Living and Learning on Organic Farms (LLOOF)
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We have also produced a shorter 3 minute version of this 10 minute promotional video
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Summary
Educating adults about volunteering and organic food production on farm enterprises (EDVORG) is the focus of this partnership project with national organisations from ten European countries. It has developed a Learning Guide (as a free downloadable pdf file in 8 languages), an online open educational resource (a Moodle site) for adult learners about organic food production, entrepreneurship, volunteering and cultural exchange on farm enterprises, and a YouTube video channel. The adults, especially 18-34 year olds, are able to relate this online learning to practical residential work experience and informal learning on a range of small enterprises in different European countries.
Needs
There are over 20,000 adults or "WWOOFers" (mainly 18-34 year olds) registered with the10 partner organisations who all support "working worldwide on organic farms" or WWOOF. There are also over 2,000 farm enterprises registered with the partners who are willing to offer practical learning opportunities to these adult volunteers. The WWOOFers learn informally as residential volunteers on host farm enterprises each year. However there is currently no free online education that can be offered to them about volunteering and organic food production on farm enterprises.
The EU 2013 Indicators of Rural Development Report has shown that “the agricultural sector in the EU-27 is characterised by an ageing farming population", that “rural areas have the lowest share of lifelong learning” and lastly that “learning by doing is the main form of training for the majority of EU farmers”. So rural areas and farming in Europe needs to retain and attract young adults, build its lifelong learning and compliment the practical learning experience on farms with online learning. Linking this with the fact that “the agricultural area under organic farming (5.5%) in the EU continues to increase” is strong evidence of how vital online education about organic food production and cultural understanding is for young adults in rural areas. |
Aim
To develop and promote a Learning Guide as an online open educational resource for adult learners about organic food production, entrepreneurship, volunteering and cultural exchange on farm enterprises, so they can relate this to practical residential work experience and informal learning on a range of small enterprises in different European countries.
This is the first free European online education resource specifically on adult volunteering and organic food production on farm enterprises and targeted at non-professional adults.
This is the first free European online education resource specifically on adult volunteering and organic food production on farm enterprises and targeted at non-professional adults.
Partners' principles
All partners share a common set of principles – Adult volunteers working and learning worldwide on organic farms in non-monetary exchange for accommodation and meals. All partners have a strong interest in improving and developing their education service. The open education resource would complement their own developing services, as well as provide a common platform for them all to use. They are all active in the field of education – e.g. the charitable objects of the UK partner is “to advance the education of the public in the principles of the organic movement, and especially of organic farming and gardening”.
Result
The Learning Guide is freely available and usable online on an "open educational resource" for anyone who wants to learn about organic food production, sustainable lifestyles, rural entrepreneurship, cultural understanding and volunteering on farm enterprises. It can help any entrepreneur or cooperative to set up a new small farm/garden enterprise (singularly or cooperatively) based on organic food production, as well as enable people to learn how to volunteer, live and work on a farm enterprise in a responsible, sustainable, safe and healthy way.
The Learning Guide and Moodle site is now a significant part of the educational service of the partner organisations as they extend their workshops, courses, and collaboration with farm enterprises and educational centres. The future will look bright in rural areas of Europe if young adults educated in sustainable farming and ways of living can bring their youthfulness, innovation, cultural sensitivity and entrepreneurship to ageing and disadvantaged rural farming communities. |
edvorg_leaflet-english.pdf | |
File Size: | 1363 kb |
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Criteria for structure and content of the E-platform
1. Relates to the practice of learners on the farm and the real world 2. Attracts and motivates users to learn more 3. Enables self/peer assessment and review of own learning 4. Offers clear support for learning 5. Enables and encourages social learning (ie. users to teach others) and feedback, contributions and comments (ie. Interactive and participative) 6. Is easy and attractive to use 7. Uses the pdf file, for each language, as a gateway to the online, interactive, customisable pathway for each learner |
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Project "Educating adults about volunteering and organic food production on farm enterprises – EDVORG"
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.