Written by Carol Newton
Imagine looking out over rolling green hills at the blazing brilliance of the setting sun as you enjoy a delicious salad prepared only from the freshest ingredients: juicy tomatoes, lettuce picked from the greenhouse no more than an hour ago, carrots grown a few miles away, avocado, a full glass of pomegranate juice squeezed by your neighbors and bursting with antioxidants sitting by your plate. The main course: fresh spaghetti squash roasted with couscous and cheese and seasoned with olive oil made from olives in the backyard.
You may think that this is the stuff of dreams—but this was my spring break. Well, in between the hours of fertilizing, weeding, digging, and pruning. The sounds of birds and the warmth of the sun and the gorgeous views available at every turn almost made us forget about the work.
As students reconvene on campus after break, the air buzzes with questions: “how was your spring break?” and “what did you do?” Some students returned home for a relaxing week with their families. Others traveled to sunny vacation destinations like Florida or perhaps partied in Cabo. I chose to WWOOF.
Fast Facts about WWOOF:
WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Mission:
WWOOF-USA is a program meant to link people interested in farming with organic farms and farmers around the world. The program attempts to promote an educational exchange in which the visitor can learn about the culture and farming practices of the farm, and the farmer can in turn learn about the visitor’s background. In this way, WWOOF connects people in an effort to build a global community conscious of and united in ecological farming practices.
How to Get Involved:
Become a member. There is a fee of $45 to join the website, but this links individuals with farms across the world.
How it Works:
Once an individual becomes a member, they are instantly connected with farms within and outside their country. Individuals create a profile accessible to these farms and farmers, and in turn can see contact information for farmers and information about their farms. From here, individuals contact farmers based on where they are interested in working or what they are interested in cultivating. The contact is entirely dependent on what both parties feel comfortable with; usually, connection happens through email and then farmers and workers exchange numbers. The farmer and worker negotiate how long the worker will work for them, travel accommodations (the worker provides their own transportation to the farm or to a location near the farm), and what kind of work the worker will be doing on the farm.
Costs/Payment:
It has been common for people to refer to WWOOFing as “slavery” due to the fact that individuals don’t get paid for their work on farms. However, while the visitor works for free, the farmer provides free room and board. Individuals must cover their own transportation costs to and from the farm, but if the farm is in a remote area, it is customary for the farmer to pick the visitor up in a nearby town.
I was ushered into the world of WWOOF through Savannah Snell, WWOOFing guru. Over spring break, Savannah introduced me to the WWOOF program, and a new way of life. A first-year at Colorado College, Savannah has had multiple experiences through WWOOF, primarily internationally: she’s worked for two farms in northern Italy, one farm in southern Netherlands, one farm in northern France, and over spring break we went to California—her first experience in the US and first time in California. She was introduced to the program during her junior year of high school through a friend who wanted to WWOOF over the summer. While each experience is different and wonderful in its own way, her favorite farm so far is a farm in Liguria, located in the mountains just north of the Mediterranean coast; the hosts at the farm were gracious, she had time to explore the area, and she ate fresh produce from the garden and fruit trees every day.
Because WWOOFing can be overwhelming or confusing at first for those who haven’t been introduced to it, here are some pieces of wisdom from Savannah:
1. Try it if you’re at all interested. There are few drawbacks to this experience; it allows you to travel to different places, meet new people, looks good on a resume, and the wide variety of farm types can help you explore areas of interest, such as environmental science, biology, or aid in getting hands-on pre-vet experience.
2. If you don’t want to spend too much money, try WWOOFing in the US; it’s just as exciting as traveling to a different country. However, if you want to explore another country, it is a pretty cheap way to do so.
3. Be aware that farming is a large time commitment, and time on the farm will be spent working and with the hosts. It’s not just a place to sleep while you travel around.
4. Contact hosts far in advance, because they get a lot of requests especially in the summer. Make sure that your needs and theirs line up.
5. Make it very clear if you’re a vegetarian (there was a bit of an awkward moment in California this spring break). Make sure to clearly state any dietary restrictions and ensure that the hosts are on board with them.
After my first WWOOFing experience, I can honestly say that it’s one of the best and most fulfilling experiences I’ve had. I’m hooked. I plan to continue working at other farms in the US and hope to travel to international farms as well. Savannah wholeheartedly endorses WWOOF as an enlightening and positive experience “unless you don’t like getting your hands dirty. Sometimes people can idealize farming, and it is wonderful but also a lot of hard work.”
In my opinion, the benefits seem to outweigh the possible deterrent of hard work: it’s a relatively inexpensive way to travel internationally, and it’s a great way to spend time with new people, be connected with the natural world in a way that fosters appreciation for food and life processes, and make lasting connections both nationally and internationally.
If you’re at all interested, I strongly encourage you to research more about WWOOFing. The website is: https://wwoofusa.org.