Ploughing the potato field

WWOOFing in  Ireland, Photo: Salomee Lacoste

When was the last time you put your hands into humid and lumpy mud? Today’s food production in greenhouses might trick you, but carrots, potatoes and their friends still like to sleep in the dark soil until they rise from their earthly beds. Traditional fertilizers like manure, slurry or worms are now partially replaced by superphosphates which have the side effect of accumulating soil acidity.

In 1971 secretary Sue Coppard found that she was spending too much time in her office and therefore went back to the roots of food production. She decided to help out on the bio-dynamic farm at Emerson College in Sussex on her weekends. Inspired by the idea four of Sue’s friends joined her shortly afterwards and Working Weekends on Organic Farms, WWOOF, had its first members. The initiative to pass on traditional knowledge about basic food production grew quickly and now farmers and WWOOFers are participating in the movement in 99 different countries around the world. 

“The whole idea is to go to somewhere to learn about organic growing and sustainable living in exchange for accommodation and food and for giving help to the people you are staying with. It’s really based on an exchange,” explains Annie King who is the manager of WWOOF Ireland. The 58 year old has been a host and a volunteer, a so called WWOOFer, for over 12 years.

Cats on the farm, Photo: Salomee Lacoste

In 1994 Annie moved from England to Ireland and started working in Community Arts. She had a smallholding and became a WWOOF host through WWOOF Independents. After a car accident Annie was unable to continue with her work as an artist and couldn’t take care of the farm all by herself. 

“The WWOOFers I had saved my life and my home,” says Annie. She was inspired by the people she met and recalls the vast cultural exchange she had experienced. “My longest WWOOFer stayed two and a half years and nearly became part of the family,” she adds. As soon as she had recovered from her injuries Annie travelled to New Zealand and volunteered on an organic farm. When she returned to Ireland Annie helped restarting the organization and included Northern Ireland on the host list.

The first time Mutsuki Ito experienced WWOOFing was on a Japanese orchard farm. “It was fabulous in the harvest season because you can eat peaches when you are thirsty,” says the 21 year old. The Japanese student got involved with WWOOF because he likes to be close to nature. In April he spent two weeks at a farm in Co Donegal and was amazed by the landscape and the people around him. Together with three other volunteers from France and The United States he ploughed fields, planted vegetables and fed animals.

Mutsuki Ito, Photo: Salomee Lacoste

“In general hosts are quite traditional. Having stayed with them under the same roof I noticed many cultural differences,” comments Mutsuki on his WWOOF experience in Ireland. The young Japanese who is studying Business in the Galway recalls conversations he had with his host family and emphasizes how much he had learned through that. “At first it seemed to be difficult to integrate into their culture but after spending so much time with them I started to understand it more and more. In that way I found a new part of myself,” adds the tall and dark haired student from Tokyo.
Volunteering on organic farms is unpaid work. To make that clear the name of the organisation was changed into Willing Workers on Organic Farms because the term work caused problems with some countries labour and immigration authorities. In the year 2000 another renaming took place and the network was finally called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. All of the hosts have to ad hear to the conditions of the organic growing principles of WWOOF and present a sustainable lifestyle. Firstly, it means that farmers should not use any kind of chemical or artificial fertilizers in their food production.

A WWOOFer in Ireland might end up in small holdings or gardens, dairy farms or even centres for alternative healing. Therefore the tasks volunteers might face range from planting, sowing, seeding, milking and harvesting. Furthermore, alternative building techniques might be part of the farm training.

Farm view, Photo: Salomee Lacoste

The minimum stay for volunteers is usually two weeks. Though, Annie King recommends staying longer at one farm or to return to the place for another season. A €20 charge for a WWOOF membership allows the search for hosts and WWOOFers in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. The organisation administers the network, has a complaint procedure, helps to sort out visa inquiries, participates in international conferences and tries to get additional funding for WWOOFing projects. 

“This time of the year we have hosts looking for WWOOFers. I know in August it will be WWOOFers who are looking for hosts. It tends to balance out,” says Annie. There are no restrictions on who can be a volunteer in the organisation. Annie King remembers an American couple who have were 84 and 79 years of age respectively when they send their request to become WWOOFers. Even families with young children apply for farm stays. At the moment there are about 2000 WWOOFers and 600 families and over 350 hosts subscribed to the network.

Annie King confirms the number of volunteers and hosts has been increasing in recent years. “There is a stronger interest in people growing their own vegetables and having their own garden”, she states. “I think organic is recognised far more widely as being a healthy alternative to eating mass produced food,” continues Annie.

Mutsuki and other WWOOFers, Photo: Salomee Lacoste

The network doesn’t want to be an exclusive experience only for people who are travelling. “We are trying to encourage Irish people to WWOOF in their own country,” says Annie. The organisation has visited the Dublin Institute of Technology to encourage students to go engage with WWOOFing on the weekend or on their holidays. The manager of WWOOF Ireland stresses the importance of learning how domestic food is produced within the country. “It is not just about travelling and going abroad really,” continued Annie. She is convinced that the organisation has received more recognition in the last couple of years and that the promotion of sustainable living and organic growing is increasing world wide.

Mutsuki Ito found WWOOFing a good way of meeting people and improving his language skills. “My host didn’t have an internet connection so there was no choice but talking with people,” says Mustuki with a bright smile; “Most importantly, I met a French girl there.” His next stop for WWOOFing is going to be in Italy over the summer before he goes back to Japan. He chose Italy because he loves pasta. “I just want to try the real taste and learn how to cook it properly,” explains Mutsuki. But maybe he will change his mind look for an organic farm in France. WWOOF is everywhere.

Interview WWOOF Ireland by Tgold on Mixcloud