Would you do farmwork for free if it meant gaining unforgettable new experiences, valuable skills, lifelong friends, and the chance to travel and immerse yourself in nature all around the world?
Picture this: escaping the daily grind of normal life to volunteer on an organic farm, where you’ll learn sustainable living practices while fully immersing yourself in vibrant new cultures and opportunities.
If this image excites you, WWOOFing might be the perfect opportunity. The fun acronym, which has nothing to do with large, gentle dogs expressing themselves, stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). And the various WWOOF organizations around the world offer a blend of travel, education, and meaningful work.
In this article, we’ll delve into what WWOOFing is, how it works, the benefits (and potential downsides) of participating, and how you can start your sustainable WWOOFing adventure.
Even if you think you’re too old for such things, you might still enjoy learning about this very cool movement. And you might have some young folks in your life who would be interested, too!
What Is WWOOFing?
WWOOFing began in 1971 as something quite modest; the acronym originally stood for Working Weekends On Organic Farms. Sue Coppard, a secretary from London, had a hankering to get out into nature during the fall harvest season and found a farmer willing to accommodate her fancy.
She and the farmer set up a work exchange: Sue and her friends provided labor while the farmer offered room and board. They became the first WWOOFers, and the idea quickly spread — growing into an agrotourism program for volunteering on organic farms.
WWOOFing has evolved since the 70s, but at its core, it’s still an opportunity to experience various aspects of organic and sustainable living while contributing to a thriving farm. Beyond providing extra labor for farmers and free lodging and meals for volunteers, the program promotes cultural exchange and allows travelers and hosts to learn new agroecological methods and techniques.
The types of volunteer activities can vary while WWOOFing but can include:
- Vegetable farming
- Forestry
- Foraging
- Processing herbs and medicinal plants
- Gardening
- Beekeeping
- Construction projects
- Some farms also host livestock and invite help with animal husbandry
Farms can also be commercially viable or just small holdings that provide food and other resources to the families that live on them.
How Does It Work?
You can search for volunteer opportunities with more than 12,000 possible hosts at the official WWOOFing website, wwoof.net.
Over 80 countries are part of the international WWOOFing community. The Federation of WWOOF Organisations (FoWO) is an umbrella international body. However, each country is also ruled by a separate organization and may have different rules.
To start WWOOFing, you’ll need to apply for membership in the country where you want to work. Each WWOOF country usually has an annual membership fee, ranging from around $20 to $50. WWOOF USA, for example, has an individual membership for $40 a year, while dual membership (for a couple traveling together or separately) is $65.
(If you have an organic farm, you can also apply to be a host, which has its own requirements and membership fees.)
Once you’re a member, you can contact farms you’re interested in to arrange your stay. Most stays are for a few weeks, but individual farms may allow shorter or longer stays.
Reasons to WWOOF
There are many benefits to WWOOFing, depending on your goals.
Lots of Folks Can WWOOF!
One of the best things about WWOOFing is that all kinds of people can participate. There’s no upper age limit, but some countries do have age minimums. Host farms may also have specific requirements for WWOOFers due to the physical nature of the work they may ask you to provide.
Cultural Exchange
Since WWOOFing is a global project, you can participate in cultural exchanges and learn or practice foreign languages. You can gain firsthand experience of different cultures and lifestyles, not through tourism, but by actually living and working with host families from around the world.
Budget-Friendly Travel
WWOOFing can be a very affordable way to travel, especially if you want to engage in long-term travel (for months or even years at a time). In exchange for labor, you can skip paying for lodging and meals. Your primary expense may be transportation. But in many parts of the world, public transit is inexpensive and widely available (which may blow your mind if you’re from the US).
Because the average WWOOFing workday is about six hours (usually in the morning), you also have time to explore the area around the farm or homestead after lunch. If you like hiking, you can search for a farm near nature trails, or if you prefer urban culture, look for hosts near cities or public transportation.
Sustainable Living and Farming
You also get to experience real-life examples of agroecology, not from books or videos, but by interacting with people who do it daily. You’ll be instructed in organic farming, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly practices that you can incorporate into your life back home.
WWOOFing is specifically limited to more sustainable types of farming. Since its founding, part of the WWOOF mission has been promoting forms of agriculture that are good for producers, consumers, and the earth itself. By WWOOFing, you contribute to promoting and developing organic and sustainable farming practices.
Supporting Local Food
Inside a farming operation, you can learn firsthand the relationship between food producers and the communities they serve. Some farms sell their goods in town or at farmers markets, providing their neighbors more access to locally grown food for their community.
Your assistance can also help small farms stay afloat in a business and regulatory landscape that puts them at a disadvantage compared to large conventional farming operations.
Learn New Skills
You may also learn important new skills that can help you build the life of your dreams. These can include general techniques of farming, gardening, and self-sufficiency and specific skills (depending on the host farm) such as green building, winemaking, herbal medicine, and so on.
If you like the idea of farming but don’t have firsthand experience of what it entails, WWOOFing is a low-risk way of trying it out without “buying the farm” (a phrase that, for some reason, is a slang term for dying) or making some other kind of long-term or costly commitment.
Spend Time Being Active in Nature
WWOOFing can even offer health benefits as well. The physical activity of farm work can provide exercise, stress relief, and exposure to dirt (which can boost your mood, microbiome, and immune system). Breathing fresh air in the sunshine can also brighten your outlook and calm an overactive nervous system.
There are a lot of studies confirming what people have known for a long time: that simply spending time in nature is good for us. Organic and sustainable farming is a wonderful way to reconnect with the natural world.
Rural life is a middle ground between nature and civilization, as Michael Pollan wrote about so movingly in his book Second Nature. Not only can you enjoy a slower pace of life, but you also are in an environment where you may find it easier to disconnect. Some farms may lack internet access, which might be a dealbreaker — or just the thing you’re looking for!
Meet Like-Minded People
Many host farms have multiple WWOOFers working for them at the same time and a paid staff. They may also be in small, tight-knit communities where people are used to helping each other.
That’s why WWOOFers who blog about their volunteer stints typically identify community and friendships as the most meaningful part of their experience. And no wonder — as a WWOOFer, you can meet like-minded people, form lasting friendships, and build a network within the global organic farming community.
How to Get Started with WWOOFing
Did all of that get you excited? If so, here’s how to start WWOOFing.
Choose a Country
Since each country has its own WWOOFing organization, begin by choosing a destination: where would you like to travel?
There are so many considerations, including travel costs, climate, language opportunities and barriers (I wouldn’t want to be put in charge of handling a critical task on a farm if the only instruction I get is from the farmer pointing and pantomiming!), and cultures you’d like to explore.
Once you’ve picked a country, go to that destination’s website and search for hosts. There are WWOOFing opportunities in countries such as the US, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, and Spain, among others.
Before becoming a member, you can read about different farms to get a feel for whether that country has opportunities that work for you.
Look for Farms
Once you apply for membership and pay the annual fee, you can contact hosts through the WWOOFing website and read reviews of hosts shared by other WWOOFers (kind of like Airbnb, Uber, or Lyft). You can also message other members who’ve reviewed a particular host to get more insight into their experience.
During your search, you can also learn what expectations and policies different hosts have in place, so you can find a good fit. If you need further guidance, try searching the web for blog posts and videos created by WWOOFers sharing their experiences. Or attend one of the organization’s informational webinars.
Prepare for Your Trip
Once you’ve chosen a host and arranged the dates of your visit, it’s time to prepare for your trip. Find out what you need to bring and what the farmers will provide for you. You probably don’t need your own shovel or two-wheel tractor, but you may be expected to bring your own work clothes, boots, hat, work or gardening gloves, and so on.
Depending on the climate and where you’ll be working, you may want to be prepared with sunscreen, bug repellent, lip balm, and other amenities to keep you comfortable and well during your days in the field or barn.
Make sure you communicate thoroughly with your host to fully understand their requirements and expectations. This will significantly decrease the odds of misunderstandings and disappointments.
Challenges and Considerations
WWOOFing can be wonderful, but there are still things to consider before rushing in.
Physical Demands
First, remember that WWOOFing is essentially about providing manual labor on a working farm, which can be physically demanding. Find out about the types of tasks you’ll be asked to perform and the expected workload in hours per day.
Of course, you’ll want to stay healthy and avoid injuries. But you should also have a backup plan in case you do get hurt. Check out travel and health insurance policies that can cover you in the event of an accident or illness.
If you want to WWOOF in the US, you automatically get an Accident Insurance Policy with your membership. You can also add a $79 Volunteer Card — a travel insurance policy that covers a lot of stuff for up to six months, including illness, dental problems, emergency evacuation, and even missed connections and trip delays.
Living Conditions
You also need to be prepared for various living conditions. While some locations can provide private rooms and bathrooms, the norm is often shared spaces. You might bunk up in a room in the host’s house. You might also be camping or living in a converted area in a barn or trailer. You can find out where you’ll be staying and bathing by asking your host in advance.
Remote Areas
By definition, WWOOFing puts you in a rural environment that’s often remote, at least in relation to cities and transportation hubs. Some of the most wonderful places are in the “middle of nowhere,” meaning you may need a car or to arrange transport to and from your host.
Language Barriers
If you’re traveling to a region with a different language, you may also experience communication and language barriers. Don’t go in as a complete beginner; at the very least, begin studying a language before you arrive, and come prepared with at least some basic phrases (I never travel to a foreign country without learning how to say, “Where’s the bathroom?”). In a pinch, there are also language translation apps that can help a great deal (just make sure that they aren’t dependent on internet access, or that if they are, you’ll have access to the internet at your destination!).
Safety Requirements
While the various WWOOFing organizations have some requirements for hosts, most of these relate to organic farming and sustainable living practices, as well as providing housing and three meals a day.
Background checks are not required, so the whole WWOOFing network operates based on reputation and trust. However, an ID and identity verification process helps ensure people are who they say they are.
Trust is based mainly on reviews posted online by other WWOOFers, so it’s best to choose a host that has already garnered many positive reviews. As with other “sharing economy” companies like Airbnb, Uber, and Lyft, there is always the potential for bad experiences and bad actors. But in general, WWOOFing is just as safe, if not safer, than other sharing economy experiences. Still, it’s best to do your due diligence when researching hosts before committing to one.
Animal Agriculture
If you’re vegan, another thing to pay attention to is the farm’s stance on animal agriculture. Some farms include various forms of animal husbandry, so you may want to filter out those results when doing your initial search — or make sure that the farm can accommodate your values and choices.
Even if you’re ok with a farm raising animals for things like eggs or wool, it’s still a good idea to communicate with your host about animal-related tasks if you’re uncomfortable with them. Choose hosts that are understanding and will honor your preferences. And, of course, if food is provided, make sure that it aligns with your preferences, values, and needs.
Consider Becoming a WWOOFer!
WWOOFing offers a unique opportunity to travel the world, learn about organic farming, and engage in sustainable living practices. The cultural exchange, personal growth, and community-building aspects of WWOOFing make it a rewarding experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or looking for a meaningful way to spend some time off, WWOOFing can provide unforgettable memories and lasting impacts on your life.
As you consider embarking on a WWOOFing adventure, remember to research thoroughly, prepare adequately, and approach the experience with an open mind and a willingness to learn. By doing so, you can lay the groundwork for a safe, enjoyable, and fulfilling WWOOFing journey that benefits you and supports the sustainable farming community worldwide.
Tell us in the comments:
- How does WWOOFing sound to you?
- What gardening or farming techniques would you like to learn firsthand?
Featured Image: iStock.com/pixdeluxe
