A few times we mentioned the keyword wwoof here and on Facebook. But what does this word mean? We’ll define it for you in this post.
WWOOFING – A DEFINITION
Wwoof simply is an abbreviation for willing workers on organic farms. The model that lays behind this word is as simple as it can be. If you are a wwoof-member you get a book with hundreds of addresses of farms that offer a place to work. You can choose one of those addresses and with a bit of luck – of course they need to have a vacant place in the time you wish to wok -you can work on this farm when you want to. In exchange for about 4-6 hours of working each day, you’ll get an accommodation and your meals. The work you have to do and the accommodations vary from host to host. We have decided to join the wwoof-program. How you can join will be explained a bit later in this post. Reports and recommendations will be posted on www.wombat-chase.com, when we have made the first experiences. Without any experiences we can say, that wwoofing sounds like a great thing to us. We do not only like the idea to change our working power for food and accommodation, but it gives us the chance to get to know the real life and the real people of a different country. Hopefully this will give us the chance to write some great story about the country and its people. These stories then will definitely be posted here.
HOW TO JOIN WWOOF?
Before we continue, we have to mention, that we only can speak about wwoofing in Australia. Wwwoofing is available worldwide but our experience refer to the australian continent. Wwoof requires a payed membership. For about 50€ you’ll get the book with all the addresses which I mentioned above. Amendments and extensions can be requested via e-mail monthly or in a 3-month-cycle.
As a designer I have to mention, that the book as well as the website somehow are still stuck in the 90s. After unboxing you get punched in your face by a blue-purple-red-orange-gradient which is – in combination with the pictures and a font choice from hell – only made to break every designers heart. But this is only a side note.
The book itself is always used to prove your membership. The membership number and your name is written on the back of it. To call this piece of graphic cruelty your own you have to order it in the online shop. As an alternative you could print out a form and send it to the given address in Australia. For germany this makes no sense at all.
On this website: http://www.wwoof.com.au/shop/shop-online you simply click the button „Join online for only 70$“. You will be redirected to a form you really have to work your way through. Literally form work for farm work!
We payed by using PayPal. Other options are provided as well. 4-5 weeks later your book will be delivered to your home or you have to fetch it from the customs and explain the man at the counter what’s in this package, because he somehow refuses to open it and have a look for himself. Maybe you simply print this article and let it read him.
What’s left is to call or mail the hosts and ask if there’s a vacant place in the time you wish to work for them. We will tell you how this works in practice, as soon as we have made the first experiences.
Simon
