WWOOF stands for World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers.
WWOOF is a world wide network
It started in the UK in 1971 and has since become an international movement that is helping people share more sustainable ways of living.
WWOOF is an exchange
In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation, and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.
WWOOF organizations link people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings and gardens with people who are looking for volunteer help.
How does it work?
WWOOF organizations publish lists of organic farms, smallholdings, and gardens that welcome volunteer help. The diversity of hosts available offers a large variety of tasks and experiences.
Volunteer helpers (”WWOOFers”) choose the hosts that most interest them and make direct contact to arrange a stay. Volunteers usually live as part of the family.
- WWOOF volunteers do not pay for their stay.
- WWOOF hosts do not pay volunteers for their help.
- WWOOF organizations usually charge a small fee to hosts and volunteers. This fee helps maintain and develop the WWOOF network.
WWOOF is structured on a national level. While there are many WWOOF organizations around the world, there is no central list or organization. WWOOF is a loose network of national organizations. There is no international WWOOF membership.
If you are interested in WWOOFing, it is recommended that you contact and join the national group for the country you will be visiting. Many WWOOF hosts will not accept non-WWOOFers for insurance concerns.
WWOOFers (volunteers):
- need a genuine interest in learning about organic growing, country living or ecologically sound lifestyles.
- help their hosts with daily tasks for an agreed number of hours.
For more information on WWOOF, visit the official WWOOF.org website. From there, you can find links to WWOOF organization for each country.
Hi there. I just found your website today, and I guess I’m kind of confused. You recommend people should pay and join the national WWOOF organisations, but at the same time you list WWOOF hosts yourself. So is your list just the same as the ones we have to pay for? Or is it different? There seem to be fewer hosts in each country on your list than on the national organisations’ lists.
I guess what I’m asking is: If I join a national WWOOF organisation, will I have all the hosts listed by you and more? Are your hosts just a sample? Or are they just the ones that have asked to be listed by you as well as by the national organisations? How does it work and what’s the relation between your site and the other WWOOF organisations?
(And by the way: Your site says WWOOF stands for World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers, but the official wwoof.org site says it stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.)
Thanks for any info on your site.
C
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Thanks for the question Craig.Our site is a compilation of websites that we have gathered from the internet and other sources.All listing have up and running websites to give a more complete,detailed picture of host farms.At WanderingWoof we felt there was a need for a more visual, interactive narrative for potential WWOOFers.
We do list some WWOOF hosts on our site.Though these sites may be listed as WWOOF hosts does not mean they require you be a member of WWOOF to work on their farm. Some may though.
Our site also has listings of volunteers,internships,apprenticeships and other ways of participating.These sites are not WWOOF affiliated.
We recommend the WWOOF organization,since they (to date), offer a more detailed listing of host sites.Yet an individual may find what they need on the WanderingWwoof and not need the assistance of WWOOF.By the way, we have no affiliation with the WWOOF organization.
The WWOOF name has seen many derivations;Willing Workers On Organic Farms,Weekend Workers On Organic Farms and the like.
I hope this helps,and please write again with any further questions.
Jonathan
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:40 pm