Who Volunteers?
People who come to Ramsjögård are from all corners of the world, care about the environment, and are interested in learning about sustainability. The common language is English. Volunteers stay on the farm anywhere from a weekend to a whole season (February to November), where they learn how to grow vegetables from seed to harvest. They also learn (and share) how to cook vegetarian and vegan food.
CSA medlemmar är välkomna ut för att hjälpa till och äta lunch med gruppen. Ett bra sätt att se hur era korgar kommer till. Dessutom tar vi gärna emot volontärer från Sverige med. Kontakta Karin för mera info.
English: CSA members are welcome out to help and eat lunch with the group. It is a good way to see how your vegetable baskets are done. We also are happy to take volonteers and apprentices from Sweden as well. Contact Karin for more info.
Important information: This is a place of learning where we teach volunteers and students from Agricultural schools how to farm and grow their own vegetables, eat and cook healthy vegan and vegetarian food and other benefits. We do not have any employees and cannot hire people for jobs or supply visas.
CSA medlemmar är välkomna ut för att hjälpa till och äta lunch med gruppen. Ett bra sätt att se hur era korgar kommer till. Dessutom tar vi gärna emot volontärer från Sverige med. Kontakta Karin för mera info.
English: CSA members are welcome out to help and eat lunch with the group. It is a good way to see how your vegetable baskets are done. We also are happy to take volonteers and apprentices from Sweden as well. Contact Karin for more info.
Important information: This is a place of learning where we teach volunteers and students from Agricultural schools how to farm and grow their own vegetables, eat and cook healthy vegan and vegetarian food and other benefits. We do not have any employees and cannot hire people for jobs or supply visas.
What's Provided and What to Bring
While helping out on the farm, you are provided with basic accommodation and food. One meal is cooked everyday for the group and we take turns doing this. If you are applying to live here kindly fill out the answers in green ink in the "we have some wishes " file so that we know you are comfortable with our way of life.
Food: We provide our own herbs for tea, black tea, coffee, cocoa and milk products, oats for porridge, home baked bread from our own grains, dried beans and peas for eating/making pastes, pasta, oil, our own apple cider vinegar, we buy oat milk and margarine for vegans or provide naked oats to make oat milk out of (one of the things we teach), salt, and sugar.
Fresh vegetables in season and from the freezer off season. To see what we grow look at "product list".
We also provide eggs and buy from a local producer when possible. Jam from our apples or raspberries is provided and purchased when there is none left. We provide limited amounts of imported foods. Fruit and "luxuries" can be purchased in the local store. You may also purchase honey from the local beekeeper who has hives on our land.
Accommodations: We have simple accommodations in 2 separate buildings. The farm houses are over 100 years old, so please do not expect new or fancy. In high season two to three people share a room. The toilets and showers are shared with others. We have wireless internet in the main house and computer access if needed. We provide bedding, such as sheets and pillowcases. If you want to bring a sleeping bag, it is good during colder months, but we also have a lot of warm blankets. We provide pure olive soap when we can and which can be used for all washing purposes. Otherwise Swedish stores have organic products without added perfume if you do not have it with you.
Clothing: If you want to travel light, we can lend you working clothing, sweaters, and sometimes shoes or boots. It is best if you have rubber boots, waterproof pants, and working gloves, as we might not have your size or preference. For boots and shoes, you can write to see if we have your size.
Laundry: As we do not run the washing machine often, it is good to know this before coming here. Bring work clothes to change into or borrow ours. When all of your clothes are all dirty, Karin will help you to wash them in the machine.
Around the Farm: There is a nice lake within walking distance and a river with a water hole here on the farm. There are also a lot of forest trails for taking walks. The farm is also within walking of a village. There is a well-stocked grocery store only two kilometres from here if you wish to buy sweets or other foods that we do not provide.
Food: We provide our own herbs for tea, black tea, coffee, cocoa and milk products, oats for porridge, home baked bread from our own grains, dried beans and peas for eating/making pastes, pasta, oil, our own apple cider vinegar, we buy oat milk and margarine for vegans or provide naked oats to make oat milk out of (one of the things we teach), salt, and sugar.
Fresh vegetables in season and from the freezer off season. To see what we grow look at "product list".
We also provide eggs and buy from a local producer when possible. Jam from our apples or raspberries is provided and purchased when there is none left. We provide limited amounts of imported foods. Fruit and "luxuries" can be purchased in the local store. You may also purchase honey from the local beekeeper who has hives on our land.
Accommodations: We have simple accommodations in 2 separate buildings. The farm houses are over 100 years old, so please do not expect new or fancy. In high season two to three people share a room. The toilets and showers are shared with others. We have wireless internet in the main house and computer access if needed. We provide bedding, such as sheets and pillowcases. If you want to bring a sleeping bag, it is good during colder months, but we also have a lot of warm blankets. We provide pure olive soap when we can and which can be used for all washing purposes. Otherwise Swedish stores have organic products without added perfume if you do not have it with you.
Clothing: If you want to travel light, we can lend you working clothing, sweaters, and sometimes shoes or boots. It is best if you have rubber boots, waterproof pants, and working gloves, as we might not have your size or preference. For boots and shoes, you can write to see if we have your size.
Laundry: As we do not run the washing machine often, it is good to know this before coming here. Bring work clothes to change into or borrow ours. When all of your clothes are all dirty, Karin will help you to wash them in the machine.
Around the Farm: There is a nice lake within walking distance and a river with a water hole here on the farm. There are also a lot of forest trails for taking walks. The farm is also within walking of a village. There is a well-stocked grocery store only two kilometres from here if you wish to buy sweets or other foods that we do not provide.
Daily Farm Schedule
- Between 7:00 and 8:00: Breakfast
- 8:00: Morning meeting with farmer Anders to discuss the day’s activities before starting. During the dark season, we may start earlier to work while it is light outdoors. What we do depends on the time of year. We have a file below telling what we do different seasons.
- 11:00: Fika! Time for a quick coffee or tea break. This is also time to eat something light if needed.
- Around 14:00: Lunch - we all get together for the main warm meal.
- After Lunch: We sometimes return to finish our projects/requirements for the day.
Notes on Schedule Flexibility:
- If working conditions are hot (such as in the greenhouse or in summer), you have the option to take time off mid-day and finish your project in the evening when it is cooler.
- The hours we work in the day vary depending on the time of year. In the spring (mid-May through June), we use a tractor machine for planting and are often on a schedule due to weather.
- During summer when there is a "midnight sun" we sometimes start planting in the afternoon and continue through the evening.
- If you work late one evening, you can sleep longer and have a shorter day the next.
- From August to November, we fill the CSA vegetable baskets every week on Thursday and Friday. There is 1 basket a month during other times. These days often start earlier, are less flexible, and cannot be taken as a day off when help is needed.
Our Lifestyle
Please read our wishes and ensure you would respect them.
- We like people to be into simple and healthy living while on the farm.
- Free Time: People staying here less than a month usually take one day off a week. If here one month, two days in one week is OK.
- We request that any soap, shampoo, or deodorant you bring is free from harmful chemicals and non-scented or only very slightly scented.
- We like the atmosphere to be healthy and pleasant for everyone here. Our accommodations are rooms which two people share either in a house or a cottage. In some cases, you will have to go out of your living area to get to the toilet and shower. Our living quarters are simple and are as clean as you keep them -- as are all the shared areas, such as the shower and kitchen.
- One day a week, helpers clean shared areas together and everyone is expected to clean their own mess as they go throughout the day.
- We like to have people here who think about conserving water and electricity, especially during high summer when we can have around 10 helpers sharing the facilities. If you are used to taking a shower every day, please consider that at the farm, we are careful with natural resources like water. Please tell us how you feel about this in your application.
- We takes turns preparing vegan and vegetarian food using the vegetables which we grow and hope to teach others about this way of living. We hope you will respect our way of life and only eat meat outside of the farm on your day off.
- We provide you with all necessities you need to eat and also have loads of wonderful fresh and frozen vegetables. We expect volunteers to be comfortable with cooking, as often this is shared. While basics are provided, you will need to purchase your own “luxuries."
- This is a drug free and nonsmoking farm. We also have a no alcohol policy on the farm for several reasons.
Expectations
Experience: We do not expect you to know about farming before coming here. As long as you are willing, healthy, and active you will be a fine helper. We really appreciate applications from people who would carry the knowledge of sustainability and respect for natural resources into their lives and share with others. This includes learning to make food from what is available each different season.
Illness: Although a person may get a temporary health problem while traveling, such as a cold, we cannot accept people with chronic illnesses or eating disorders.
Illness: Although a person may get a temporary health problem while traveling, such as a cold, we cannot accept people with chronic illnesses or eating disorders.
Type of Work
This is what we usually do each month, but cannot promise it exactly.
Jan - Mar: Cleaning and preparing living areas for future helpers. Some repair work on the house. Sorting vegetables and preparing orders for the schools and daycare we sell to. Working in the forest with Anders, splitting and stacking wood. Maintaining the fire. Sorting veggies. Baking around once a week. In Feb and Mar, we also begin to sow seeds indoors for planting later in the fields and tend to the seedlings. Warm clothing required for both outdoor and indoor work. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. CSA basket once a month.
Apr: Sowing and tending seedlings. Transplanting seedlings starts. Cleaning out greenhouses. Sorting veggies. Baking around once a week. Help build and put up greenhouses. Making and tending the fire. Helping to clean both indoors and outdoors after the snow melts. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. Possible CSA basket once a month.
May - Jun: Planting outside, sitting behind tractor (can be long hours, which are compensated later with free time). Baking around once a week. Greenhouse work such as digging, planting, and tending to plants. Weeding. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and boots.
Jul: Weeding. Planting outside. End of month harvesting and start of weekly CSA baskets. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and rubber boots.
Aug - Oct: Harvesting. Taking care of plants. Storing food (freezing, jam making, pickling). CSA baskets every week. After the frost, the CSA basket is every other week. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and boots.
Nov: Work in woods. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Maybe harvesting. You need warm clothing for both indoor and outdoor work. Cleaning indoors and outdoors. Storing food. One or two CSA baskets. Making and tending the fire. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots.
Dec: If we host volunteers, it is for cleaning, repairing, and renovation indoors. CSA baskets once or twice and perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Making and tending the fire. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. We usually only have helpers the first half of December.
Jan - Mar: Cleaning and preparing living areas for future helpers. Some repair work on the house. Sorting vegetables and preparing orders for the schools and daycare we sell to. Working in the forest with Anders, splitting and stacking wood. Maintaining the fire. Sorting veggies. Baking around once a week. In Feb and Mar, we also begin to sow seeds indoors for planting later in the fields and tend to the seedlings. Warm clothing required for both outdoor and indoor work. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. CSA basket once a month.
Apr: Sowing and tending seedlings. Transplanting seedlings starts. Cleaning out greenhouses. Sorting veggies. Baking around once a week. Help build and put up greenhouses. Making and tending the fire. Helping to clean both indoors and outdoors after the snow melts. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. Possible CSA basket once a month.
May - Jun: Planting outside, sitting behind tractor (can be long hours, which are compensated later with free time). Baking around once a week. Greenhouse work such as digging, planting, and tending to plants. Weeding. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and boots.
Jul: Weeding. Planting outside. End of month harvesting and start of weekly CSA baskets. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and rubber boots.
Aug - Oct: Harvesting. Taking care of plants. Storing food (freezing, jam making, pickling). CSA baskets every week. After the frost, the CSA basket is every other week. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and boots.
Nov: Work in woods. Perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Maybe harvesting. You need warm clothing for both indoor and outdoor work. Cleaning indoors and outdoors. Storing food. One or two CSA baskets. Making and tending the fire. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots.
Dec: If we host volunteers, it is for cleaning, repairing, and renovation indoors. CSA baskets once or twice and perhaps helping with baking around once a week. Making and tending the fire. Good to bring your own gloves, waterproof pants, and warm boots. We usually only have helpers the first half of December.
