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Want to Learn Farming & Live Sustainably? These 5 Tamil Nadu Farms Welcome Volunteers
Looking for a break from the daily grind? Explore these volunteering opportunities that give you a taste of sustainable living.
By
Hanna Paul
May 1, 2025 • 3 Min Read
When we think of Tamil Nadu, what often comes to mind are its scorching summers and dry, arid landscapes. But in recent years, the state has quietly been rewriting that narrative — turning its dry terrain into pockets of greenery.
Here are five unique places across Tamil Nadu where you can not only witness this transformation but actively be part of it. Whether you’re looking to volunteer on a farm, learn sustainable living, or simply reconnect with nature, these spaces offer meaningful experiences, along with a few life skills you’ll carry forever.
1. Bhoomi Farm, Tiruvannamalai
Located in one of Tamil Nadu’s most economically backward districts, Bhoomi Farm offers hands-on volunteering opportunities centred around sustainable farming, rural immersion, and community development. It’s a space where young people can learn while giving back.
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Bhoomi accepts volunteers all year round for hands-on farm volunteering, where they learn to live with nature.
Volunteers are welcome year-round and are expected to contribute a minimum of four hours of work a day, for at least seven days. Bhoomi follows the philosophy of a “gift culture” — they provide food and accommodation without setting fixed prices, and ask volunteers to contribute whatever they feel moved to.
Get more details here.
2. Solitude Farm, Auroville
Tucked inside the eco-conscious township of Auroville, Solitude Farm is a vibrant experiment in permaculture and local food systems. With over 140 varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and grains growing on the farm, it offers a rich learning environment for anyone interested in ecological living.
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Solitude hosts regular workshops on organic farming and offers immersive short- and long-term volunteering opportunities. Volunteers can also pitch in at the on-site café, which serves wholesome meals prepared using farm-fresh produce.
At Solitude Farm, volunteers pluck, prune and learn about a variety of plants, including fruit trees and medicinal plants.
Get more details here.
3. Buddha Garden, Auroville
Buddha Garden, an 11-acre farm tucked inside Auroville in Pondicherry, welcomes volunteers for anything from a few hours to a few months. The farm focuses on restoring ecological balance and practising eco-friendly agricultural techniques. For instance, instead of using harmful insecticides and repellents, they adopt measures like intercropping, where different plants are grown in close proximity to minimise losses from animals taking their share.
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Volunteers practise and understand different techniques like intercropping at Buddha Garden.
They offer conscious, minimal accommodation at affordable rates and provide volunteers with a complimentary breakfast after their work session.
Get more details here.
4. Yash Farm Centre, Thally
Situated in Thally, Tamil Nadu (just beyond the outskirts of Bengaluru), Yash Farm Centre is an initiative by the Centre for Sustainable Living. The farm practises regenerative agriculture and offers a wide range of holistic living workshops.
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Yash Farm Centre offers a completely holistic living experience where people spend time with animals and plants.
Volunteers can work on the farm while learning sustainable practices in food, energy, and lifestyle. They charge Rs 750 per day for accommodation and Rs 1,000 per day for meals — covering fresh, healthy food and a peaceful stay.
Get more details here.
5. Sevalaya
With centres across Tamil Nadu, Sevalaya offers volunteers the chance to practise sustainable agriculture using biofertilisers, intercropping, and composting. At their Kasuva campus near Chennai, you can work on organic farms while also contributing to rural development initiatives. Accommodation and simple vegetarian meals are provided free of cost, and volunteers can stay for durations ranging from a day to several weeks.
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Sevalaya is open to volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.
Get more details here.
Edited by Khushi Arora
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