We are currently looking for:

🐓 General farm help: We need help planting, harvesting, making compost, helping with the aquaponic system, making new planting beds, preparing the soil, feeding the animals, fixing and making new trails, weeding, mulching, etc.

📸 Skilled photographer: We need someone who has their own equipment and can take better photos of the farm, farm shop products, rental cabin, farm-to-table meals, etc. We also would like to get some aerial photos to help us map the farm, so if you have a drone that’s a plus.

🍄 Mycology enthusiast: If you have experience growing gourmet mushrooms let us know. We are expanding our mushroom grow from personal use to selling to customers. We are in the process of building a controlled fruiting area and an incubation area to increase our production.

🪚 Skilled woodworker or carpenter: We need someone with carpentry skills for several projects including building a solar dehydrator, helping with the construction of the gourmet mushroom fruiting area, and many other smaller projects.

🥗 Foodies... Are you a chef or a culinary expert? If you have culinary experience please let us know. We would like to find new more creative ways to use our farm-grown ingredients to develop more recipes to cook at the farm and also to share with our customers who buy our farm produce.

✍️ Writer, blogger, filmmaker: Are you into content creation? We would love to improve our blog to provide more recipes and articles, create social media content, create new videos for our youtube channel, improve our product descriptions, improve our website content, and more. If you have your own equipment that is preferred. We do have a decent camera with lenses, photo and video editing software, and a computer you could use.

🌳 Arborist: We need someone who can operate a chainsaw, and has experience cutting down trees and cutting down branches.

What you give:

We expect volunteers to work around 30 hours per week + help with any house chores, such as taking turns doing dishes, setting up the dinner table, keeping things cleaned and organized, etc.

What you get:

In exchange for your great work :-) you will get:

  • A comfortable place to sleep in a hardwood cabin at the farm.
  • Two delicious and nutritious meals each day.
  • Coffee, tea, and drinking water are always available and included.
  • Access to WiFi.
  • Hot water showers.
  • Access to trails, dock/swimming area.

Few things to note:

👉 Isla Solarte is remote, with no roads, no shops, no bars, and no restaurants - everything is accessible by boat.

👉 We live in the jungle. This means wildlife of all kinds, including spiders, scorpions, and snakes. You are unlikely to encounter these creatures but people with phobias should be warned.

👉 Mosquitos, Chitras (no-see-ums), and other flying insects are common at dawn and dusk, please bring bug repellent and long sleeves if you prefer.

👉 Allergy alert: We have 2 dogs, 4 cats, and other animals on the farm.

👉 Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate the vegan diet as most of our meals are meat-based or contain animal products.

👉 Please do not arrive unannounced, we have dogs loose on the property and need to know your arrival time ahead of time.

👉 Transportation to our island costs $10 per person from Bocas Town. We can help you arrange transportation with a boat driver who knows where we are located. Please contact us the day before arrival to help you arrange transportation.

I traveled to Soul Fire Farm with two of my life long friends. Simply put, this is the best farm that you will find around the area. Emy and Lau set us up in a great cabin for our 4 weeks there and made us feel right at home. The work is very fair, 5 hours a day with breaks from the heat, and ranges from day to day. Some of our tasks included building raised beds, planting in the field, delivering produce to customers, mixing soil, cutting up trees and plants, and many other activities. Lau made us great food everyday and the meals were a great example of how they treated us like family. Their daughter Mia is an excellent cookie chef too. Being right on the ocean was so much fun and there is plenty of free time to go out swimming or on the kayak. Life on this farm never gets old with great views and a fun atmosphere of music playing. On some of our days off, we took the water taxi into town and got to explore the other islands/beautiful beaches. If you are looking for a great adventure and to help one of the nicest families continue to build their farm, look no further. I would go back to Soul Fire Farm without hesitation. Hopefully life brings me back here soon. We all miss life on Isla Solarte and our new friends we made there! This is a special place with even more special people. Don't miss out.
Sincerely,

Clay from Denver, co

FAQ

Who is this program good for?

Our program is for anyone who wants to learn about self-sufficiency and sustainable living through a hands-on learning experience.

Our program is great for:

  • People who want to learn by completing tangible projects.
  • People who want to experience living sustainably and off-grid before committing to this type of lifestyle.
  • College and university students who wish to learn about sustainable living/farming.

Who is this program NOT good for?

Our program is not good for:

  • People who want to learn conventional farming methods.
  • People who prefer to learn in a traditional classroom environment.

Are children allowed?

We currently do not accept children under 12. Children 12 and up are welcome, they must be accompanied by an adult and must be well-behaved. Children who can't follow basic rules, are misbehaved, or otherwise disturb other guests will be asked to leave. No refunds are given, even if you are asked to leave early.

Can I receive college/univeristy credits for my internship?

Normally, colleges and universities will recognize your time at our farm as long as it is relevant to your field of study. Before making any commitments please consult with your college or university.

What can I do on my free time?

During your free time, you can explore the natural beauty of the farm, visit nearby beaches and islands, take a swim from our dock or take the kayak around the bay, or simply relax and enjoy the peaceful environment.

Can you accommodate vegan and vegetarian diets?

Most meals at our farm contain animal products. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate vegan diets. If you have other food restrictions or food allergies please let us know ahead of time to make sure we can accommodate to your special diet.

Area there visa requirements to travel to Panama?

Most countries do not require a visa to enter Panama. Upon entry, you will be given a 90-day visa, if you wish to stay for more than 90 days you will need to leave and re-enter Panama to receive another 90-day visa.

Some countries do require a visa to enter Panama, please check with the Panama embassy before making any travel plans.

What should I bring?

  • A rechargeable headlight.
  • A rain jacket.
  • You can wear shorts, but we recommend wearing lightweight long pants to avoid bug bites while working outside.
  • A pair of closed shoes and socks.
  • Swimsuit/ swimwear.
  • Crocks or flip flops.
  • An umbrella would come in handy during rainy periods.
  • Reusable water bottle.
  • A quick dry towel.
  • Work gloves.
  • Any medication or personal care items that you need.

What should I NOT bring?

  • Nice leather goods
  • Camping equipment
  • Expensive jewelry or other valuable items
  • Anything irreplaceable as the tropical climate is harsh on belongings
  • Pets

How do I get there?

You can arrive in Bocas del Toro by plane or bus. Once you arrive on the main island (Bocas del Toro) we will arrange your pickup and transport to our farm.

Bus and flight schedules and pricing will vary depending on your departure location and the season, please research your travel options ahead of time. If you need any advice on how to get here please get in touch.

How do I get around?

We can call you a water taxi that will pick you up from our dock. Keep in mind it will not be possible to go to town during night time.

If you wish to visit some of the remote islands and beaches we can also help you arrange tours and excursions, they will also pick you up from our dock.

Are there any expenses I should consider?

You should have a budget for any additional expenses such as going on tours or excursions, drinks or snacks, and transportation costs.

Is there an approval process?

Yes, we will review applications in the order they are received. Please keep in mind we only have 4 available spots and we get more requests than we can accommodate, so the earlier you apply the more chances you have of securing your spot.

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We look forward to hearing from you!

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