Permanent Center for Production, Innovation and Education in Regenerative Agriculture

Dâmbovița

6 reviews • Updated 1 year ago

The Project We are the Permaculture Research Institute of Romania, an NGO developing projects in the field of regenerative agriculture & ethical entrepreneurship, ecology, supporting the practice of permaculture in Romania with a multidisciplinary approach. We invite you to volunteer at Sol și Suflet, the first regenerative farm in Romania - the Permanent Center for Production, Innovation and Education in Regenerative Agriculture. We aim to research and develop a profitable and scalable regenerative farming model which will empower old and new farmers with the knowledge necessary to efficiently grow food, manage their own regenerative farm or enterprise while providing quality, fresh produce to local communities, growing soil, educating prospective farmers and increasing their quality of life. The Vision Through our project, we want to research, implement, promote and teach regenerative food production practices which improve soil fertility, protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change, create a profit and offer healthy food to local communities and a high quality of life for farmers. We aim to help develop a network of regenerative farms which act as demonstration, production and educational sites, support the environment, regenerate soil and biodiversity and supply quality fresh produce to people. We use techniques such as biointensive regenerative-organic market gardening, minimal till on a 10 year crop rotation, mulching, cover crops & green manure, natural stimulation of soil microbiological activity. We only use naturally-based inputs approved in biological agriculture and lots and lots of compost. Sol si Suflet Farm Our farm was started at the beginning of 2021 and is located in Vlădeni, Dâmbovița, 1.5 hours away from Bucharest), near the forest and a river, in the Romanian countryside on 4 ha of land. Currently, we are developing our production infrastructure, our camping & residential site, developing our production model, producing regenerative organic vegetables and herbs, establishing an orchard and preparing for launching the sale of our farm's vegetable basket. The Team The founding members, action men, visionaries and permanent residents at the farm. Ionuț and Alex who founded the project, and live part of the time with their partners. Then Andrei, Matei and Marius showed up full of energy, and became the new residents who are learning and dedicating their energy and focus to the project. We have between 1 and 10 volunteers, all year round. At the farm there are other three young and friendly canine residents Arif, Yogi and Lea as well as Mitzuna the fearless cat. The Action We are working year-round on producing vegetables and improving our infrastructure. Some of the activities you will be part of are: - Preparing the soil for planting: broad-forking, spreading compost, fertilizing, forming planting beds, designing and establishing larger units for planting; - Installing, running and maintaining the irrigation system; - Planting seeds, growing seedling in the greenhouse and transplanting; - Planting trees and shrubs; - Weed management of the production areas with mulching foil and innovatory techniques; - Pest management using organic products and companion plants; - Harvesting, conditioning and packing vegetables to be delivered to the supporting community; - Preserving vegetables for the winter; - Building perennial raised beds and relaxation areas; - Cooking vegetarian and vegan meals for many. - General cleaning and maintenance of the living spaces. The Schedule We start the day around 8:00 depending on the season season, then we join for breakfast. After breakfast we usually have a short meeting to discuss the plan of the day and we begin the actual work out in the field or greenhouses. We expect volunteers to be joining our activities for 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week, mainly in the first session of the day and taking the afternoon off. We sometimes gather for sharing dinner, but you are free to manage your own or skip it. Leisure at the Farm We enjoy walking the dogs & cat in the nearby forest, picking wild plants and mushrooms, playing music. On the weekends try a trip to the mountains, visit historical sites, the bison reserve or a Sunday market.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Forestry

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Nonprofit / Community

Former WWOOFer

6 Hectares | 14.8 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Children accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1 day (local)

Weekend

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Alexandru

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: English, French, Romanian Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 4 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Dâmbovița

Ploiești Vest, Otopeni Airport

Reviews

Israa

Romania • August 2025

I recommend if you want to stay somewhere calm in the countryside surrounded by nature, work with vegetables and meet people. The work is 6h with breaks and depends on the type of day, sometimes tiring sometimes not so much. You get the rest of the day to relax and hang out with the people, and now you can swim in the pond in the afternoon which is nice. The hosts are nice and friendly, they explain everything well, they are informative with insights about agriculture and substainable farming, I appreciate them giving some veggies for me to take back for my friends to try them. Overall it was a nice experience, of course it had little negative points like waking up very early, or not having clear information about the area and where and how things work, sometimes a host is not communicating in a good way considering the volunteers dont really know much about agriculture, also the shower not having a door only a curtain :))) Overall it was pleasant.

Irene

Malaysia • May 2025

This was my first WWOOFing experience, and it truly exceeded my expectations. The farm is calm, beautiful, and surrounded by nature — a perfect place to slow down and reconnect with the earth. During my stay, I helped with planting vegetables, weeding, and harvesting. The tasks were always clearly explained and easy to follow. The hosts were incredibly kind and thoughtful. They are very experienced in farming and always willing to share their knowledge. I also had the chance to practice my English and learn more about the local culture, food, and everyday life. It was not only a great learning experience, but also a meaningful cultural exchange. I even had time to visit some nearby places during my stay. Thank you for everything! I truly recommend this farm to anyone who wants to learn and experience life close to nature. If I may offer a small suggestion: making a few improvements to the accommodation, especially the bathroom, could make the experience even more comfortable.

Anne

Germany • August 2023

I highly recommend Sol si Suflet to other volunteers- I enjoyed my time there a lot :) It is a very inspiring project - I like the spirit and visions and was impressed about the synthesis of sustainable concept and economical needs of Alex and Ionut. Though all of the guys work so hard, I experienced them as interessted in exchange - about their concepts and other topics, in spending some of the time together, which is quit nice! It is very sympathetic, energetic, funny and creative atmosphere - on the one weeks time I spend there (summer time), I met quit a lot of friendly and inspiring people. Beneath Alex, Ionut and the interns Andrei and Mattei, a hand full of other volunteers and friends of the farm. Also very nice company from the lovely dogs and cats. Another thing I liked is that there is concrete expectations about working ( 5 hours of work a day, one shared meal a day, ..), meanwhile a relax atmosphere. And the vegetables is so amazingly good and they are good in producing- so there is also plenty to try and eat:)! Thanks a lot Alex, Ionut, Andrei and Mattei! All the best for you, Sol si Suflet and your visions! :)

Ephrem

United Kingdom • January 2023

OK, to be honest, my experience was at times negative, mainly because of what I perceived as a disrispectful and provocative attitude from the younger of the two guys in charge. Yet, this is totally subjective, so in this review I will take the opportunity to highlight mainly the positives. If you have a specific interest in economically viable, ethical and substainable farming techniques, then Alex is your dream host, and will share with you plenty of valuable knowledge. Beware that knowledge comes often at the price of long hours of demanding phisical work. i didn't mind that. The sleeping quarter I shared with one volonteer was spacious, pretty and warm enough in the cold nights of january. The showers are outdoor but they were soon being fitted with a boiler. I was offered coffee and porridge in the mornings. Rice/bread with veggies for lunch. Mailny left-overs for dinner. Fuit is available too. You will be asked to help in the kitchen. Everything was tasty, yet if you need extra calories or proteins, you might want to bring some food with you. The workers employed part-time by the farm are great company and good vibes. The older of the two managers is a kind man, and will do his best to accomodate your needs. He did go out of his way to help me. Summing up I'd say, come over if you are a hard worker with an actual interest in farming. If you are looking for a slower-paced experience of the romanian countyside and its people, then maybe this is not your fit.

Sergi

Spain • August 2022

The week I spent at Sol Si Suflet farm was an amazing experience in all senses. I could learn some tips and tricks of permaculture and had a nice time with the crew. They are doing so well and the projecte is very interesting. Also the village and sorrounds are beautiful and calm. I strongly recommend to pass by here if you can, you will enjoy the days helping them and learning from. Thanks a lot Ionut, Bogdan and Malek! Have a great season and time and hope that the leaks and the rest will grow so much! And send pictures of the chicken when you have them! We may see each other again. Regards from the catalan guy. Multumescc!

Jonas

Romania • August 2022

Very impressed by the professionalism and size of this regenerative farm, the knowledge of Ionut and Alex is extensive. I recommend this place for any hardworking volunteer that likes to stay somewhere a longer time and wants to learn the details of regenerative bigger scale vegetable farming.