1. Do you enjoy teamwork and shared meals? → Groups work well.

2. Do you get energized by having several people around? → Host 3 or more.

3. Do you prefer peace and quiet? → One or two might be better.

4. Do you prefer deep, personal connections? → One or two long-term volunteers might suit you better.

5. Do you have time and energy to guide one person closely? → If not, invite a small group so they can keep each other motivated.

6. Are your tasks repetitive or heavy? → Make it a group project so it becomes lighter and more fun.

7. Is the work creative or skill-based? → Fewer people are easier to guide and teach well.

8. How much change can you handle? → Frequent new arrivals can be refreshing, but also tiring.

9. Would you rather train once and relax later? → Ask for stays of at least 3–4 weeks.

10. Is there a learning curve for your work? → Longer stays are essential to build skills and independence.

11. Can you offer structure and guidance daily? → Then short-term or first-time volunteers can be a good match.

12. Would you rather people take initiative? → Choose experienced or long-term volunteers.

13. How many hours do you realistically want to host per day? → Be honest, and communicate that clearly.

14. Are you flexible with work hours? → Mention how you balance busy and quiet times.

15. Does cooking together matter to you? → Ask about their kitchen skills and interest in food.

16. Do you need specific abilities (strength, driving, childcare, etc.)? → Say so openly; it saves frustration for both sides.

17. Are you ready to include people of different backgrounds and abilities? → Great! Just make sure your space can truly support that.

18. Do you want your place to feel like a small community or a quiet retreat? → Your answer will shape the kind of people you attract.

Ways to find volunteers:
- volunteering platforms like WorldPackers, WWOOF, HelpStay, Volunteerworld, HelpX and WorkAway

- your website

- personal networks,

- local connections,

- social media,

- Posting in relevant Facebook groups,

- Ask past volunteers to spread the word

Regularly check for new platforms.
If you search for “Volunteering on a farm” you will find the volunteering platforms that your audience finds.

For us the volunteer platforms work better than all the other ways, because we can read a volunteer's profile, see their pictures and their social media posts, and reviews from other hosts.

This lesson guides you through writing a hosting profile that is honest, inviting, and aligned with the reality of your place. You’ll learn how to present your project in a way that attracts motivated volunteers who truly fit your lifestyle and work rhythm. How to set clear expectations, how to stay realistic about daily life on your farm, and how to encourage personal messages instead of copy-paste requests. You’ll also discover how photos and short videos build trust, and why replying to every request (even the brief or clumsy ones) strengthens your reputation.
By the end of the lesson, you’ll have a profile that feels authentic, sets healthy boundaries, and brings the right people through your gate.

The best volunteers usually have:

Emotional maturity and kindness – They stay calm in new situations, communicate openly, and treat others with care.

Respect for people, animals, and the place – They understand they’re guests in a living system, not just visitors.

Initiative and problem-solving skills – They notice what needs doing and find creative, practical ways to help.

Gratitude and enjoyment in simple things – They appreciate good food, nature, laughter, and shared moments.

A mix of independence and teamwork – They can work on their own but also love being part of something bigger.

What you want to consider or avoid:

Unclear motivation – Some see volunteering mainly as a cheap holiday, not as a way to contribute.

A (travel) partner tagging along - Make sure they both really want to be there.

Limited experience – Beginners can be great, but they often need extra guidance, especially in the first days. Does your project allow for that?

Before your volunteers arrive, there’s a little magic you can do to make everything run smoothly. Let’s look at how to prepare your space, your tools, and your community or family.

1. Preparing your space

Take a fresh look at your place through the eyes of someone who’s never been here before.

• Is it welcoming, safe, and easy to navigate?

• Can they find where to wash, cook, relax, or charge their phone without having to ask?

Add a few small touches: a shelf for their things, a note with Wi-Fi info, or a little welcome sign.

If volunteers stay in tents, huts, or caravans, test the light, the bedding, the mosquito situation before they arrive.

A well-prepared space says: “We care about you. You belong here.”

> Download our suggestion for a Welcome paper in their space from the Resources

2. Preparing your tools

Take a short tool tour before volunteers arrive:

• Sharpen, oil, or repair what you can.

• Collect what’s needed for the first few projects.

• Keep tools organized in a clear place, maybe even labeled or colour-coded.

3. Preparing your community or family

Talk with your family, neighbours, or team about who’s coming, what to expect, and how they can be involved (or not!).

If you live with others, discuss boundaries:

• Which areas are private?

• What’s shared?

• When do you want quiet or family time?

If you live in a small rural community, it’s good to mention to your neighbours that international volunteers are staying.

Preparation is a form of hospitality.
When your space, tools, and people are ready, the volunteer experience starts off in harmony.

And once things flow smoothly, you can focus on what really matters: learning from each other, sharing ideas, and having fun while getting meaningful work done.

So, before your next volunteers arrive, take one calm afternoon to look around your place, check your tools, and talk with your people.
That little preparation will save you days of stress, and make the stay more joyful for everyone involved.

This lesson shows how thoughtful, respectful communication with applying volunteers builds trust, prevents misjudgement, and sets the tone for a safe, human connection. You’ll learn to use warm standard replies, ask the right questions, combine emails with video calls, and avoid practical pitfalls, so you choose volunteers wisely while supporting people on their stressful, life-changing journeys.

Expectations need to be clear about the tasks you need help with, the daily or weekly rhythm, how many hours of work feel fair. Minimum stay, arrival days, language needs, fitness requirements, expectations around initiative or independence. What you offer, what you don't offer, your food style, accommodation type, facilities, the atmosphere of the place, learning opportunities, substance use, quiet hours, shared spaces, cleaning, privacy, family time.

Some expectations you want to have clear from the beginning because they are deal breakers. Put them in your hosting profile so you'll attract the right people.
Other expectations can be explained in the (email) communication between you and the volunteer.

You could attach a PDF with details about volunteering in your place when you are near closing the deal.

The really important logistic things go in the confirmation email.

In the hand out in the rooms or caravan, we give some house rules.

Setting Clear Working Hours

Structure brings peace. Most volunteers don’t mind working; they mind not knowing when they are done.

A simple schedule works best. For example:

- Morning session: 3 hours of focused teamwork

- Optional afternoon mini-task: a light hour doing something enjoyable

- Evenings: free

This gives you predictable help and gives volunteers the freedom to plan their day. When people know the rhythm, they relax into it.

Curate Free Time

Free time is not just the absence of work; it’s a fertile space where volunteers bond, integrate what they’ve learned, and feel at home in your place. You can gently influence this without organising a full entertainment programme.

Think of yourself as the guardian of an inspiring environment.

And why does this matter?

When volunteers enjoy their free time, everything improves: they are more motivated during work hours, they communicate better, small tensions dissolve naturally, your place feels warm and memorable, people leave with great stories—and return with friends.

This lesson explains how to turn interest into a clear agreement by checking for genuine alignment, using video calls to sense the real person, and repeating expectations until both sides truly understand the whole deal. By confirming practical details, summarising agreements in writing, and staying in contact before arrival, you create commitment, trust, and a sense of belonging.

This lesson shows that clear, thoughtful logistics are key to a smooth volunteer experience. By giving precise travel instructions, packing guidance, accommodation and food details, daily rhythms, and practical tips upfront, you create trust, independence, and comfort so everyone can focus on connection, learning, and meaningful work rather than stress or confusion.

This lesson emphasises that a thoughtful, grounding welcome sets the tone for trust, comfort, and connection. By meeting basic needs first, giving a simple orientation, sharing meals, and offering gentle social and personal space, volunteers feel safe, included, and ready to engage fully in the project.

This lesson highlights that a positive group culture is intentionally co-created. By openly discussing how to feel safe, respected, and included, using tools like circles, shared guidelines, and morning check-ins, hosts can encourage equal voice, deep listening, and cooperation, setting a fair, supportive, and resilient tone for the group.

This lesson explains that volunteers reveal their behaviour almost immediately, and hosts can protect the group wellbeing by observing early signs of it. By watching respect for boundaries, attitude, communication, treatment of others, responsibility, and body language, and addressing issues calmly and early, hosts create a safe, cooperative environment.

This lesson invites you to make a design with your volunteers.

Using Looby Macnamara's social permaculture Design Web, you will guide a simple design conversation together with your volunteers. You will explore each anchor point through open questions rather than fixed answers. The aim is not to control outcomes, but to surface what matters, where tensions live, and how you want to work together.

When volunteers are invited into design, something subtle but important happens;
- they stop guessing what you want;
- you stop carrying everything alone;
- and the group begins to self-organise.

The Design Web attached to this lesson will support you in structuring this conversation. Think of it as a shared map, not a rulebook. You can move through it in one session or spread it over several moments; around a table, during a walk, or over tea after work.

Take this lesson at the pace that fits your place and your people. Designing together is not a task to complete; it is a practice that strengthens trust, clarity and cooperation.

This lesson explains that a well-designed volunteer workday balances structure, meaning, and choice. Start with a morning check-in to share needs and energy, then give clear instructions that explain tasks and their purpose. Offer multiple task options when possible, combine a main project with smaller side tasks. Close the day with reflection or appreciation to celebrate contributions and reinforce connection.

This lesson emphasises that shared household tasks are essential for group harmony. Make invisible work visible, set clear expectations and create simple systems like rotating schedules or small teams. Focus on care, not perfection. Observe group dynamics and link chores to shared values: respecting the space and each other.

Some practical feedback systems that you can install:

1. Daily micro check-in: a short round at the start or end of the day.

2. Weekly reflection circle

3. One-on-one check-ins, especially in longer stays

4. End-of-day appreciation round: a closing ritual focused on what went well

5. Clear permission to speak up: an explicit invitation

6. Anonymous feedback option for sensitive topics

7. Task-based feedback, attached to work, not personalities.

8. Host reflection: your own internal feedback system

9. Clear exit conversations

A group forms its own energy and behaviour, and even one person can shift the atmosphere. So small groups of 5–6 are easiest to keep connected, responsible, and engaged. As a host, your grounded presence, clear agreements, gentle guidance, and simple rituals help shape the group’s dynamics, bringing out cooperation, inclusion, and shared purpose.

Conflict becomes a problem only when it is:

• ignored,

• allowed to grow underground,

• or handled with blame, sarcasm, or power games.

As a host your role is not to avoid conflict, but to create conditions where tensions are addressed early, safely, and respectfully.

Good hosting is not about being nice all the time; it’s about being clear, fair, and human.

In this lesson, you will learn to recognize that most challenges with volunteers are normal, temporary, and related to adaptation rather than personal flaws, and how to address them early with clear structure, regular check-ins, and open, non-judgmental communication. You will also learn when issues signal deeper problems that need further action.

In this lesson, you will learn how to recognise early signs that a volunteer may not be a good fit, distinguish temporary challenges from deeper mismatches, and make a clear, timely decision to protect the wellbeing of both the group and the individual. You will also learn practical ways to act on that decision confidently and respectfully.

In this lesson, people will learn how to end a volunteer's stay respectfully and confidently, protecting the wellbeing of the group and themselves. They will also learn practical steps for preparing and holding the conversation, managing emotions, handling logistics, and releasing guilt so the process feels clear, kind, and professional.

How people leave is just as important as how they arrive. A thoughtful exit fosters cooperation, reflection, and the ongoing growth of both host and volunteer.

Before your next volunteer leaves, take 10 minutes to plan their exit intentionally. Ask yourself:

• How will I express gratitude meaningfully?

• What feedback would help me improve?

• How can I make this departure positive and empowering?

Reviews are powerful tools to show potential volunteers what it’s really like to volunteer in your place. It helps them imagine themselves to be hosted.

A thoughtful review can inspire trust, excitement and connection, even before anyone arrives.

Reviews are not just praise; they are invitations. Thoughtful, authentic testimonials help future volunteers feel confident, excited, and ready to step into your cooperative hosting environment.