Become a Bijak — a sower of seeds
Live and learn on the Navdanya Biodiversity Conservation Farm, Dehradun. Open through the year, no farming experience required.
“When no course is running, the earth and her biodiversity remain the teacher.”
A way of life, not a program
Bijak means the sower of seeds. It is what Navdanya calls the volunteers, interns and long-stay learners who come to Bija Vidyapeeth to work the land, save seed, and live inside a community built on Gandhian self-reliance.
There is no syllabus waiting for you here. The farm is the teacher, and what you learn depends on what you are willing to ask for.
Like the organic seed, which needs no external input and germinates through its own exchange with soil, water and sun — the first true learning at Earth University is Swaraj: self-reliance, self-organising.
Earth University, Bija VidyapeethFarmers, students, activists, artists, politicians, cooks, seed-savers — Bijaks arrive from every background. What matters is willingness, not a résumé.
Three hours, three roots
Each Bijak gives three hours a day to one of three streams of work — the same three that hold up everything Navdanya does.
Seed
Sowing, weeding and harvesting across 732 rice and 222 wheat varieties. Seed selecting, threshing, and the quiet discipline of the seed bank.
Food
Cooking forgotten foods with Ayurvedic spices in the organic kitchen. Harvesting, cleaning, serving — food as medicine, made by hand.
Knowledge
Supporting courses, farmer training and group visits — the library, the logistics, the quiet backend work that keeps learning open to all.
The rhythm of the farm
The bell doesn't rule the day here — the season does. Still, life at Earth University settles into a shape.
No exceptions: Navdanya is a meat, egg, alcohol and drug-free community. Smoking is restricted to a designated area outside the gates.
Bija Vidyapeeth, Earth University
Navdanya's flagship living learning centre in the Doon Valley — a working organic farm built on Gandhian principle.
Fifty-two acres in the Doon Valley
Ramgarh village sits twenty-three kilometres from Dehradun, at the foot of the Shivalik hills — the outer edge of the Garhwal Himalaya. Two mosques call the village to prayer each day, and a market gathers every Friday.
The farm was raised from the land it stands on — mud and cow-dung plaster walls, grass and terracotta roofs, built with local material and local skill. Mango and lemon orchards run alongside the fields, the seed bank, a soil laboratory, and the community's own accommodation.
Founded on one conviction — the seed remembers
Dr Vandana Shiva built a seed bank on 52 acres outside Dehradun — the first structure raised on this land. It was an answer to the Green Revolution's monocultures, and a proof that biodiverse, organic farming could outdo chemical agriculture on yield, soil and water.
That seed bank grew into Earth University — Bija Vidyapeeth — in 2001. As a Bijak, you study inside the same movement Dr Shiva founded, often alongside her, and alongside farmers, scientists and activists who return to the farm to teach what they know.
Dr Shiva visits the farm regularly, especially around courses, and is generous with her time for students and researchers. A meeting cannot be promised outside a scheduled visit — but the chance is real, and it is part of why Bijaks come.
Seven agreements every Bijak makes
Living here is different from a hostel. Everything you do, or don't do, touches the whole community — so before you arrive, these are the terms everyone holds to.
Participate fully
Keep Navdanya clean
No meat, alcohol or drugs
Respect quiet hours
Attend sessions & meetings
Eat vegetarian
Sign out before you leave
Simple, rustic, comfortable — not a hotel
Long-term Bijaks (two months or more) can take a dorm bed — four to six people to a room, fifteen spots in total, allocated first-come, arriving on the 1st of the month. Shorter stays take a single or shared double. Bathrooms are shared; bedding, blankets and mosquito nets are provided, but towels are not.
Bucket showers run on solar-heated water when the sun cooperates. Rooms aren't heated in winter, though the blankets are warm — laundry can be hand-washed, or sent for pickup at roughly ₹10 a piece.
Health, connectivity & language
Bring electrolyte packets — a first line of defence against heat exhaustion or an upset stomach, though they're available in town too. See your doctor before you leave for any recommended vaccinations. There's no malaria in the area, but check current advice. Farm work is naturally dusty, so those with dust or mould sensitivities should come prepared.
Wi-fi exists but is unpredictable — mornings and evenings work best. Bring a surge protector, save your work often, and consider a portable drive for anything you can't afford to lose.
English, Hindi and Garhwali carry the farm. A little Hindi goes a long way, and the Navdanya team is glad to help you practice.
Two seasons shape everything
Rabi, cold and dry, runs November to May. Kharif, hot and then wet, runs June to October — July and August carry most of the year's rain.
| Month | Avg Temp °C | Rainfall mm |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10.9 | 46.9 |
| February | 13.3 | 54.9 |
| March | 17.5 | 52.4 |
| April | 22.7 | 21.2 |
| May | 25.4 | 54.2 |
| June | 27.1 | 230.2 |
| July | 25.1 | 630.7 |
| August | 25.3 | 627.4 |
| September | 24.2 | 261.4 |
| October | 20.5 | 32.0 |
| November | 15.7 | 10.9 |
| December | 12.0 | 2.8 |
Sowing and harvest chase each other across the calendar — wheat and barley go into the ground as Kharif ends in November, and come up again by April. Rice, corn and millet are sown through the monsoon and harvested from September. It's a rhythm best understood by living inside it.
Living by Gandhian principle
Earth University's daily life leans on ideas Gandhi practiced long before Navdanya existed. You'll meet these words often; here's what they carry.
Satyam
Ahimsa
Brahmacharya
Swadeshi
Yajña
Oneness of Religions
Sarvodaya
Simple Living
From Delhi to Ramgarh village
Most Bijaks land in Delhi first. Navdanya's Delhi office sits in Hauz Khas, a few blocks from the market — the nearest metro stop is Green Park. From there, Dehradun is six hours by express train, and the farm another forty-five minutes beyond it.
By Train
By Bus
By Air
By Private Car
Stay alert on arrival: only trust people in identifiable railway uniforms, and confirm any guesthouse trouble with more than one independent source before acting on it.
Navdanya Biodiversity Farm
Village Ramgarh, Old Shimla Road, P.O. Sherpur, Dehradun – 248197, Uttarakhand
+91 135 2693025 · earthuniversity@navdanya.net
Bijak Coordinators
Shweta · +91 7011948211
Bhavna · +91 7500614564
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I stay as a Bijak?
Is there a cost to volunteer?
Do I need farming experience?
When should I apply?
Come sow with us
Write to the Bijak Coordinators with your dates, interests and background. Apply at least two months ahead of your intended arrival.
Apply as a BijakLearning @ Navdanya
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Bhoomi 1st October 2026
(Thursday) -
Return to Earth: A to Z learningReturn to Earth: A to Z learning 03rd October (Sat) - 16th October 2026 Fri)
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Vasundhara - Regenerating India 16th October 2026 (Friday)
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Economic Freedom & Self Reliance 13th November 2026(Fri)- 17th November 2026(Tues)
Navdanya signifies ‘nine seeds’—a symbol of protecting biological and cultural diversity—and also the ‘new gift’ that upholds the right to save and share seeds. In an era of ecological loss, seed savers offer the ultimate gift: preserving life, biodiversity, traditional knowledge, culture, and sustainability.
Helpful Resources
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Earth University
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Navdanya Seed Banks
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Soil & Resilience
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WTO on Food Security
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Biodiversity Based Organic Planning
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Navdanya's Training & Research
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Regenerative Agriculture
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Climate Disaster
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Women led Economy
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Contact us