living and volunteering on organic farms

This summer, I had the opportunity to live and work on organic farms through an organization called WWOOF. This stemmed from a desire to see areas of the US that I’ve been dreaming of visiting along with an aspiration to gain practical skills in homesteading and farming. WWOOF, or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is an educational and cultural exchange program that connects volunteers with organic farmers. It provides opportunities in farming, gardening, homesteading, sustainability, and rural living. Although it is not paid, farm volunteers (“wwoofers”) receive some amount of food and lodging in return for labor and typically work part-time, leaving ample time for other things. The only fee is for membership which ranges from around $15-$40/year depending on which country you plan on farming in. This program is ideal for anyone who can afford to go without an income for a short time and in invest in something greater - new perspectives, skills, and community restoration through regenerative agriculture.

After I joined WWOOF USA earlier this year, I was given access to a map of hosts all over the states- over 1200 of them! I filtered by type of farm and region I was interested in to narrow down my search. The Rocky Mountain region is where I had my sights set. I reached out to a few farms in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, established my route, and hit the road in July. I spent one week at a vegetable, fruit, seed, and grass-fed beef farm in Mission Valley of western Montana, about three weeks at a ranch in the heart of the Teton range in Wyoming, and about a week at a suburban Salt Lake City, Utah garden. Tasks included harvesting garlic and other vegetables, pruning tomatoes, weeding, watering, picking raspberries, making jam, and painting. Between wwoofing gigs, I camped for free on national forest land or found affordable lodging near or in national parks. Within the two month trip, I was able to visit ten National Parks in five states.

The amazing thing about WWOOF is that you will get hands-on farming experience and still have so much time to explore. I found the work to be so manageable, as did the other wwoofers I met along the way. We typically worked half days and had afternoons and evenings off to do our own thing and explore. There is plenty of time to work on individual projects, hike, explore nearby towns and cities, cook, and rest. The work is fun and rewarding. When searching for farms, you can filter by host type (production farm, non-profit or community, self-sufficiency property), farming practices (vegetable, poultry, cattle, medicinal plants, etc.), methods (no-till, aquaponics, permaculture, etc.), lodging and meal/diet types, languages, and mentoring opportunities. Lodging might be as rustic as pitching your own tent or a sleeping in camper trailer, or you might have a private room in your host’s home. You may have a solar heated outdoor shower and outhouse composting toilet or have a home complete with amenities. Accommodations vary by farm and it is the host’s responsibility to provide this information on their profile and answer any questions you may have prior to your arrival. After your wwoofing gig is over, there is a two week window where you and your host can write each other reviews. When selecting farms to reach out to, I found these reviews to be really helpful.

If you’re thinking about joining WWOOF and have the means to do it, let this be your sign to go for it! You may be able to find a local farm and work this volunteer experience into the life you are already living if you can’t stop what you’re doing to travel. Regardless of where you farm, there is no doubt your life will be enriched. You’ll learn more about the food system, the world, other people, or yourself. You might walk away feeling inspired to do something different in your own life. For me, this experience instilled a new appreciation for working and playing hard, living boldly and in the present, and being in community with people who want to work in harmony with nature rather than against it.

For more information, visit https://wwoof.net/.