Traveling the World While Working on Farms
A Cheap, Interesting And Ecofriendly Way To Get To Know Planet Earth
Jul 24, 2009
Plant herbs in New Zealand, milk cows in Austria, pick apples in New York and make wine in Italy. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WOOF) is an international movement without borders and a huge variety of possibilities. And it is growing every year.
More than 50 Countries Participate
Since WOOF started out in the UK in 1971 with four people spending a weekend on a biodynamic farm in Sussex, more than 50 countries have become involved. Each year volunteers offer thousands of hours of help to organic growers. And with every seed planted, knowledge has been shared and friendships have been made.
Hanna Bail is one example of a woman whose life changed through WOOF. Growing up on a farm in South-Germany's hilly countryside, the Allgaeu, she at first wanted to move to the city. But after she worked some years as maid and clerk in London and Munich, she felt the need for something more substantial. “I guess my genes were calling”, she explained in an interview on her New York farm in June.
WOOF Changes Lives
She found some farm-contacts through WOOF and bought an airplane ticket for a trip around the world. Never would she have thought then, that she would stay for good on the first farm she landed at. Today she and her husband, William Hugh, offer food and board to volunteers themselves. Their biodynamic farm, located in Philmont, New York, is called Threshold Farm and aims to be a connector between humans and nature, between old knowledge and modern necessities.
Hanna is still in touch with the other farms in Hawaii and in New Zealand she visited on her world trip ten years ago. Customers who buy her organic fruit and veggies today might also receive some organic ginger from Hawaii once in a while.
Volunteers Further Exchange of Insights
Although she herself is more stationary today, she still learns about new and different ways of sustainable living in other parts of the world. Every time she hosts a volunteer, she gains new insights, learns about different ideas and philosophies.
Most volunteers are so enthralled with their stays organized through WOOF that they sign up again. Some even use it as a way to travel the world. But instead of being intruding tourists they learn about nature and help to keep the eco-system intact.
Learning How to Live a Sustainable Life
WOOF is all about learning, sharing and helping each other to live a fair and healthy life. “Especially in economic rough times, people want to get back to nature”, explains Hanna in an interview on her farm in June. “They want to know again, how to plant their own food. They want to know, how to live a sustainable life.” WOOF is a great opportunity for everybody who is interested in nature, farming and organic lifestyle. To learn more about organic gardening, read also the article about Organic Weed Killer and Homemade Fungus Remedies.
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