Digging your hands in

Are you tired/bored/fed up/confused with your existence as an all-consuming monster that struggles to find meaning/satisfaction/direction in your life? Do you deeply desire such fulfillment and love the earth? Then sign up for a membership with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms).

There is no international WWOOF membership—rather it is a network of national organizations. The memberships are assigned by either country or region.

For example, there is WWOOF Latin America, which includes the countries of Ecuador, Belize, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina and Brazil to name a few.

The WWOOF USA, on the other hand, includes only the states within our country (not including Hawaii). This program has hosts all over the world, in anywhere from Romania to Nepal, New Zealand to Uganda, Spain to Morocco.

WWOOF also provides you with food and housing, with each farm varying on how much food they will provide for you, how many hours you work and how long your stay will be. Projects are diverse and can include many kinds of activities.

Some farms are looking for more experienced workers, while others are looking for eager students wanting to learn more about sustainability. What all the hosts have in common is that they are converting or practicing growing in ecologically beneficial methods (organically), providing hands-on experience and education for volunteers and providing clean and adequate accommodation and food during the volunteer’s stay.

Some farms are attempting to use permaculture, which is a holistic approach to agriculture, where they take into account the “bigger picture” rather than focusing on particular profitable crops. In other words, these farms are trying to replicate relationships found in nature by analyzing and understanding the complex network of balance demonstrated in the natural world. In practicing agriculture this way, the environment is saved from being exploited.

Regardless, if you are craving to get hands on experience with agriculture or to be proactive in your support for organically grown produce, WWOOF may be the perfect fit for you. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet experts, travel cheaply and be intimately in touch with the land, while contributing to the movement for organic farmers.

World Wide Opportunities on an Organic Farm
www.wwoof.org