It was April of 2015 when Kevin introduced me to an organization called WWOOF. He shared his desire to take a gap year and to do the 'WWOOF' thing before going to college, which caught me off guard. I had witnessed him getting into his first choice college, Brown University, and had been certain that he was all set with the next chapter of his life. So 'gap year' and 'WWOOF' all sounded odd to me. However, as college decision date drew closer day by day, I realized that WWOOFing would more interesting than sitting in classrooms after doing that for the past 12 years!

That's how Spud&Bud began. And after 6 months of planning, we are finally off to our first destination: the United Kingdom.

So, What is WWOOF?

WWOOF, or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is about volunteering to help farmers who are working hard to stay organic, healthy, self-sustainable, and eco-friendly. Volunteers, in return for their work, are provided food and accommodation on the farms. There are hundreds and thousands of farms from more than 100 countries across the globe, and each farm is unique with different farm works and projects going on.

Some will need help with livestock, and others will need help with making dairy products. Others still will want help selling produce, fixing fences, making wine, tending to orchards, bees, gardens, and herbs... the range of activities are diverse and endless. In addition to outdoor chores, there can also be domestic activities such as cooking, baking, arts & crafts, and offering teaching activities for host children. WWOOFers will always have something to do!

WWOOFers work for an average of 5 to 6 hours a day, 5 days per week, and have the weekend off to rest and explore nearby towns or cities. Besides our help as WWOOFers, hosts expect enthusiasm, a positive attitude, as well as interesting cultural exchange. In return, they provide their hospitality of accommodation and healthy food straight from the farm, and valuable skills and knowledge about eco-friendly and healthy ways of living. In theory, this is a non-zero sum that benefits both parties. 


How Can I Get Started?

Getting involved is easy! All you have to do is choose a country that you would like to WWOOF in and procure a membership from that country's WWOOF website. Usually, these cost around $35 and last a full year. In turn, the website will provide a list of hosts and their contact details, through which you can search for farms, read their descriptions, and contact your top choices. It is recommended to send request emails at least a month before your desired date, and also include in the emails, introduction of yourself and the desired length of your stay.

WWOOFing is one of the best ways to support farmers who are resisting GMO's and living self-sustainably. If you cannot travel too far due to scarce time availability but would still like to help out, you can try weekend WWOOFing. There are sure to be WWOOF-registered farms near you that would need some of your help :)

WWOOFing is like 10 birds, 1 stone.

We get to meet interesting people from different countries, share stories, volunteer, learn skills like how to make cheese, and learn healthy ways of living, make valuable memories, and travel for many months very economically. We know we will learn so much more than we could offer to farmers, and for that we are supremely grateful.