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Worldwide
Opportunities on Organic Farms, USA (WWOOF
- USA) is part of a world-wide effort to link volunteers
with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange, and build
a global community conscious of ecological farming practices.
Our organization produces a quarterly directory of more than
500 organic farmers in the United States who would like to host
volunteers on their farm. |
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History
of WWOOF
The WWOOF program started in the United
Kingdom in 1971, by Sue Coppard, a London secretary, under the
name 'Working Weekends on Organic Farms'. The intention was
to provide people living in London with an opportunity to participate
in the organic farming movement occurring in the countryside.
Since the establishment of WWOOF in the U.K., the program has
expanded to ‘World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms’,
and is now in more than 28 countries around the world, with
a wide range of farm stay opportunities. WWOOF programs operate
independently in each country, so please contact the WWOOF country
organization directly for the most accurate information on WWOOFing
in that country. |
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Guidelines
for WWOOF-USA
WWOOF-USA facilitates volunteering on an organic farms. The
program is available to anyone more than 18 years of age -
urbanites, professionals, students, families, farmers, gardeners,
or people who have never touched soil in their lives are all
welcome. Volunteers generally work for a half-day, participating
in farm work and projects as needed. In exchange, farmers
provide volunteers with meals and accommodation. Each farm
makes its own work schedule, so please be sure to contact
farms before your visit to discuss the details of the farm
stay.
There are more
than 700 host farms in the WWOOF-USA Directory of Organic
Farms, located throughout the US, including Hawaii and the
US Virgin Islands. Some farms request longer stays (1-3 months)
while others host volunteers for as short as a few days. The
WWOOF-USA Directory of Organic Host Farms contains descriptions
of each farm, which include the type of farm, crops grown,
personality of the farm family and/or community, and farm
projects.
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Join
WWOOF-USA in order to receive the farm directory with
contact information for the farms. We will send you the
directory as well an online directory password by US POSTAL
MAIL ONLY.
- View WWOOF-USA
statistics to see how many farms are in each state.
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WWOOFers
have the opportunity to learn and experience growing organic:
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WWOOFers can also participate
in alternative construction projects such as building straw-bale
structures, bee-keeping, land restoration, dairy operations and
cheese making, seed saving, animal husbandry, wildcrafting, and
much more. When you contact a farm, it is a good idea to discuss
what volunteer opportunities are available, the type of accommodations
provided (including menu), and the expected length of stay.
Statistics:
We currently have about 720 hosts the lower 48 states, Hawaii,
Alaska, and the US Virgin Islands. Below are the specific numbers
of hosts found in each state, divided into regions.
WESTERN REGION :
California-112
Hawaii- 52
Oregon- 51
Washignton- 37
New Mexico- 33
Colorado- 29
Alaska- 23
Arizona- 17
Idaho- 7
Montana- 6
Utah- 4
Wyoming- 1
None in Nevada, yet!
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NORTHEAST:
New York- 32
Maine- 21
Massachusetts- 21
Pennsylvania- 19
Vermont- 14
New Hampshire- 10
Maryland- 6
Connecticut- 6
New Jersey- 3
None in Rhode Island or Deleware, yet! |
CENTRAL REGION:
Wisconsin- 21
Michigan- 16
Missouri- 12
Minnesota- 9
Texas- 8
Ohio- 7
Indiana- 6
Illinois- 4
Iowa- 4
South Dakota- 2
Kansas- 2
Oklahoma- 1
Nebraska- 1
None in North Dakota, yet! |
SOUTHEAST:
North Carolina- 25
Virginia- 22
Florida- 17
Georgia- 10
Kentucky- 9
Tennessee- 9
West Virginia- 7
Alabama- 5
Arkansas- 4
South Carolina- 1
US Virgin Islands - 2
None in Louisiana or Mississippi, yet!
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If you would like to make a tax-deductible
donation, please email us at info@wwoofusa.org,
or you can send it through the mail to the address above.
We thank you for your support!
WWOOF-USA
is an independent project of the Ecological
Farming Association. |
A WWOOFer rototilling a new garden. |
Example Farm Descriptions
***Philmont, New York
We are a 45 acre biodynamic farm in the beautiful Upper Hudson Valley,
120 miles north of New York City & 35 miles South of Albany, NY,
with a rolling landscape. Closest public transportation is Hudson
(8 m west of us) via Amtrak trains. We have a very diverse farm and
what makes us special is our biodynamic orchard (5 acres, mostly apples,
peaches & pears) and our cowherd. We also grow vegetables (CSA
& other), have other farm animals incl. pigs, chickens, a dog
and cats, and a bit of research in organic/biodynamic orchardry. We
also planted some berries in 2007. The farm is of the grid and has
no running water. Therefore we have lots of work and welcome honest,
fun loving & hardworking folks who love to get their hands dirty.
The farm is protected through a land conservancy and the farm house
is 1.5 miles away in the very cool village of Philmont, which has
one organic restaurant and a fun pub with live music and org. food
as well. We offer plenty of camping space or our guestroom, wonderful
org./biodynamic food and lots of it and 5+ hours/labor a day, 5 days
a week with lots of learning if you’re interested. Bicycle also
availabe. Kids and pets negotiable. No smoking, no drugs! We’re
fluent in australian and german with a bit of french and spanish.
Even if you don’t speak any of these languages & only a
bit of english, you’re still welcome. With two small children
and the farm we can’t travel much anymore, so we’d like
the world to come to us. Call us at least 2 days ahead or email/call
us in advance. Stay just for a few days or as long as we all agree
to.
***Homer, Alaska
An upstart organic farm on 16 acres of island property across Kachemak
Bay from Homer, AK. We aspire to practice sound principals of organic
growing and wildcrafting in an atmosphere of convivial, reflective
interaction...Our best thinking and living is done together. The island
is ideal for strawberries, blueberries, black currants, salmonberries,
and raspberries. Work is available May 15- October 15 and may consist
of sowing, planting, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, irrigation,
compost making, fencing, maintenance, or alternative construction
and technologies. We cater to individual strengths and interests...20
hours/week; one week minimum. Severak very secluded tent sites with
spectacular views of ocean, mountains, and glaciers offer unrivaled
privacy for personal reflection, writing, etc. You may bring your
own tent or reserve one of ours. We prepare good, organic food in
an outdoor kitchen as much of the year as is feasible (we eat some
animals). Facilities are rustic- outhouse, outdoor bathing, saunas.
The island is an ideal launching point for kayaking and hiking expeditions.
Transportation (water taxi) is provided from the Homer Spit. No smokers,
please. Self-motivated petless, childless singles and couples preferred.
Gay-friendly. Wir sprechen auch gern Deutsch!
***Clifton, Arizona
This is a 10,000 acre cattle ranch in far eastern Arizona, ten miles
from the New Mexico border. We have a pleasant year round climate,
just below the Mogollon Rim. Headquarters is at 4500’. We have
just (December of ’05) moved here from the ranch in the Sonoran
Desert where we still have some irrigated acres and the focus of our
direct marketed CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) natural grassfed
– well, cactus-fed--beef. We are still getting oriented and
organized on our challenging new place—lotsa rocks!-- and jobs
for interns are variable, depending on motivation more than experience
– there are always rock dams to build. Some construction work,
solar light fixtures, plumbing, evaluating pastures and repairing
fences and water points. Very limited telephone or internet so far;
we wouldn’t have TV if they paid us to take it. Read good books.
We work with the land to make it as stable and healthy as possible,
and rely on horses and cattle to do much of the heavy management.
Think healthy watersheds, flowing creeks, and your place in a tough
natural world (presently enduring more than a decade of continuous
drought). The ancient Mimbres, Mogollon and Anasazi cultures all flourished
here and have left their habitations to discover and explore all over
the ranch. Spectacular scenery; backpacker heaven. We are looking
for interns who are anxious to try, willing to learn, physically motivated,
pleasant and upbeat; there are no experts in this business. The best
way to organize transportation out here is to work around our farmers'
market schedule - we are in Tucson on the first and third Saturdays,
generally.Generally we ask for a one-month minimum stay; couples,
children or pets must be carefully negotiated. Fluent French, Spanish
and English spoken; swearing occasionally available in Pashto, Apache/Navajo,
Sesotho, Somali, Urdu, or Amharic as warranted.
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Definitions
of Organic Farming, Biodynamics and Permaculture
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ORGANIC FARMING IN
THE UNITED STATES: The National Organic Standards Board of
The United States Department of Agriculture defines organic
food and farming as, “…produced by farmers who emphasize
the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and
water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic
meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are
given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced
without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with
synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing
radiation…” (www.ams.usda.gov/nop)
BIODYNAMIC FARMING:According
to the Biodynamic Gardening and Farming Association,
biodynamics is a “science of life-forces, a recognition
of the basic principles at work in nature, and an approach to
agriculture which takes these principles into account to bring
about balance and healing. In a very real way, then, Biodynamics
is an ongoing path of knowledge rather than an assemblage of methods
and techniques. Biodynamics is part of the work of Rudolf Steiner,
known as anthroposophy -- a new approach to science which integrates
precise observation of natural phenomena, clear thinking, and
knowledge of the spirit. It offers an account of the spiritual
history of the Earth as a living being, and describes the evolution
of the constitution of humanity and the kingdoms of nature.”
( www.biodynamics.com)
PERMACULTURE:
Bill Mollison, the found of the permaculture design system
explains permaculture by saying, “Permaculture principles
focus on thoughtful designs for small- scale intensive systems which
are labour efficient and which use biological resources instead
of fossil fuels. Designs stress ecological connections and closed
energy and material loops. The core of permaculture is design and
the working relationships and connections between all things. Each
component in a system performs multiple functions, and each function
is supported by many elements. Key to efficient design is observation
and replication of natural ecosystems, where designers maximize
diversity with polycultures, stress efficient energy planning for
houses and settlements, use and accelerate natural plant succession
and increase the highly productive "edge-zones" within
the system.” (taken
from Dr. Lee Barnes, The Permaculture Connections: Southeastern
Permaculture Network News)
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© 2008
W.W.O.O.F. USA - A Project of the Ecological
Farming Association. All rights reserved.
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