Do You WWOOF? World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
by Erica Dalton
Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? My entire childhood I spent thinking that my food came from a neighborhood farm with farmers who would play music to their plants and treat the animals to an open field with as much space as they deserve. As I got older it quickly dawned on me that this was not the case as I had hoped.
To this day I find it extremely strange that we do not have neighborhood farms to visit or why everyone doesn’t have a garden in their backyard. I contemplated ways in which I could change this but I felt powerless. I had no form of education on the subject matter except for a few documentaries I had seen here or there and a middle school elective class. I was fortunate to have come in contact with these opportunities but it still was not enough. I tried to read books however being a hands on learner I found this an insufficient strategy. I was upset to find that most of this information was not shared with the masses but mostly I was defeated.
I felt defeated for a long time. I had placed my questions and ideas on the back burner. It was never eliminated from my life, but it just was not a top priority. This changed when I was seventeen and in English 1A at Cañada College. I had always enjoyed English courses, I found them a chance to read and get credit for it but I wasn’t expecting much more than that. What made this class special is that my teacher had chosen all of our reading material to be about the American food system. That semester got me to start thinking again. I wanted to learn more and I wanted to experience it hands on.
My entire life I have grown up loving the outdoors. I looked forward to camping trips and hikes. As I got older this love for the outdoors continued and my curiosity about how to sustain myself began to develop. I started to talk to friends, family and co-workers about how I felt. I found out that there were quite a few people in my life who felt similar and some who even had hands on experience. As everyone shared their information with me I found one piece that really enticed me. My co- worker mentioned how her sister had done this program called “WWOOF” — World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms — a network where individuals can contact farms who need help in exchange for room andboard.
Some farms will let you stay for as short as a week and some farms will let you stay as long as you want. It is all up to you and your host farm. No this seemed too easy. When I got home I went to the website and read all about it. I found out that there would be a membership fee for each region you decide to contact farms in. I had not decided here exactly I wanted to go so I decided to wait until it was closer to summer time and maybe by then I would have an idea. I decided to stay in North America for my first WWOOFing experience. I dreamed of traveling the world through WWOOF, but since this was my first time traveling completely alone I decided to break out somewhere I was familiar with the culture. Baby steps to realizing my dream.
Summer came around and I found myself quitting my job only a day after sending out my first round of e- mails to farms. Lucky for me I got a call from the farm I ended up visiting for a month, immediately after quitting. I took that as a sign that I had made the right decision. Later that night I skyped with the husband and wife who own the organic farm, and I immediately felt like this was a real experience. During this conversation I learned I was to be one of four WWOOFers there. It made it a lot more comfortable for me to notbe the only WWOOFer.
Not to mention how cool it is meeting individuals across the country/world who have similar thinking to you. I recommend asking the farm if other people will be there with you if you think it would enhance your experience.
Before I traveled to Maine I asked to contact a WWOOFer who was already on the farm. This conversation helped me feel more comfortable about traveling across the country alone and I was able to get an insider point of view. I was very impressed with how much the farm helped me feel comfortable. While I was on the farm I weeded, mended fields, harvested plants and much more. I also got a chance to work with the animals, I collected chicken eggs every morning, and I milked the cow every night.
The homeowner Laura taught us how to cook, how to create our own condiments and even make soap. I even helped slaughter the chickens. While I was there I learned a lot about farming and even more about myself. I came back with a better idea of where I wanted to direct my life and where I needed to start. While I was disappointed to have to come back and go to school I also was confident that I would be able to work harder and be more dedicated. I also knew that this would not be my last chance to go WWOOFing.
There are so many different options when it comes to WWOOF. This first time, I spent my time learning about organic vegetables and animals. Next time I may decide to learn about beekeeping, goats, vegan farms and everything in between. WWOOFing gives me the option to figure out what I want to do through hands on experience, to travel the world and to see how other people live. I have been finding ways to integrate my education into my life at home, and I can search for more opportunities with more confidence and knowledge. World WideOpportunities on Organic Farms is a great program for anyone who is a hard worker, has a good attitude, or simply wants to stay open-minded to new experiences. Interested? Check out www .wwoof.org. Their easy-to- understand website will tell you anything you want to know. My hope is that WWOOFing is recognized as a great opportunity and that it continues to reach those who will benefit from it most — including those of us here in the Foothill College Community.
Erica Dalton is an Environmental Horticulture student and an Intern at the Foothill Center for a Sustainable Future.
YOU TOO CAN WWOOF!
Visit the WWOOF website (www.wwoof.org) for more information about traveling the world as a WOOFer. You can also learn about opportunities closer to home by checking out the WWOOF-USA network website at (www.woofusa.org).
