Cortney Stewart pulls on her hiking boots and starts her day. She follows the gravel path up the side of a lush green hill. At the top, the wide beauty of mountains stretching toward the sea fills her with joy. She is so glad she came here, took the chance and traveled all the way to New Zealand. Yesterday she was up to her elbows in wool from sheep shearing. Today she gets to ride on the tractor. To Stewart, this is a real vacation, even if she is technically on the clock.

Every year, hundreds of people volunteer to work on organic farms around the world. In exchange for half a day’s work, you get room and board for up to six months and a chance to dip into the local life. Pick mushrooms in Alaska or plant trees in Ecuador! It’s more exciting than a regular vacation and all it costs is a little time.

Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) began in London in 1971 when secretary Susan Copford wanted to have a way for city people to experience nature and rural life. It was originally short weekend stays on farms, trading work in the fields for room and board, with no money involved.

WWOOF volunteers can choose their length of stay depending on what the farmers need help with. Some farms require a minimum stay of a week while some are content with a few days. Anyone can volunteer as long as they’re willing to do the work.

The WWOOF program is in over 25 countries around the world, including Japan and Nepal. It now goes by the more diplomatic name of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Each country can charge a fee of $15-30 to access their directory and get hooked up with a farm.

Morgan Stone is thin and wiry with short, scrubby blonde hair. His light blue eyes glow when he talks. Five years ago, Stone was trying to find a job in “dirty, shitty London” unhappy and lost in the chaos of the city. One of his friends was working on a WWOOF farm in Italy and Stone felt compelled to join him.

“I wanted a vacation and to hang out with cool people. I had no money, but I wanted to experience Italian culture,” Stone says.

Stone spent three weeks plucking grapes, pruning trees and harvesting vegetables. This particular WWOOF farm is part of a lavish villa in Tuscany with 150 rooms and a vineyard. In return for six hours of work a day, Stone had a private room and ate “the best food of [his] life.”

One of WWOOF’s major attractions is the cultural aspect. Volunteers are working and living side by side with their hosts and can fully immerse themselves in the country life without breaking the bank.

“WWOOF is an exceptionally affordable and enjoyable way to see another country,” Stone says. “You get to know people. You are actively involved in their lives. You’re not just some tourist.”
And you don’t even need a traveling companion.

“People go alone, but you end up meeting people and traveling together,” Stewart says. “The idea [of WWOOF] is very appealing if I’m by myself.”

WWOOF farms are all over the United States (including Hawaii) if you want to go somewhere close by. Check www.wwoofusa.org for listings of farms and links to other countries. Happy travels!

CONTACT TROMBETTA AT MARIAT@SFSU.EDU