The WWOOF Way of Doing Things

I thought I had discovered a topic that no other AC content producer had yet written about and when searching I found only two excellent AC articles about 'WWOOFing'. In Australia the acronym WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms.
Here in Australia I am a WWOOF host which means I am listed in the WWOOF Directory and that I accept visits from WWOOFa workers.

The generally accepted convention is that someone (you perhaps) can join the organization for a cheap fee, receive a directory which provides basic information about the host's organic and sustainable farming environment and contact any of them who 'tickle your fancy' ahead of your scheduled travel time to negotiate a short or long term working vacation.
Though conditions and working hours vary greatly it is generally accepted that around 15 - 25 hours of your time per week is volunteered where you engage in household and farm chores in exchange for free board and food. The rest of the time is yours and you can investigate and explore the local neighborhood.

Conditions vary greatly so it is important that you communicate with your potential host prior to making a decision. WWOOF is an international organization and it seems there are very few international destinations that do not have potential hosts.
Most hosts are looking for workers to help with gardening tasks such as weeding and watering etc whilst other hosts, such as me are also looking for assistance with small building or maintenance tasks.
In the 3 years that I have been a host some wonderful people have come to stay, work and share cultural exchanges with me. Each WWOOFa I've had stay with me has left their personal and indelible mark at my farm.

The only qualification required of a host is that they use organic and sustainable agricultural and environmental practices. Conditions that hosts offer vary considerably so it is important to check prior to deciding where to stay.

I had a wonderful WWOOFa lady stay with me who had traveled much of the world staying with WWOOF hosts. We got along like a 'house of fire' but unfortunately she couldn't convince herself to stay too long because of a fear of spiders. My farm is not a recommended destination for anyone with arachnophobia.
Indeed the photo of the snake in the tree next to my bedroom was taken by a WWOOFa visitor who was taking a break in one of his usual resting spots when he saw the snake looking down at us from within five feet. Unperturbed he went off to fetch his camera.
This fit and multi-talented young man came from Arizona and he loved my farm as he said the conditions were familiar to him. He managed to work real hard even when the temperatures were in excess of 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
He was a lovely young man who I wouldn't have hesitated in marrying off to my daughter!! He was an exchange student studying a degree in environmental science who was also interested in Indigenous culture and who had himself socially interacted with the Native Indian population of Arizona. Though he was only 23 we both shared a favorite song; a fact I often joked about whilst finding quite remarkable.

I've spent many evenings sitting around a campfire under a star-studded night sky cooking, eating, playing musical instruments and engaging in riveting conversations with my WWOOFa guests.
My host accommodation is far from 5 stars and people used to certain levels of comfort should perhaps never consider WWOOFing. But if your heart longs for simplicity, cultural exchange and communing closely with nature then a WWOOF vacation or holiday might be just the thing for you.

Keep posted.