Happy Mind: The Philosophy and Science of Happiness

Image © Eldan.

 

 

"The WWOOF program allows you to work on an organic farm in exchange for accommodation. You pay for the membership, but that's a small yearly amount - and the rest is free. You get food too, usually amazing, organic and fresh from the ground. It's such a good way of travelling. You gain a lot of knowledge about different lifestyles and a real experience of the country where you’re staying. WWOOFing gets you off the usual backpacker trail. You get all sorts of interesting information about the country’s history from the locals, and your hosts will often show you around themselves.

"The last time I went WWOOFing was in 2005, in Australia. I've also WWOOFed in Spain and in the UK, mainly in the Welsh border. I've been to lots of places – at least twenty different farms over fifteen years. I was eighteen when I started. I had become really interested in the idea of living sustainably within a community, but I didn't know a thing about farming. I was brought up in the city. I don't think I’d even tried any organic produce before I started WWOOFing.

 

"WWOOF stands for World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It was founded in 1971 by an English woman, Sue Coppard. Back then the program was called Working Weekends on Organic Farms and the first working weekend took place in Sussex, at the biodynamic farm at Emerson College.

"Organic farming is a form of agriculture that doesn’t use pesticides, synthetic fertilisers or genetically modified organisms. Instead it attempts to protect and enhance the soil through methods like crop rotation and the application of compost. Biodynamic farming is a type of organic farming that aims to be self-sufficient by creating its own compost, manure and animal feed, and uses an astrological calendar to determine when best to plant, cultivate and harvest. Not all the farms I worked at were biodynamic, but they were all organic. You can definitely taste the difference – organic fruit and vegetables are so full of juice and flavour.

"The time you work for varies, but it's usually between four and six hours a day. The tasks vary too. You might find yourself sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, compost-making or woodcutting. I never worked with animals, but you may well end up milking cows. The most unexpected work I did was helping to build a hut. It was also the most strenuous thing I’ve been part of while WWOOFing - it involved carrying heavy buckets of water - but it was great fun.

"You don't need to be incredibly strong to WWOOF, although you’ll need to be of at least average physical fitness. As long as you let the hosts know what you can cope with, you won’t be expected to do anything outside your capacity. The work varies so much - there are many different tasks you can do – but it's always a good form of exercise. The physical work improves your health and your mind and the beautiful locations lift your mood.

"On one occasion, in Australia, I found myself working with some guys from a nearby minimum security prison. It was bizarre, but they were lovely. Most of the men were close to their release and I know a few of them continued to work at the farm afterwards.

"I would definitively recommend WWOOFing. It's such a cheap way of travelling. You get to know the places you visit so much better and you meet so many people – I’ve made many long-lasting friends through WWOOFing. In fact, the social aspect probably stands out the most. I had some lovely evenings, going out on boats or hanging out at the beach, drinking wine. I plan to do more of it - I'd like to properly explore the UK."

You can find out more about WWOOFing at www.wwoof.org.

 

© Katherine Power 2006. Published in Rocks Magazine, September 2006.

 

Katherine E. Power is a freelance writer and the editor of Happy Mind. Her website can be found at: www.katherinepower.com.