WWOOF write-up

 

Over the past twelve years, wwoofing has taken me to six countries in four continents.  In this post, my goal is to review our wwoof experiences and to distil them into concrete advice for people who might be interested in wwoofing.

What is WWOOF supposed to be? Wwoof is a work-stay program for organic farms. It is supposed to give unskilled volunteers a chance to learn about organic farms, while giving farmers a helping hand and the opportunity to share their knowledge. There are multiple wwoof organization for different countries and a membership simply gives you access to the contact information for hosts. The rest is up to you.

Who are we as volunteers? Jack and I are probably not destined to be farmers, but we are interested in sustainable living, good food, and working up a sweat in the great outdoors.  We are fairly organized people who enjoy learning, but like to work hard and then relax.

What have I learned from wwoofing?  I learned to like tomatoes and plain yogurt and lots of other new foods.  I improved my French quite a bit, but not my Spanish.  Unexpectedly I learned about babies and Islam.  In addition to some specific practices for caring for plants and animals, I now have an idea of what permaculture is and some other sustainable living practices.  I learned something about how much I need clearly stated expectations, in order to work well and enjoy myself.  I also learned that being around animals can make me ridiculously happy.

Through wwoofing I have met people who have impressed me with the dramatic changes and conscious decisions they have made to improve their lives.

I have also practiced holding my tongue as I saw people do things I would never dream of doing, like driving on the freeway with a baby on their lap, burning plastic and feeding chicken bones to dogs.

Where have we/I wwoofed?

Key

• host is a summary of the relevent demographics of the host.
• B&B indicates how far along the host is in the hospitality industry.  This is a clue that very few hosts actually make money from their farms.
• miscomm is a reminder that in two weeks of working and living with someone from another culture and/or language there will be a few miscommunications.  Most of the time, they are no big deal, but sometimes tempers flare.

********** PRIOR TO GRAND ADVENTURE ********** 

What do I recommend when picking a farm?

• Go to a farm where the host has raised adult children or has a successful hospitality industry business.   Basically, go to a place where the host knows how to take care of people.  Of course you are not exactly a guest, but one of the most common issues (from our experience and what I’ve read) is inadequate meals.  It is hard to know in advance if the host has kids who have left home, but host profiles often give you and idea of their age and I recommend older hosts. 

Could I feed people for two weeks? No. Do I expect to be able to do so by the time I’m 50? Yes.

This characteristic alone separates the 2-3 bad farms from the rest.

• Don’t go to first-year farms.  Like the farm near Uvita, Costa Rica, they are unlikely to know what to do with you.  Wwoof Italia marks new farms.  In wwoof independent listings, the older farms are listed first.
• It’s hard to do, but if the host profile doesn’t explicitly list hours per day and days per week, ask about it.  It might feel like you will look lazy by asking, but it is harder to ask once you are already at the farm.  When you arrive, clearly ask about a start time and an end time for the day.
• You will do lots of dishes.  Without exception, every farm had a different dishwashing ritual.  Water conservation, availability of hot water, type of soap, dishwasher usage and drying method all varied.
• Most hosts prefer to cook most meals by themselves, but they usually appreciate it if you make a whole meal on your own.

 

A newer option that might fit more people’s interests, skills and trip time frames is http://www.workaway.info/.