For a while now we've been meaning to take the time to give you guys a better explanation of what woofing is, or at least what our experience of it has been so far.
From Wikipedia: "WWOOFing aims to provide volunteers with first-hand experience in organic and ecologically sound growing methods, to help the organic movement, and to let volunteers experience life in a rural setting or a different country. WWOOF volunteers (WWOOFers) generally do not receive financial payment. The host provides food, accommodation, and opportunities to learn, in exchange for assistance with farming or gardening activities." Blah blah blah.
If you're thinking of wwoofing, expect to put in 5 or 6 hours a day, 7 days a week. Usually there are no such things as true days off on a farm, as plants and animals don't quite understand that concept. For example, today was our day "off" here at Shepherd's Garden, but Adrian was up at 5:o0 am to take vegetables and eggs to the market in Fredericton with Ted. Moragh and I stayed back to do morning barn chores at 7:30 am before heading to the market ourselves. We left the market around 11:30 am and have had the rest of the day to ourselves, which was very nice. You have to remember that animals need food and water (and sometimes exercise) every day, and plants also need to be kept alive and in good condition, and those kinds of things don't wait for days off.
Expect to learn lots, and experience new and really fun activities, but be prepared to work hard and work at whatever your host asks you to do, unless you are uncomfortable or incapable or cannot do it safely. Some days you'll be making pickles and beer, other days you'll be shoveling poop and picking rocks (we just finished filling in a French drain with about 6 tonnes of rocks yesterday...we had a tractor to help carry them from the field though thankfully). While your tasks may not always be the most fun things in the world, saying "I'm bored/muddy/above this, can I do something else" is generally not acceptable.
On that note, communication with your hosts is very important, so if you are not an open and friendly person, wwoofing may not be for you. You must be able to tell them if you need help with something, or if you're too worn out to safely continue a particular task, and be able to ask questions to make sure you do a job properly the first time. Being able to work independently is an asset to most host/wwoofer relationships, as a host can double the amount of work they get done if they don't have to watch you constantly to make sure you're not trashing their farm. Having reasonable expectations (most people don't cook just like your mom), an easy-going attitude (sure, I can get up earlier tomorrow) and clear communication with your hosts (I didn't quite get that, can you show me again) will go a long way.
Just to be clear, even though we work hard as wwoofers, we are in no way being taken advantage of. We eat like kings and queens. We have our own bedroom, a spot at the family table, and free life lessons at every turn. Also, our hosts work even harder than we do - at Shepherd's Garden, Ted is up two hours before we are and he works until dusk while we finish around three. In return for our efforts on their farm, we live for free in some of the most beautiful places in Canada. We have all the amenities we would have if we were living in an apartment somewhere (highspeed internet, long distance phone line, laundry, etc) AND we get to live on a farm and spend all day outside. And we sleep like logs.
Anyway. If anyone has other questions for us about what wwoofing is like for us and what it's all about, feel free to leave a comment for us below. If you can't leave a comment, send us an email at epmcguire@gmail.com! We'd love to spread the word.
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