Traveling down the east coast from Maine to Florida and up the west coast from California to Oregon, Brian, for one whole year, lived and worked at small organic farms across the country, spending one month at each farm. His year of adventure is an insider look into the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), an international organization that promotes the simple idea of linking people who want to volunteer on organic farms with farm owners looking for volunteer help.
In exchange for farm labor, WWOOF hosts offer food and accommodation – and, as evident from Brian’s chronicle of his WWOOF experiences, priceless opportunities to learn about sustainable lifestyles, to connect directly with the source of your food, and to be part of communities and families in a unique and rewarding way.
Through the WWOOF community of farmers and travelers, nearly 400,000 volunteers are helping on farms inover 90 countries around the world. For those of you considering WWOOF’ing for the first time, particularly those without previous farming experience, Brian, a former high school teacher and first-time WWOOF-er, offers this advice:
“Farming is hard dirty work. Plan on coming in contact with manure, biting insects, impatient farmers, and foul weather. Make sure you establish a clear work week in advance, e.g. number of hours per day/days per week, or you may be taken advantage of. With that said, each farm offers invaluable rewards. Without doubt you’ll get the chance to befriend countless farm animals and many wonderful people, not to mention forging a closer relationship with the source of your food. My main piece of advice is to plan your WWOOF’ing trip in as much detail as possible, and then fully immerse yourself in the experience. Leave your iPod and laptop at home and open up your senses to all of the sounds, smells, tastes, and sights of the farm life.”
It is often said that the most important thing to take with you when you travel is not your camera, laptop, or fancy travel gear, but an open mind. Brian’s odyssey is full of personal lessons he attained – no doubt with the help of meditation retreats he participated along the way – about approaching any opportunity with an open mind, patience, good humor and a sense of adventure.
“I made it clear from the beginning,” says Brian, “that I didn’t know a thing about farming, and I was happy to contribute as a grunt laborer. When a host asked me what jobs I’d like to develop further skills in, I replied, put me to work wherever you need me!”
From a off-grid farm without running water and electricity in central Georgia to a vegetarian organic farm in tropical Florida, Brian’s journey covered an amazing array of organic farm volunteer experiences, with each farm offering new perspectives seemingly completely different from all others.
Brian, noting that coming across surprises in the forms of unexpected encounters is “just the nature of WWOOF’ing,” says that he picked his farm hosts based on location, opting for those offering access to mountains and national parks, with the goal of gaining a “WWOOF’ing 101 experience, which was basically a sampling of a wide spectrum of farms.”
or prospective WWOOFers with limited time or specific interests, he adds, “you could aim for a thematic WWOOF’ing experience, for example, choosing all off-grid homesteads or all profiteering farms.” WWOOF’ing across the country, or in one off-the-tourist-track part of the country, would also be a great way for travelers from other parts of the world to experience the United States.
Admitting his natural bias for WWOOFing, Brian enthusiastically agrees.
“I don’t think the genuine America exists in cities, museums, and coffee shops. I think the urban landscape is becoming more artificial and homogenized from coast to coast. WWOOF’ing is a wonderful way to experience unique regions of the United States without basking in neon lights and smog.”
Another aspect of Farming Around the Country that will appeal to travelers with a taste for all things local is couch surfing. While it wasn’t the central part of the author’s year-long odyssey, couch surfing was a positive component of the travel experiences that made the cross-country adventure such a memorable and eye-opening journey.
While couch surfing may not be for everyone, Brian recommends it “for anyone who’s interested in becoming part of a larger community, and for anyone who’s not paralyzed with fear at the thought of staying overnight with a complete stranger.” Other than the obvious cost-saving factor, the biggest benefit of couch surfing for him was “feeling like I had family wherever I went – family members that I had yet to meet.”
More about Farming Around the Country
A Year of Adventure with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms –Farming Around the Country reveals the humor and hardship of life dominated by a revolving door of farm animals, injuries, eccentric farmers, and unexpected wisdom. The heart of this story lies with the unusual people and tasks on each farm. Bender entered his year of transformation as a high school science teacher and came out educated in the ways of sustainable living and human happiness
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment.