pitch it where you please--the location is cool and scenic,
and there is potable water and electricity outside of the house.
For the winter we house our volunteers in a bedroom in our
house, since we usually have fewer volunteers.
WHAT IS THE CLIMATE LIKE??
September to November:
Pleasant in the day (15ºC to 30ºC/60ºF to 85ºF) and
very cool in the morning and evening. In September there can be
frost.
November to March: Lots of
sun! Very hot in the day (30ºC to 37ºC/85ºF to
100ºF) and pleasant at night.
March to May: Pleasant
during the day, and very cool in the morning and evening.
The first frost comes in late April.
May to September: Very
cold during the day (8ºC to 15ºC or 18ºC/45ºF to
60ºF or 65ºF) and even colder at night (frost every morning,
-5ºC/23ºF or colder). It may snow one or two times in
July or August.
AMENITIES AND COMMUNICATION
We are located 3 km from a small town where there is a public phone and
a locutorio. Vista Flores, a slightly larger town, is 7 km from
the farm and has an internet café as well as a
supermarket. We have a computer with internet connection in the
house as well. We can receive mail at the house. Every
two hours a bus passes the house that can take you to Tupungato and
Mendoza, and on Sundays a bus passes the house that goes to the
mountains. Nearly every day at some point we go to town in our
van, and you are welcome to come if you have something you need to take
care of.
WHAT
SHOULD I BRING??
Work
gloves, sombrero, sleeping bag, old clothes that you don't mind getting
dirty, water
bottle, and ganas for working
and learning!!
How to get here
To
get to the
farm: Look for the bus companies Cata or Mitre in the bus station
in Mendoza. Both companies go to Tupungato (takes 1-2 hours and
costs 7 pesos). In Tupungato you have to switch to a bus that
goes to "La Consulta" (again Cata or Mitre). Ask the driver to
let you out
If you are coming from the South, you need to get
off the bus in Tunuyán and try to call us by telephone. If
you are unable to reach us, take the next bus for Vista Flores (either
Cata or Ecla), and try to call us again from the locutorio next to the
plaza. If you are still unable to reach us, take the next bus for
Tupungato (Cata or Mitre), and ask the driver to let you out "en
el cruze de Corredor Productivo y Camino al Manzano."
Directly across from the intersection is the farm; you should see
posters for productos orgánicos. We are next door to "La
casona del
encuentro," restaurant and bed & breakfast.
Our telephone numbers are 0261 154 707487
and 0261 155 602402
ACTIVITIES
We work according to the weather
conditions (warm, cold, rain, etc). We always vary the activities
a lot during 
the day, combining
outdoor and indoor jobs, accomodating the preferences of the individual
when possible.
SPRING (September to November)
We work a lot in the
garden--sowing, transplanting, weeding, irrigating and plowing with the
horse.
We also began constructing the
house for the volunteers.
Inside we prepare the apple
cider and vinegar for sale, cleaning the bottles, attaching labels,
stamps and packing them for distribution.
In November we cut and dry
herbs. We also pick cherries and preserve them by drying,
canning, and making juice.
SUMMER
(September to May)
During the summer, the work load
peaks. We harvest fruits and vegetables, dry seeds and continue
the jobs in the garden that we began in Spring.
We cut tomatoes and fruits to
dry in the sun, we make jams and jar fruits, and in February we make a
huge quantity of tomato sauce.
In March (WHEN WE MOST NEED HELP) is the Apple harvest
and
preparation of apple cider and grape juice. We also harvest
potatoes and other crops we store for the winter.
FALL and WINTER
During this time the rhythm
slows. The garden is maintained with a minimum of work. We
work on construction projects using Natural
Building Techniques during winter and the first part of
spring. We
prepare firewood, plant fruit trees, prune the orchards, and prepare
the soil. It is very cold and we work a lot indoors, packaging
the dried foods and packing the juice and other preserves.
We hope that
gives you a general idea of the farm. If you have
any questions, we will respond with gusto. As of right
now you are welcome on the farm!!!!!!!!!!!!
Niki is our WWOOF
mascot! He accompanies us to the garden, orchard, barn and
sometimes to town! He wishes you a hearty welcome to El Peregrino!
***Please confirm your arrival date with us one week in
advance***
