Everyone has probably had the fantasy of just picking up and leaving everything familiar behind. How great would it be to escape to somewhere new, get grounded and consider your options? Of course there are many obstacles to such a plan, which is why most people never get beyond the fantasy. The logistics are formidable and the expense considerable.
What if there was a way to accomplish this “time out” that was relatively simple? Would you do it?
By joining a program called WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms) a good number of people have. Singles, couples and families are equally eligible. The WWOOF website explains, “Visitors (or WWOOFERS) participate in the daily life of hosts while receiving educational opportunities, meals and accommodations with no money exchanged.” The principle is simple. Without money very little complicated paperwork is required, removing one of the larger obstacles to a spontaneous adventure.
Visiting the WWOOF website will answer most of your questions about how to register and get started on your journey. There are both national and international hosts so you can stay close to home or travel the world. You are responsible for your own travel arrangements and expenses so it is important to keep that in mind. You will need to apply for a Visa for International placements. Once you arrive at your destination your daily needs for food and shelter will be taken care of by your host.
Each placement is unique so it is important to do your research before choosing your destination. The better you communicate your needs and expectations to prospective hosts the more likely it will be a successful match. If you are interested in organic agriculture you're a natural candidate. If you are looking for time and space to clear your head before making your next move in life, this program can serve you admirably too.
Keep in mind that hosts are very interested in the work that you can provide. A solid work ethic on your part is absolutely necessisary. The work can be hard so you really have to be prepared to put your shoulder to the wheel.
Cruising the Internet you will find many different opinions on the WWOOFING experience. Best to take online comments with a grain of salt. Your own personal communications with prospective hosts is your best road to a positive experience.
Where did all this come from? The idea surfaced in the UK in 1971. The focus was on teaching people to grow their own food sustainably. Sue Coppard was working as a secretary in London. She felt the need to connect with the countryside. It started out as weekend work parties. Soon longer stays were requested and accommodated.
Today there are independent WWOOF organizations all over the world. They have much in common, but each has its own way of operating. As of 2012 there were over 50 WWOOF organizations worldwide. There is a modest registration fee that varies depending on the country. There is an online newsletter that keeps members updated and informed.
Searching online for a locally posted work opportunity I found this description, which is fairly typical. “We are a small community tending an organic orchard nestled in the beautiful mountains of Mendocino County. We grow a large variety of fruit — cherries, apricots, pears, plums, apples, peaches, figs and persimmons. My name is Mario. I'll be your host. I am one of the owners and the person who has been caring for the orchard for 24 years. You will be a great fit if you are excited and interested in the opportunity to learn all about tending an orchard holistically, you enjoy camping and living outside, you would enjoy living somewhere wild and remote, you are community minded and excited to live and work with new people, you are flexible and able to go with the flow as farm chores can change daily, you enjoy having open-ended time and can be independent and you are excited to learn about holistic farming and forestry care.”
I have spoken with several Mendocino County WWOOFERS, both hosts and workers. One Boonville family traveled to Galicia in Spain and to the cloud forest of Columbia with their two young children. A Philo resident invited 15 different workers to her Philo School of Herbal Energetics including an Israeli and an Italian. One young woman started out in Chicago, and WWOOFed extensively in Boonville at the Anderson Valley Community Farm. Everyone I spoke with was positive about their experiences.
WWOOFING with their two young sons, Noor Dawood and Nat Corey-Moran are both Anderson Valley teachers. They feel that family participation works best if the host family also has children so childcare can be shared. In Columbia they helped to build housing using native bamboo and clay. Noor told me, “It was a unique way to experience day to day life from a broader perspective. It was a meaningful way to connect with other people and cultures.”
They brought home many recipes and wonderful memories. “Overall I think the most meaningful and memorable experiences of WWOOFING for us centered on good conversation over long delicious meals.” Lots of communication with their hosts before embarking using “What's App.” helped them to find the small farmsteads and intimate experience they were looking for. Her husband took a memorable predawn trip to a potato field with a team of locals who farmed potatoes together as the sun rose.
Remoteness presents challenges. In Columbia they took a bus to a small village where the host met them on his motorbike to lead them to a place where they could hire a “Willy” (jeep) to drive them and their luggage to the farm. Interestingly Noor found it easier to WWOOF when her kids were very little in 2018 (6 months and 3.5 years) than later in 2024 when they were older, shyer and more aware of the language gap. Noor described to me how it was a mixture of working hard, sharing philosophies and surprises. After a long hike to gather and bundle dry brush to burn in the village baking oven, neighbors appeared, one with a bagpipe. Their host pulled out his flute and they were serenaded as they worked. If you want to go as a family search the website for sites that welcome kids.
Small family homesteads are one way to go but for singles sometimes-larger operations that look for teams of workers works well. This set-up often appeals to younger WWOOFERS looking to work, live and share meals together.
Using modern technology, I was able to speak on Facetime with former WWOOFER Rose Flanigan. She told me she was calling from Oxford University and I could see a great hall with soaring columns in the background. Rose was 19 (2011-2012) when she came to Boonville from Chicago seeking some rural life experience. Working with Tim Ward, Renee Wilson and Alice Woolsey at the Anderson Valley Community Farm she learned first hand what it means to “go back to the land.” A very game participant, she lived at different times in a tent, a bakery truck and a camper van. She says, “It's a great thing when you're young and exploring to challenge your perceptions of the world and meet people. I'm really glad I did it.” Rose went on to WWOOF in Vermont and Maine ultimately spending four years in Nepal before ending up at Oxford.
Mary Pat Palmer told me that having young people in their late teens and early twenties around her was rejuvenating. The opportunity she offered to work and learn at her Philo School of Herbal Energetics was a popular one. She had lots of applicants. Her property included a separate building where her workers could live, cook and enjoy each other's company. This independence suited her and her crew. She points out that not every good worker is someone you would enjoy living in the same house with. Her volunteers stayed anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of years. She told me, “I was so grateful for all the help I got and for the people I met.”
There are other programs similar to WWOOF out there as well. One is WorkAway which you can check out on the Internet.
No matter what your age or circumstance if the chance to get your hands in the soil and take stock of your life appeals to you, this kind of life experience might be just the thing. At the end of the day all you really need is good health and a good work ethic and you're ready to WWOOF.
https.//wwoof.net
(This article first appeared in the locally produced and edited ‘Word of Mouth Magazine’s’ Winter 2025 issue.)
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