A different & better kind of holiday: the Farmcation
Wwoofing & agriturismo, a new take on travel
Over the past few years, a growing number of friends have been combining vacation plans with experiences — yoga retreats, surfing (a “surfcation”), or even a week of silent meditation.
These are a great opportunity to dive into an activity you are curious about.
Even if you are not interested in those particular options, you may want to try something new when planning your next vacation.
Say, for example, that you like being outdoors and good food…
You could plan a “Farmcation”!
Stay with me — that’s not as crazy as it may sound.
In Italy, agriturismo is a common weekend destination for tourists as well as Italians living in cities and looking to reconnect to nature and good, fresh food.
The farms usually produce organic vegetables and cook up delicious meals for guests who can choose whether or not to give a hand weeding and helping out during the day.
Or you can “wwoof” — a term based on the founding movement World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.
The concept is simple: you provide your time and energy, helping with tasks from weeding to fence-building or whatever the project needs, and in exchange you get free accommodation and are fed throughout your stay. As a bonus, the food tends to be home-grown and delicious.
In case you find organic farms to be too limiting, a few other websites exist that each cater to a slightly different range of options.
Each platform lists projects with descriptions that detail what you would be working on if you volunteered with that particular host.
- World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is the most well-known platform, on which you pay a fee of $40–60 to access organic farm projects listed in for a country of choice (i.e., if you want to see the list for Australia and New Zealand, you have to pay twice).
- HelpX lists a broader set of projects, including organic and non-organic farms, ranches, B&Bs, and even sailing boats. It costs 20 Euros for two years of premium access. Be warned however, as last time I checked the design was not particularly user friendly.
- WorkAway’s objective is to promote fair exchange between budget travelers, language learners or culture seekers who can stay with families, individuals, or organizations that are looking for help with a range of varied and interesting activities. Farming, teaching English, tourism-related gigs, it has it all. Full access for two years costs USD 29 for an individual or USD 38 for a couple.
- NuMundo aims to create a network of interlinked centers, to “connect people to meaningful experiences to facilitate personal transformation and accelerate the development of impact centers.” Not sure if there is a fee.
This approach works for solo travelers, couples, and small groups of friends. Volunteers often have to be at least 18 years old , but some projects accept families, and the age restriction may not apply to agriturismo options.
Note that quite a few farms and projects are listed across platforms, and some projects ask for a small daily fee to help cover expenses.
My husband and I used WorkAway to organize a yearlong around-the-world trip — our honeymoon — including a number of volunteer experiences across a few different countries (and continents). It was incredible.
We discovered places we would never have known about without local hosts living there or pointing us in the direction of hidden natural swimming pools and hikes.
We met wonderful people, arriving as unknowns and leaving as family.
We learnt about living on farms, taking care of animals, permaculture, homesteading, and so much more.
It made a memorable trip affordable and unforgettable.
And now, as we embark on our next adventure of relocating to Portugal and setting up a farmstay eco-tourism project, we will continue the tradition and become hosts for volunteers too.
If you found this post interesting, go ahead and click the ❤ so others can discover it too. If you’re curious about my recent adventures and yearlong honeymoon, you can read about them on my blog www.farmaventure.com
This is an updated version of a post originally published on the Millennial Mutt blog in Feb 2016.
