Wwoof - Work in organic farms around the world - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**blinkchick2134** · 03-08-2007, 12:41 PM

Recently, I've paid for and started researching hosts to stay with through an organization known as WWOOF. Here's some information that some travelers may find very helpful:

WWOOF: World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (formerly, Willing Workers on Organic Farms)

The basic principles of WWOOF are simple. You pay a membership fee (usually 15-40 dollars depending on country/region) and you recieve access to a listing of hosts. These hosts are usually organic farms, eco-communites (ie hippe communes), family farms or homes with gardens. In exchange for working 4-6 days for roughly 4-8 hours a WWOOF member will receive room and board (meals). Working conditions and living quarters vary from host to host: one host may only be able to provide tents while another may offer a room within their own home and one host may be vegan while another may slaughter their own cows.

The organization runs on the idea that WWOOF members are looking to gain mainly from the education they receive about organic farming, alternative technologies and self-sustainability; rather than just a cheap place to stay.

The down side to WWOOFing is that many hosts may not speak your native language thus hindering understanding your job for the day. Other negatives include that most hosts are located in rural areas. This is a problem when trying to pre-plan your trip, internet contact (let alone snail mail) may take a few weeks. On the other hand, if you're working a few weeks for a WWOOF host that's a two-hour walk from town, you won't be wasting your money on a room, beer or meals out.

The main site for WWOOF is located at www.wwoof.org. This site gives you a listing of all country organizations (larger countries have individual lists) as well as the WWOOF Independent list which entails all countries that have only a few hosts (ie Costa Rica, South Africa, Thailand, etc etc)

I've joined WWOOF Independents although I have yet to stay with a host, I've gained a lot of information about how the organization works and have already talked to a few perspective hosts in Costa Rica. I'll post more in this thread after staying with them in the next year or so. If anyone has any questions about how it works or wants me to find a few hosts in an area I'll be more than happy too. However, most (if not all) hosts require you to have a WWOOF membership to stay with them for the free exchange, a few of the farms offer working holiday in which you have to pay for room/board. The WWOOF membership allows you to skip that payment.

**Esterina** · 03-08-2007, 12:55 PM

When I was getting prepared for RTW trip in 2003-2004, I gattered some infos about it but in the end never taken part in the program. It looks like a fantastic way to experience the world. There are hundreds of WWOOF places around the planet.

I'm looking forward reading your further posts on the subject.

And hop ! pinned topic ! too important.

**travelpunk** · 03-08-2007, 01:04 PM

Great opportunity for people to learn and travel at the same time.

I've been doing a lot of the organic thing lately, so this stuff would have been great if I wasn't tied down with oh so many things. Oye vay!

Awesome, Amber. Thanks

!

**freespiritz** · 03-08-2007, 01:34 PM

Good stuff Amber! I've looked into doing this, and maybe I'll actually get around to it some day!

mackerous · 03-11-2007, 04:11 PM

I've been thinking about this more and more lately. Really wanting a change and wanting to do some physical labor. After years of desk jobs, I really need something that'll tire me out enough to sleep.

Don't forget out Help Exchange http://www.helpx.net - Similar to WWOOF, but free, just need to register.

I wish I could find a place to combine this with language training and maybe a bit of pay.

**indierock05** · 03-20-2007, 09:07 AM

Sounds like great fun if that is something that you are in to! If you are interested in the same type of area, you should look into the Peace Corps. It's a great opprotunity and I believe some other TPs are doing it now too

**blinkchick2134** · 03-20-2007, 10:28 AM

Indie: Yes, Peace Corps is fantastic! However, you need a degree and related work experience. Also, it requires a two-year work commitment.

My orginial plan was to finish school and join the Peace Corps, however after speaking to a former volunteer I decided that working for a government org may not be the best choice for myself (being a bit more free-spirited and such). Also, I talke with a recruiter about finishing my schooling while volunteering and she only said to call her back when I get my BA and at least a summer of teaching experience.

WWOOF is a non-profit volunteer based programs, which caters more to the 'hippie' type of people. Also, if someone simply wants to go to France to work on a olive farm for two weeks they have the freedom to do that.

**louse** · 03-20-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mackerous

Don't forget out Help Exchange http://www.helpx.net - Similar to WWOOF, but free, just need to register.

I wish I could find a place to combine this with language training and maybe a bit of pay.

Cheers for the link! This site looks very promising. The funniest thing is I was thinking about trying to get a job in a hostel in Poland, and there is one offered on this site! Kind of random and cool.
I would also like to get paid to live in another country and learn a language. Oh wait, I guess I am already kind of doing that...haha.. I am working as an aupair in the netherlands. But I want to do something different.

**blinkchick2134** · 07-05-2007, 09:09 AM

So I've been living on a WWOOF farm for about two weeks now and I have nothing but praise for the program. Chris and I work 6 days a week; Mon thru Fri 7am to noon and Sat 8am to 10am. At this farm we have our own cabin complete with full kitchen, solar powered shower, and unlimited access to the food that the trees and gardens provide (yams, spinach, various greens, bananas, guavabanana, corn, etc etc). Our staples, like bread, cheese, milk, pasta, etc we have to provide but the supermarkets are right in town. Its very rural, but the city is still within easy reach. The owners of the farm are a "kinda couple" from the UK and Canada, respectively. Both are very nice with large "lending" libraries as well as a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics.

The work we've done included digging garden beds, planting veggies and tree, digging ditches for water lines, feeding the horses, moving stones for garden bed borders, and a lot of other things.

The main reason I suggest this to people is because it allows you to get into the culture and the area deeping than if you had only been traveling through. We've gotten to know a ton of local by name and have seen a few drunk singing (err...mumbling through) karoke. I can't express how much different living (or volunteering or working) in a place makes an impact compared to just traveling through a city for a few days seeing the major sites!

zonker · 08-27-2010, 02:35 AM

I'm curious about the work visas. I am living in northern Italy right now and am about to go backpack around the country hopefully catching some farms to volunteer on along the way. Do I have to get a visa for this or can this be done without a visa?