Want to travel the world and learn organic farming? Then WWOOFing is your ticket.
WWOOF: The Movie Trailer from Ashley Terry on Vimeo.
World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farms, WWOOF for short, is a nonprofit matchmaker between organic farms and volunteers. Farm hosts provide food, board, and learn-work opportunities to volunteer farmers. Started in 1971, WWOOF's network has grown to include 90 countries, 7,500 host farms, and 100,000 volunteers. It's a global movement.
Making the global organic farm circuit is called WWOOFing. Word on the street is that its popularity is growing among newly minted college grads who are having a tough go of it in the job market, or are opting out of the cubicle life. The chance to travel internationally is also a big draw for the first generation raised on the Internet.
WWOOFing reminds me of a cross between the depression-era Work Progress Administration and the hippie trail of the late 60s. Travel is a time-honored response to economic doldrums whether to find work, meaning, skills or all of the above through WWOOFing.
Teaser image credit: Peter Blanchard