What Exactly is WWOOF?

WWOOF, an acronym for WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is an international organization and community dedicated to building awareness, support, and volunteering for organic farms and the sustainability movement. WWOOFing began its incredible journey over 50 years ago, in 1971, in the United Kingdom. Originally called “Working Weekends On Organic Farms,” a secretary named Sue Coppard observed a deficiency in opportunities to spend time in the countryside and be exposed to organic farming and sustainability. The idea quickly took off and interest gathered on both the sides of volunteers and hosts, as more and more people became involved.

The WWOOF network’s main purpose is to connect farm hosts with volunteers (potentially, you!). There is an enormous network of farms, ranches, and homesteads whose owners are actively seeking volunteers to support the never-ending tasks of daily life and future projects.

WWOOF also helps to promote sustainable living, respect for the earth, cultural exchange, the connecting of like-minded individuals who care about giving back to the earth, as well as organic agriculture and organic farming. There is much to learn and grow from when WWOOFing!

The sheer number and incredible diversity of farms at your fingertips through the WWOOFing community is stunning. The variety of places that you could possibly stay and work at is mind-blowing! It ranges from alpaca breeding farms in South America to dude ranches in Montana to charming working farms in the fields of Ireland.

To date, the participation in the WWOOF network has grown exponentially, up to 130 countries, 12000 hosts, and 100,000 volunteers!

The Benefits of WWOOFing

The great thing about WWOOF is that it is an even exchange between volunteers and hosts. It is mutually beneficial, with an enormous potential for positive growth and development—both personally, for the organic community, and for the greater good.

Benefits for the Hosts

On the hosts’ side, having volunteers can oftentimes be the make-or-break difference on a farm. Each volunteer can truly make a difference in their life, their home, and their work. Many of the hosts are on a budget or just starting out, and all live humbly, responsibly, and minimally, so having volunteers is a blessing. They are able to sustain an organic and healthy way of life, which in turn supports widespread sustainability and organic living. Supporting this organic movement is important because of its ripple effect. By making small changes at this level, and supporting local organic communities, it creates a positive influence on the larger organic movement, consumer market, and environmental policy.

Benefits For the Volunteers

On the volunteer’s side, also known as WWOOFers, the benefits are huge! You can have fun, meet people from all over the world, grow in knowledge of the earth, have the chance to not only travel but experience another culture and way of life, and gain experience in diverse work, social, and cultural environments. You may learn a trade like wood carving or animal husbandry, indulge in your love for gardening, taking care of animals, or building. Or, you can just take this time to simply enjoy working and being outside in the country. 

It is a very rewarding experience to work on someone else’s property and help improve and build a stranger’s life and home. Each plays a part of a valuable organic community. WWOOF is a great way to give back and be a part of something bigger than your own goals!

More than the difference you make in the sustainability movement, another invaluable aspect and benefit of being a part of the WWOOF network is the people. The connections you can make with your hosts or fellow WWOOFers are memorable, personal, and special. There is a natural bond that forms when you work over the earth, towards a common, healthy goal. You meet incredible, open-minded, and generous people. The hosts open their homes to complete strangers, welcoming them with open arms. It takes a special type of person to do that!

Help to Support Organic Farming

Organic farming is the practice of prioritizing soil quality and implementing ecologically safe and healthy practices in the farming production and management systems. Organic farmers avoid synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones, and antibiotics. Or, in instances where they do use any such products, they use ecologically-based pesticides and biological fertilizers that are based from decomposed plants or animal waste. The movement began in response to the harmful substances being used in the farming industry, and it is intended to prioritize healthy and natural soils, produce, and environments.

These farmers then either sell their life’s work in their own stall at local farmers’ markets or to local stores and grocers. The disadvantage to organic farming is obviously that the production cost is higher, and in turn, the selling price is higher than non-organic.

However, it is important to do what you can to support these small organic farms. By volunteering your time and energy, you are able to help these small businesses survive. If you are unable to volunteer, simply purchasing goods can be a beneficial way to support.

You Can Make Your Experience Your Own

You can WWOOF for a day, a weekend, a week, or several months! You can stay local, or you can go across the world! The agreement is that no financial compensation will be made, but the host provides food and lodging in exchange for five hours of manual labor a day. You and the host will work out what kind of work you’ll be doing, what your accommodations will look like, and how long the period of your stay will be.

So You Want to Become a WWOOFer?

Convinced? Interested in more information?

There is an overarching website for the global WWOOFing community, as well as each participating country’s separate website and network to join and browse. If you are located in the United States, be sure to visit the WWOOF USA website!

To get started, create a profile, tell the world a little about yourself, and from there, start browsing the amazing places you could go! There is an annual membership fee of $40 for WWOOF USA. Each individual country also requires a separate memberships so you won’t be able to access another country’s network, even if you sign up for the USA network.

Once you are registered, browse and dream to your heart’s content! WWOOF USA makes browsing easy with its map and filters. Also keep in mind that you are able to read the reviews of past WWOOFers to gauge what an experience at each farm could be like. Nearly all farms are amazing because the WWOOFing community sets high standards for its participants, but there are sometimes a few farms that may not be a good fit or that you may not want to experience for yourself. Make sure to read reviews!

In regards to planning, we recommend contacting farms at least a month in advance, just to give them some advance notice. After all, it is their home. Send them a nice, clean message about yourself, be transparent with your hopes, and communicate clearly about room, board, and work expectations. Don’t grill your host for information, but at the same time, be knowledgeable about the experience you are about to undertake!

We hope this gives you a taste of the awesome community that is WWOOF. We encourage everyone to try it out at least once, or to at least to support local organic farms by going to your local farmers market!

Additional links you may be interested in:

Global WWOOF Community

WWOOF USA