European Solidarity Corps Volunteering

At Mas Les Vinyes we love receiving people to share knowledge and experiences. Les Vinyes wouldn’t be the same without the help it’ received from the dozens of volunteers from all over the world.

Thanks to the European program ESC (European Solidarity Corps), every year we open our project so that some people can come to learn and train in regenerative agriculture, gardening, bioconstruction, animal care, permaculture, and sustainability.

Right now we are working with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) as our main volunteer program.

For 2025, we offer:

  • 4 volunteer positions from april to November within the ESC program.

The requirements to come are:

  1. Availability for a minimum of 6 months (from April 1st to October 31st, 2025)
  2. Under 30 years old
  3. Holder of any European nationality
  4. High motivation and enthusiasm

What do we offer in return?

  • Living and learning on the farm for 7 months
  • Homegrown, organic meals prepared with love
  • Accomodation in the bioconstruction restored landhouse
  • Shared room for 2 people
  • Pocket money as a monthly financial aid
  • Community spaces
  • A unique cultural, social and physical experience
  • Introduction to our local culture

What do we ask for?

  • Help with regenerative agriculture & permaculture related chores
  • 6 hours of your time during 5 days a week

Information about ESC program

Mas Les Vinyes is a non-governmental organization that was founded 11 years ago with the aim of creating a sustainable system that respects nature and, at the same time, it demonstrates  a regenerative system for people and all it’s non-human inhabitants.

We are an intentional community with 6 adults, 2 teenagers, 2 young children, 3 dogs, 2 cats, chickens and sheep. We share most of our meals and the majority of the spaces. There is always something to do and always someone to hang out with!

We can all speak Catalan, Spanish and English.  We speak mainly Catalan amongst ourselves ans Spanish with the volunteers but will switch to English whenever needed.

As we live on a farm and we are compromised with food sovereignty, we follow an omnivorous diet. We won’t be able to host vegan people as we also eat eggs, milk, cheese, honey, etc.

As for the volunteers, we have hosted tens of them coming from all over the world. For the last 5 years we have been participating in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme and we hosted 15 ESC volunteers. For 2025, we would like to host 4 ESC volunteers to help us with animals, gardens, forest management, natural building, maintenance of the spaces, cleaning and cooking, etc. A volunteer works 30 hours per week and gets a little pay from ESC (150€/month approx).

When a person wants to become a volunteer in the project, we analyze their profile, valuing knowledge in different areas that may be interesting for the project: biology, beekeeping, agriculture, livestock, forestry, as well as knowledge or interest in permaculture, collaboration with non-profit organizations or experience in similar projects on farms. Finally we value the personal motivations of the volunteers to ensure that the profiles will fit. During the selection process, each specific case is evaluated according to the needs of the project at each moment

So if after reading all this you are still interested in applying for a position, please fill out the next form.

We intend to let you know whether we invite you yo the next step of the selection process within a few weeks after receiving your application. We kindly ask for your patience since we have to process many applications.

Applications deadline: 28/02/2025

Apply here

Frequently Asked Questions

We are actually living 6 adults, 2 teenagers & 2 young children, divided by family units. Each family unit (as we define each person or people who want to share a space) has a private space with, at a minimum, one bedroom and a private full bathroom. Some spaces also have a kitchen for specific days, but we share most meals.

We have shared spaces with several dining rooms, large halls, two kitchens, bathrooms, a small library area, a freeshop, and many outdoor spaces.

Not everyone in the community works on the farm, but most do. However, everyone has tasks related to management and household chores: cooking, chopping firewood, cleaning, etc.

It depends on the time of year. In spring and autumn, we usually get up early to have breakfast at 7:30 and then go to take care of the animals in groups at 8. After that, around 10, we typically do community work such as construction, gardening, or tending to the fruit trees. We stop at 12 so that some people can prepare lunch, which is usually at 1. We rest until 3 or 4 pm and then do another hour or so of work in the afternoon.

In the summer, due to the heat, everything changes. We get up earlier, around 6:30 for breakfast, and by 7 we are already working. However, we have to stop around 10 and don’t start working again until 6 pm, sometimes until 8 pm.

The farm is not particularly well-connected. There is a bus service at a stop near the house, but it does not run very often, and it’s common for people to hitchhike to Vic or Berga, from where you can take a train or coach (1h 15 mins) to Barcelona, Girona, or other cities.

At home, we have bicycles that we can lend you, as well as a tent for camping, although we ask that you bring your own sleeping bags and mats.

Although in the past we have had volunteers for periods of 3 weeks, unfortunately, we can no longer offer this format. We encourage you to look for another project that can accommodate your needs.

The four volunteers have two lovely bedrooms (two people per room). They have space to store clothes and shoes, and their access opens into a fairly large shared dining room. There is a sofa bed, a worktable, a couple of comfortable armchairs, and a bathroom with two showers and two toilets. We also have rural internet (wifi) with a 2 Mbps connection for the entire community.

According to the ESC program, at the end of the month we will give you €6 for each day of the month that you have spent on the farm. That doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but keep in mind that your food, accommodation, internet, electricity, and water are all covered.

Each week you have two days off, which are usually on the weekend, allowing you to leave the farm or stay here, but without working. You’ll need to help with household chores like cooking or washing dishes, but nothing more is required. It is not possible to take just half a day off; days off must be full days.

However, everyone in the community takes “a shift” once a month, which involves staying on the farm and taking care of the animals during that weekend. This allows all of us to have some weekends off each month and continue to look after the animals as they deserve and need.

In addition to two days off per week, you have 14 working days of vacation during your stay. We recommend using them to visit our country; there are incredible places we can recommend!

At Mas Les Vinyes, we follow a Mediterranean diet based on vegetables, cereals, milk, and cheese. Although we do not eat meat very often, we occasionally do, consuming animals that have been raised on our own farm or nearby farms.

We try to avoid buying fresh food from distant parts of the world, such as pineapples, mangoes, avocados, etc. We eat little sweets and chocolate, but volunteers sometimes go to a store in the village to buy their own.

As for coffee and tea, since they are not produced in Europe, we try to limit their consumption. We usually have one or two cups early in the morning and try to avoid them for the rest of the day or we go to the village bar to have them.

There are certain products that, although we can consume them, have a significant impact on our energy or on ecosystems. We are talking about foods like honey, spices from other continents, eggs, or butter, which we eat occasionally to maintain a good energy balance.

We also minimize purchasing everyday consumer products that come in packaging, such as milk or plant-based milks, sauces, etc.

Regarding alcohol, it is not a product that we have freely available, so each person pays for their own alcoholic drinks, which should be consumed moderately and without affecting other members of the community.

During your stay, you’ll learn a lot through daily practice! Regenerative agriculture, gardening, the basics of permaculture, fruit tree care, animal management, and much more. You’ll definitely be eager to delve deeper into some topics, so we will provide you with some readings and/or films that can give you more information.

Some ESC volunteers also organize study groups to share what they know and have learned, making it easier for everyone to stay motivated and learn together.

We know that coming to our community is a great experience and that you will be eager to share it, but as there are many of us, we have some agreements to take care of each other.

For those of you coming as volunteers, we offer the possibility to invite a maximum of 2 people to stay for 1 or 2 nights during your volunteering period, with the commitment that they can help us with farm tasks or make a contribution of €20/day.

If you want your family to come, we can discuss it to find the best way to take care of you and also the privacy of the community.

At Mas Les Vinyes, we offer a permaculture design course in Spanish that attracts students from many different places. If you want to participate in it, you can do so in exchange for your vacation time and knowing that you will need to help us with some tasks. If you feel like doing it, you will surely enjoy it a lot.

Although our farm is in Spain, we live in an autonomous community that is fortunate to have its own language, Catalan, and therefore we are bilingual in Catalan and Spanish. However, in our daily life, we usually use Catalan among most community members, but we can switch to Spanish without difficulty.

On the other hand, since not all people who come to the farm typically speak Spanish or Catalan (our daily languages), we tend to speak in English during the first months or weeks until people feel comfortable speaking in Spanish or Catalan.

Thanks to the ESC program, you will have access to a language course in any EU language, so you can learn quickly.

Where We Are

Our farm is in Sant Martí d’Albars, in Lluçanès. It’s got 24 hectares and it’s also a training center where we follow the principles of permaculture to design the farm where food production (regenerative agriculture, food forests and integrated livestock) coexists with the community life, regenerative forest management and resilience.

Sant Martí is a village of just over 100 inhabitants, in a rural setting and where we spend a lot of time in the surrounding villages.


Mas Les Vinyes

Previous Volunteers

2024

  • Chloe (Bèlgica) – ESC
  • Tania (Portugal) – ESC
  • José (Cuenca) – ESC
  • Sebastian (Italia / Colombia) – ESC

2023

  • Ziggy (Bèlgica) – ESC
  • Febe (Holanda) – ESC
  • Lilo (Barcelona) – ESC
  • Nejra (Bòsnia) – ESC

2022

  • Alina (Alemania) – ESC
  • Lara (Alemania) – ESC
  • Davide (Itàlia) – ESC

2021

  • Eloi Canal (Osona)
  • Federico Toderi (Italia) – ESC
  • Sara Buscà (Maresme) – ESC
  • Leo Baird (Valencia)
  • Marta (Cadiz)
  • Marta Ferrer

2020

  • Anna Gundersen (Dinamarca) – ESC
  • Fadime Kiliç (Turquia) – ESC
  • Clara Llobet (Barcelona)
  • Clara Jiménez (Penedès)
  • Ángel Monzón (Madrid)

2019

  • Bernat (Barcelona)
  • Aina (Barcelona)
  • Teddy (Alemania)
  • Ángel (Madrid)
  • Marie (França)
  • Adrian Chapa (Equador)
  • Bruno Azevedo (Portugal)
  • Diego (Xile)
  • Xavier (Pals)

2018

  • Xavier (Pals)
  • Jack Maples (EEUU)
  • Monica Ruiz (Barcelona)
  • Pablo Ros (Terrassa)
  • Manon (França)
  • Enzo (Italia)
  • Simon Lecharny (França)
  • Albert Amer (Catalunya)
  • Pol Dorgandaban (Catalunya – Pràctiques Escola Agrària de Manresa)
  • Aric Rex (Australia)
  • Armand (França)

2017

  • Claudia (Cardedeu)
  • Pau Carbonell (Barcelona)
  • Xènia Querol (Sort)
  • Anna (Osca)
  • Marcos (Esparraguera)
  • Sara Blanco (Esparraguera)
  • Andoni de Andrés Cid (Terrassa)
  • Joseph Chen (Taiwan)
  • Charlotte Masson (Francia)
  • Alberto Blanco (Esparraguera)
  • Lucien Duclos (França)
  • Irene Pereira (Berga)
  • Amanda Centrella (Massachusetts, Estats Units)
  • Alba Bosch Bosch (Girona)

2016

  • Eduardo Prats (Eivissa)
  • Laia Montón (Barcelona)
  • Alex Lohman (EU, Arizona)
  • Eva Gallego (Barcelona)
  • Oliver Viertmann (Alemania)
  • Andrea (Galícia)
  • Çağlar Küçük (Turquia)
  • Esme Wessel (Estats Units)
  • Mikel Palmer (Escòcia)
  • Ibra Bakari (Gambia)
  • Aitor Requena (Barcelona)
  • Laura Basterra (Barcelona)
  • Naima (Barcelona)

2015

  • Rosie Atterson (SC)
  • Gemma Amblàs (Gurb)
  • Marc Muñoz (Vic)
  • Carles Bonet (CAT)
  • Robert Fontan (CAT)
  • Dario Giaffreda (IT)
  • Elodie Badet (FR)
  • Julio Andrade (CHL)
  • Sarah (DE)
  • Anita Ackermann (DE)
  • Jamille Giaffreda (IT)
  • Jesús de la Hoz (ES)
  • Nim Kibbler (SC)

2014

  • Guillem Bosch (CAT)
  • Miguel Cambrón (ES)
  • Fiona (DE)
  • Martha H. (DE)
  • Ilona (DE)
  • Kristi (DE)
  • Carolina Trossero (ARG)
  • Julia Berg (ES-DE)