Agri-activism opportunity this summer on an organic farm in Wales

Original post by Friends of the Earth Scotland here!

Fed up with the supermarket stranglehold on our food system? Are you active in the fight against the damaging system of corporate-controlled, pesticide-heavy, GM crops – and do you want to push for an alternative?

If you’re between 18 and 30 and have a commitment to anti-GM activism and sustainable, local organic farming, Friends of the Earth Europe is offering the chance for you to campaign alongside an experienced activist against GM crops in south Wales, and gain practical, hands-on, experience of working on an organic farm for a period of two months over the summer of 2016. Travel and basic food and accommodation will be covered by Friends of the Earth Europe.


About the farm
Caerhys organic farm is located in South Wales, and is supported entirely by sales to the local community around the St. David’s area. The farm is run by Gerald Miles, a prominent anti-GM activist who runs the farm on local, organic principles. By involving the local community and teaching volunteers about sustainable food alternatives, Gerald has created a community of people sharing and supporting organic food production, in a spirit of friendship and trust. (Check them out on facebook).


About Gerald Miles
The project at Caerhys farm is run by Gerald Miles, a prominent anti-GM campaigner and activist. Gerald has many years of experience in – and stories to tell about – GM activism, and is one of the founders of GM-Free Cymru, a Wales-wide network dedicated to stamping out GM crops.

Videos of Gerald:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad4S181pt4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bxAXNdJqgQ

What you will be doing
During the two-month stay, your time will be split between helping out around the farm – doing WWOOFing tasks – and campaigning to stamp out GM crops – and products containing them – in the local area.

You will also be working closely with the Young Friends of the Earth Europe Food and Agriculture Working Group – blogging for the Young Friends of the Earth Europe website, and keeping the Working Group posted on your campaigning activities via email and Skype. Young Friends of the Earth Europe is a grassroots network of young people and youth organisations working collectively for social and environmental justice on a local, national and European level. Participants in this project will be able to join the Young FoEE Food & Agriculture working group, to continue involvement in these issues after your time on the farm in Wales.

Participants will be supported in order to contribute to fundraising after their placement – to enable further young people to have the opportunity to take part in the project next year.

Helen Holder’s fund
This project is generously supported by a donation left in the will of Helen Holder, a brilliant environmental activist who worked for many years with both Gerald Miles and Friends of the Earth Europe.

Applying
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and a letter of motivation (no more than 400 words, in English) by 29th February 2016, to: agri-activism@foeeurope.org explaining:

• In your own words, what is wrong with our food system – and how we can work towards fixing it
• Any experience of campaigning on environmental issues – particularly against GM crops, and supporting local food initiatives, (prior involvement with Friends of the Earth is not essential)
• How you would hope to use the experience at the farm in the future
• If you prefer to send us a short video message instead of a written letter of motivation, please do so!

In 2016, four young people will be selected for this project, to stay on the farm for 6-8 weeks.

Two people will arrive on May 16th and stay until July 4th, and two will arrive on June 27th and stay until August 29th. Please indicate in your letter which period you would be available for.

Please also mention where you heard about this opportunity.

We encourage applications from people of any ethnic, social and religious background, sexual orientation and gender identity. We particularly encourage applications from people who are or who feel under-represented in the environmental movement. The local languages are English (and Welsh), and campaigning will be done in English, but participants are not expected to be native speakers. Unfortunately, we are only able to fund travel from within Europe. Selection of participants will be in part based on YFoEE’s principles of intersectionality.

Successful applicants will be contacted by mid-March, and we will work with you (by email and skype) to prepare your participation in the project.

We look forward to receiving your application!