Happy Farm Recruitment process

What is The Happy Farm?

The Happy Farm is a small organic vegetable farm located within the Upper Hamlet of Plum
Village. We have around 1 acre of land in cultivation, comprising 42 beds which are 35m long and
1.2m wide. In addition we have a new polytunnel with a further 6 beds which are 27m long. We
grow almost all the common vegetables including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, garlic,
pumpkins and many more. The food we grow is all offered to the Plum Village community.
The three main aims of the farm are:
1. To grow healthy organic produce to offer to Plum Village.
2. To be a training ground in applying the principles of mindfulness into a working
environment.
3. To offer education in organic growing, sustainability and mindfulness practice.
The project is currently in its third year. The farm continues to grow and flourish in beautiful and
unexpected ways. In brief, last year we grew over 8000kg of organic produce, a figure which looks
likely to rise this year. In June we hosted our first Happy Farm sustainability retreat. The retreat
which was attended by around 200 people from all over the world watered many beautiful seeds in
everyone. Finally we offered joyful educational sessions to hundreds of children during the
summer and trained 3 interns and several shorter-term volunteers in the basics of mindfulness
practice and organic farming.
At the farm we grow using classical organic methods similar to those described in the books by
Charles Dowding, John Jeavons and Eliot Coleman. We do not use many permaculture techniques
and while there are small areas for innovation, this coming year the farm will continue to use the
methods which are serving us so well.
This year we are offering 6 internships.
We regret to share that currently the internships are only available to men. This is because the farm
is based in Upper Hamlet, where monks and male guests are housed. Nuns and female guests are
hosted at Lower and New Hamlet. For any women interested in mindful farming please contact the
sisters of Lower Hamlet who are considering starting their own Happy Farm.

What does the internship look like?

The internship is 1 year long and starts on the 20th of November 2015. During the first three months
Plum Village will be in its yearly Winter Retreat. During this time there will not be so much farm
work and so it will be a chance for us to deepen our practice and to settle into the community.
The bulk of the work will begin in March when we begin seeding. In general we will work around
30 hours per week doing a wide variety of tasks. The main duties of the farm include seeding, bed
preparation, transplanting, weeding and harvesting. During the year we will also get the chance to
host childrens groups on the farm and to facilitate groups of adults visiting the farm to work.
A standard day on the Happy Farm
5.30am
6.00am
7.00am
9.00am
12.30pm
3.00pm
6.00pm
8.00pm

Wake Up
Sitting Meditation
Breakfast
Mindful farming
Lunch
Mindful farming
Dinner
Sitting Meditation

We do our best to apply the principles of mindfulness and working meditation on the farm. This
includes, amongst other things, working a bit slower than normal, using the breath to anchor
ourselves in the present moment, stopping to listen to the bell at times throughout the day and
having regular team sharings. In addition to this we normally begin each session with a brief sitting
meditation.

Happy Farmers enjoy two days off per week. One is lazy day, typically Monday, where the whole
community enjoys a day of rest. The other is a Day of Mindfulness where we listen to a Dharma
talk and have a day of practice together.
As the above schedule shows we also have the opportunity to join in with many of the Upper
Hamlet activities such as morning and evening sitting meditation, community meals, as well as
some of the activities during the big retreats.
Accommodation will be in shared rooms where we get to practice with the joys and difficulties of

community life. Our experience is that living communally in this way leads to great friendships and
accelerated spiritual growth. During the summer months we all camp to make space for the many
short term guests who come for the big retreats.
Our work and practice is supported by living and working within a monastery setting. We have
regular contact with monastics and lay practitioners and benefit from the practice energy present
here. We are invited to support this practice energy by living in accordance with the 5 mindfulness
trainings and by attending the schedule.
Things to Consider
Our aim is to farm in a way that leads to less suffering than commercial methods. Equally we are
committed to continually refining our own methods in order to gradually reduce the harm that
occurs on our farm. In extremely rare occasions however we may use organic pesticides or
herbicides to protect our crops.
Additionally the needs of the farm are constant and extensive. The work can be tiring and hard at
times. Furthermore for the project to succeed we bring a degree of professionality to this work. As
a result the demands of working on the farm mean life as a farm intern has a different rhythm to that
of a retreatant in Plum Village.
Finally it is our aim to train our interns to a point where they can take responsibility and make
informed decisions on the farm. However in the early months we ask that interns be willing to
expand their knowledge by receiving instruction and feedback in order to fully understand our
system and the context in which we work.
Initially decisions that concern the farm are made by the farm co-ordinator with support from the
farm committee, made up of all those who have spent at least one year on the farm, and the
monastic farm mentors.

What we offer
We will provide training in all aspects of working on an organic farm. We will also provide training
in mindfulness practice and how to facilitate the basic Plum Village practices. We are confident that
after a year on the farm our interns will have learned the basics of large-scale organic growing and
how to implement and facilitate the basic Plum Village practices.

A year working on the farm, while living in Plum Village, offers many invaluable benefits including
increased self awareness, deeper joy, increased confidence and a better ability to take care of
suffering. Many of our interns shared that a year on the farm was the best year of their life. We
also receive feedback that it can be a life-changing experience for many.
More practically interns will be offered two weeks of holiday during their time on the farm.
All equipment needed to carry out farm work will be provided, but please bring a set of old working
clothes.
We will also provide a reference on completion of the year.

How to apply
We are inviting applications from those interested in learning about organic growing within a
mindfulness setting. As the work can be hard we encourage applicants to be reliable, self
motivating, and capable of living and working harmoniously with others.
Experience is not essential. It is more important to us that applicants demonstrate a willingness and
enthusiasm to learn, as well as an enthusiastic approach to the farm work. We ask that all applicants
have attended at least one retreat in this tradition and because the work can be physically
demanding we ask that only those in good physical condition apply.
We recommend that all interns provide their own health insurance.

To make a formal application for next year please send us

A letter of aspiration sharing why you want to live and practice in Plum Village for a year and
specifically what inspires you to work at the Happy farm.
Details of your experience with the Plum Village community or any relevant experience you may
have of living in community or practicing in other traditions.

A CV highlighting any growing or farming experience you may have as well as any practical skills
which would be useful in this context.
Details of language skills
Please be available for a brief skype call in the days after 14th of September.
The deadline for applications is the 14th of September, and we will contact you by the 20th of
September to let you know whether or not your application was successful.
Please email applications to : happyfarm@plumvillage.org

If your application is successful you will be invited to come to Plum Village for the start of the
Winter Retreat. This 3 month period allows us to get to know each other better and to decide if a
year on the farm would be in the best interests of everyone. Therefore full acceptance onto the
farm team will only be given once it is clear that the intern can live in harmony with the
community, follow the daily schedule and work well within the farm team.
Interns are asked to make a financial contribution of 1200 euros to contribute to cover the cost of
the Winter Retreat. After this no further payment is required, your contribution on the farm is your
offering to the community.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Stuart and the Happy Farm team.