Let's Grow Trees: Reforestation, Community Activities + Organic Permaculture Farm + Tea & Coffee
Peru
NOTE: WE ARE FULL THROUGH 2026
At this time we are not hosting short term stays.
Thank you for those who have taken an interest and supported our projects.
We are Guardians and stewards of the earth and the soul.
We are a small reforestation, land regeneration, and natural farming project in the cloud forest. We are active in our community and on our farm. Trees, plants, animals, good people, gratitude, and good experiences are our passions here.
We live in the cloud forest with a big open kitchen, dining room, and living room. The roof is tin. There are several dorms and shared rooms. Sometimes we are lucky and see the toucans in our yard, always we hear the birds - including the giant flocks of green parrots who love to fly by.
We love ethical, kind, and responsible people. We are looking for positive, independent, motivated people who can take initiative. People who can appreciate a laid-back, fun, rustic, simple homey lifestyle.
We are located in an area of Peru famous for being the main producer of tea in the country. It is less than a 4 hour drive from Cusco and just 3 from the Sacred Valley. It is a simple, uncomplicated farming community with a lot of wild life and the climate is not too hot and not too cold. We are trekking distance to Machu Picchu OR just a short 2-hour walk along the hydroelectric path which is just 85 minutes away by car. The area has many waterfalls and great hikes. A hours drive away are the hot springs of Cocalmayo used since the Incan times for both relaxation and rejuvenation.
We are a vegetarian project and focus on education about making conscious choices to positively effect global health through the consumption of less meat products (Meat and feed companies contribute directly to the destruction of Amazonian forests). If needed, there are many nearby restaurants in Huyro where you can find inexpensive, non-vegetarian meals.
Being Close to Nature: Planting seeds, maintaining land, and learning about organic pest management and soil health is part of day-to-day life. The farm currently has cats, dogs, chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks, cuy, and rabbits. We are passionate about reforestation, biodiversity, and soil health.
We are followers of the Way (Yeshua) and believe in the caretaking of the earth, its creatures, and one another. We also are happy to hold space for people who want to seek the Creator and fast in nature if that is an interest.
A FEW OF OUR ACTIVITIES:
Reforestation: seed collecting, building beds to plant seedlings + planting trees.
Organic Gardens + Trees: We cultivate, care for + harvest citrus fruits, several exotic fruits + organic vegetables.
Soil Care - hugelkulture.
Cooking - food preservation: fermentation, dehydration.
Community Care: Visiting elderly neighbors + helping them.
General maintenance and upkeep.
We grow and prepare our own coffee.
We hand-roll our very own oolong tea.
Plant Identification - we are writing a book.
Art projects: murals, pottery + others.
Animal care: we love animals.
The bedrooms and dorms provide simple yet functional accommodations, including a bed and bedding. While furnishings are minimal, hot water and electricity are available. The area has excellent Wi-Fi coverage from providers like Bitel, so bringing a Wi-Fi-enabled phone provides your internet. A modest library offers books and a projector for movie screenings, while outdoor amenities include two rustic swimming pools, a volleyball court, and a soccer field. The spacious and well-equipped kitchen is the heart of daily meals, where we prepare three delicious vegetarian dishes along with fresh juices and natural sodas.
The region is teeming with diverse bird species, attracting numerous bird enthusiasts.
One exceptional avian species found here is the Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus). As the national bird of Peru, this area provides an ideal habitat where it thrives. Additionally, visitors can spot the Watchmaker (Momotus aequatorialis), along with a dazzling array of colorful hummingbirds and toucans.
THERE ARE BUGS! August has the most. Again, we have lots of bugs, lots. We live rustically in the cloud forest in a rural with an open kitchen, meaning there are no windows and doors on the kitchen and dining area, - it is open to the wild with a tin roof and cement floors. We do our best by cleaning daily, each week and once a month deeply but it is seriously buggy - dangerous spiders, possums, moths, jungle cockroaches - which are MUCH LARGER than city ones, ants, caterpillars and to a few, bothersome cats (we LOVE them). This is the reality here. Please do not come if you have issues with this, you and I will both feel better. We live in a community where many homes have dirt floors and cook over open fires. The nature is the fanciest thing here.
No Drugs or Alcohol
Drugs and alcohol are strictly not permitted on the farm.
The Music Experiment
We are conducting an experiment to see how music that supports plant growth affects the farm and those living here. Research suggests that music impacts plant development, and Masaru Emoto’s studies on water highlight how sound frequencies influence water structure. Since our bodies are made from soil, fed by plants, and primarily water, we believe this experiment could have a profound impact. We ask that all volunteers honor this experiment while here. If you feel you cannot respect this, please find another place to volunteer.
Farm Life & Expectations
Some days, I may not be available as I also run a business abroad. I run the farm primarily by myself with the great support of our local crew. I appreciate proactive, self-motivated like volunteers who can share the vision, help our local crew, and take initiative.
Spanish
It is good to know Spanish, or capable of using Google translate because our local workers do not speak English. Also this is not a Spanish Immersive experience because we do not control what language the volunteers speak. If you do not know what to do, as we do not have the strongest onboarding skills, wash some dishes and just ask Nellie or any of the locals how you can help. If you do not speak Spanish, just join them in what they are doing as they are light hearted and kind people and will appreciate the help.
We generally have 2 types of volunteers: specialists and general volunteers. Specialists generally work on unique projects that are in alignment with their education or careers. For example, botanists may help us with plant studies. General volunteers may be experiencing their first work on the farm and the tasks are often limited to easier things like making orange juice, weeding, painting, collecting dead wood, moving rocks, and perhaps cleaning. Many things can only be taught over time and our primary education style is lifestyle based. We teach by experience and often we will share a YouTube video or a book.
If you are a first-timer with just 2 weeks on the farm please be prepared to do basic tasks, without deep explanation beforehand. Like thank you, can you help us weed this flower bed, please help make orange juice, or move this wood to here. We are hoping people enjoy their experience because we enjoy our volunteers so we want to be clear about expectations.
Thank you for your interest!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Bakery
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Aquaponics
Biological pest control
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
12
Hectares
|
29.7
Acres
Obi Jaunito
Member since 2022
Languages spoken:
English, Quechua, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 96%
Response time: typically within 3 days
Peru
Cusco (Airport) - Huyro (Bus, Collectivo or Taxi)
Reviews
Sibiyah
United Kingdom
•
December 2025
We had a wonderful time at Guardian Farm. Sarah is very kind and caring, and took time to get to know us and explore ideas with us. The food was absolutely amazing and, as a couple, we were provided with a comfortable private room which was such a treat. The farm is beautiful and there’s loads of projects you can get involved with. We also really enjoyed exploring local towns and visiting Machu Picchu. Thank you Sarah and also Nellie, Maria and Pascuala for taking time each day to look after us :)
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Sophie
Belgium
•
November 2025
This was my first woofing experience and I stayed on the farm for 2.5 weeks. The farm was the ideal place for me to relax, learn about gardening and enjoy beautiful nature. I was a general volunteer and mainly helped with basic tasks such as weeding, picking fruit, pressing fruit juice, picking tea, maintaining the gardens, etc. Sarah was always open to my own initiatives and interests. She is currently less present for good reasons, but is still very invested, generous and can still be reached by telephone. You mainly work under the supervision of local employees who only speak Spanish. I would have liked to know a little more Spanish to be able to learn easier, communicate and interact better with the locals.
Sarah is a very good cook, and her presence is definitely an added bonus if you want to learn a lot in the kitchen. Furthermore, delicious vegetarian food is provided in abundance, accommodation is fine,
I really enjoyed the peace and quiet that this place had to offer and enjoyed the company of the other volunteers to chill out with in the afternoon/evening. There is little to do in the nearest village, which is half an hour's walk away. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the nearest town.
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Lukas
Germany
•
November 2025
We spent one week on the farm and mainly helped out in the kitchen during that time. We had the chance to preserve lots of the fresh vegetables – by fermenting, pickling, and canning. The staff members, Nelly and Pasquala, were super helpful and always around until midday to support us with any questions.
Sarah was only able to be present to a limited extent during our stay due to health reasons, but she still shared fascinating insights from her extensive knowledge and experience in food preparation and preservation. She also connected us with some local entrepreneurs, which gave us the wonderful opportunity to learn more about local coffee and tea production.
We feel that we only scratched the surface of everything there is to discover here. The farm itself – including the whole property and gardens – is full of life and abundance.
We’re grateful for the experience and the warm, welcoming atmosphere.
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Riccardo
Switzerland
•
November 2025
My stay on the guardian farm was overall good 👌🏽
I had a good time with good people and a generous host. The work itself are sipmle farming tasks. I was lucky for my special skill in construction, what gave me alot of freedom in my own project. So i mainly worked on my own thing and not in the fields. What i am realy thankful for the oppurtunity.
You can see and hear a lot of diffrent birds, butterfly’s and other interesting animals/insects and enjoy e completly diffrent environment than in the andeans/valley/city.
I personaly struggled a lot with the tempreature, the humidity and the mosquitos/flys. So be aware of it if you come!
But i have to say if you come bring some friends with you or ask the host if there are any other volunteers. I dont know if i had enjoy my time there alone.
it is worth it to visit 👍🏼
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Maire
United Kingdom
•
November 2025
I spent nearly 4 weeks at Guardian farm and really enjoyed my time there. The valley and the farm are both super beautiful, and I loved being completely immersed in nature. It took me a little time to settle into things as when I arrived, the other volunteers were leaving and I was the only volunteer for a few days before new people arrived. But I really bonded with the new volunteers and we had a lot of fun and did several great trips together at the weekends (to waterfalls in Quillabamba, amazing hot chocolate cafe at Abra Malaga, and hiking to Machu Picchu (would recommend doing in 3 days not 2!))
Sarah is very generous with the way she opens and shares her farm. She is not always around and able to give direction, so most of the direction comes from Sarah’s workers who are all very nice, but I do wish my Spanish was a bit better so I could speak with them more.
I was a general volunteer and wanted to be outside mostly, so I mainly did simple tasks like picking oranges, collecting soil, wood or biomass, and tree bagging.
My highlights of farm life were chatting and playing lots of games with other volunteers in the evening and my afternoon walks to the river with Obi (Sarah’s adorable dog who tried to follow us all the way to Machu Picchu - I miss him already!). The food was also delicious and healthy!
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Sierra
United States
•
October 2025
This opportunity at Guardian Farm has been a life changing experience! Everyday at the farm we were presented the opportunity to be present within the vibrant nature, surrounded by amazing plants and trees of all kinds (coco, banana, coffee, guanabana, papayas, cacao and many more) This is truly a paradise. The birds sing all day!!!
Sarah has created a wonderful safe place for all volunteers. She is such a sweet soul, so caring and always offering options for you to do what inspires you during volunteering hours! There are so many projects going on, I love that I could tune into what I was curious about & enjoyed learning new skills while at the farm.
Thank you Sarah, Nellie, and Pasquala for sharing with me a piece of your beautiful world. We created connections that will always be in my heart ♡ Nellie prepares healthy vegetarian and delicious meals everyday. We also harvested oranges in the morning, made fresh juice and prepared so many meals from scratch. I am inspired forever. I am eternally grateful to understand what it means to feed my body healthy food & incorporating healthy ingredients in my daily life!
I made a wonderful group of friends here with the other volunteers & after 2 weeks— I felt like we were all family♡ We found ways to help eachother, inspire eachother & ways to integrate our creativity and love into each day. Thank you so much Sarah for this wonderful opportunity to become more in tune with the vibrancy that this life has to offer 🙏🏼🦋🫂
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