Picking Olives as a Volunteer

This is a great option for people on a gap year or taking a career break.

For vacancies advertised via this site click here

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers

As part of its international operations the BTCV is working with an Italian Conservation partner to help restore the Villa Pianciani Delizia. This beautiful villa is surrounded by neglected olive groves which are gradually being restored. The setting is fabulous - as you work on the trees you can look out across the valley to the mountains in the distance.

Villa Pianciani near Spoleto

You will have to pay for your own travel to the Villa and also contribute to the cost of your staying there. Accommodation is in a beautiful old stone house near the olive groves and there is great Italian food for lunch each day (the volunteers work together to produce the evening meal) - oh and did I remember to mention the wine! You can work for one to four weeks, and you also have a day off to explore the local area - Spoleto and Assisi are favourite destinations. At the end of the week you will be accompanying your olives to the frantoio (mill) where you get to see them pressed and turned into fantastic organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Three litres of which is your reward for helping with the olive harvest - so remember to leave plenty of room in your suitcase.

To find out more about helping with the OLIVE HARVEST at Villa Pianciani visit the BTCV website.

WorkAway

Set up to promote fair work exchange worldwide this organisation currently has six different options under the search term 'Olive Harvest' on their site. You could volunteer to help with olive picking in the south of France, Sardinia, in a mountain village near Cadiz in Spain, an eco home in Italy, and on an organic farm in Tuscany. Generally you will be trading 5 hours work a day over a 5 day week in exchange for free food and accommodation.

Workaway is not an agency - their role is to enable volunteers to find placements through hosts who advertise for help on their database. Workaway charges €18 registration for a single person and €24 for a couple or two friends. This allows you to contact any of the hosts and each registration is valid for a period of two years - registration can also be brought as a great gift idea from Workaway.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

WWOOF provides the opportunity to undertake olive picking on an organic farm. In return for a small annual subscription (£20) you have access to their database of people requiring help - generally you are expected to do about 25 hours work per week. If this interests you go to their website for more information.

Gabe and Kristy worked as WOOFers in Italy during the olive season and have posted their experiences on their blog Fortune Favors the Brave.

You may enjoy Carol Drinkwater's article on the Olive Harvest in Var, Provence:

'I was on my way to an olive farm some English friends had recently bought near Cuers in the Plaine des Maures. This was to be their first harvest and they were struggling; the 60 trees were already dropping their fruit. It was only late October, usually considered too early to harvest.' .... read more

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