Join us for our next Volunteer Week at Fforest Barn Retreat!
November 4th to 13th 2025

This is a fantastic opportunity to roll up your sleeves and contribute to the farm’s sustainable future while enjoying the beauty of nature. This week is called ‘Bud’ week in honour of our new alpaca, Bud, and also the Full Moon coinciding with 5th November (we will have some fireworks).

We want strong people, ‘buddies’, preferably with building skills because the main project is completing the build, and kitting out an agrished and compost area by the Food Fforest ,making the Fforest Mountain Store and other projects that require some degree of physical labour, carpentry and general DIY skills. We also need help with feeding and supporting the team. We will have a digger, cement mixer, and chain saws so any experience with either is most appreciated. It’s more about making the infrastructure we need to run the food project here, including some ponds to help preserve water, although there will also be some winter prep and gardening options including tree management and getting wood for the winter. Whether you’re passionate about growing, environmental stewardship, or eager to learn new skills, volunteering at Fforest Barn is a rewarding experience for all. There will be the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of pond making, starting a no-dig garden, and getting stuck into wood chopping and chipping!

This year, we’re focusing on creating an agrished and compost area by the FoodFforest, a Fforest Mountain shop in the garage by the barn, and transforming the existing agrished for various projects. We’ve also got two totem poles arriving which need oiling. Also, we are optimising water collection, storage and distribution with ponds and a natural water pool.

• ⁠Building a beautiful wildlife pond to attract local fauna.
• ⁠Creating no-dig beds and pathways for our new herb and medicine garden.

Other jobs for budding lumberjacks include:

• Clearing branches, trimming hedges, and overgrown paths around the farm boundary.
• Processing fallen trees into firewood and mulch for future use.

In exchange for your time and effort, we will offer delicious food, great company and luxurious board (along with the chance to unwind and relax in the hot tub after a hard day’s work). We do need someone to help with the food as well. Patrick may also give a talk or two and is on hand to share his knowledge. This is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share a love for nature, while making a lasting impact on the farm.

How?

• Fill in the online form Volunteering at Fforest Barn so we know a bit about you, your skills, food preferences and so on.
• Then select your preferred room using the form Fforest Barn Retreat Rooms stating the nights you wish to stay (arriving on the afternoon of 4th and leaving by 13th November morning – 2025). You can see the rooms here – Fforest Barn Rooms. We will then contact you back.

It will ‘sell out’ so do book your place early and we encourage you to come as a couple, or bring a friend just because we have quite a few double/twin bed rooms, or be willing to share. Those coming for more days will get priorities on room bookings.

We are 10 minutes from Abergavenny station, with trains up to Manchester, or down to London (under 2.5 hours from Paddington) via Newport. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from London. Taxis are available from Abergavenny station and our taxi driver will know if there’s others coming on the same train to split the far. We’ll tell you more details when we receive your online forms above.