In most cases, WWOOFing is a pleasant experience. Both WWOOFers and hosts mutually gain and the activity becomes one of the most memorable activities in their life. However, there are some cases when WWOOFing results in a bad experience.

WWOOF USA coordinates the wwoofing activities in the US. When you become a member of WWOOF USA, you will get access to a list of over 500 host farms registered with the organization. You can shortlist hosts based on the description of their farm given in the book and contact them to check their availability.

WWOOF Canada is the organization that facilitates the WWOOFing activity in the country. WWOOF Canada, which was started in 1985 by John Vanden Heuvel, has over 600 farms listed in its directory.

The following tips will help you in getting a pleasant WWOOFing experience:

WWOOF New Zealand is the organization that coordinates WWOOF activities in New Zealand. If you want to learn organic farming living with Kiwi families and experiencing their culture, WWOOF New Zealand will help you in getting connected to the right host. You can get a list of about 1,000 host farms listed with WWOOF Zealand by becoming a member of the organization, which was started in 1974 by Rob and Sue Lea.

In most voluntary activities, there is one party (receptor) which receives tangible benefits while the other party (donor) receives intangible benefits such as satisfaction. However, WWOOF is a special kind of voluntary activity. In WWOOF, the WWOOFer as well as the host, both receive tangible as well as intangible benefits. WWOOF is a true give and take relationship between the WWOOFers and hosts.

WWOOF Italia or WWOOF Italy has 260 farms on their list situated all over Italy from Aosta to Puglia and on the islands of Sardinia, Elba and Sicily. There is a great variety of choice eg: mountain refuges an hours walk from the main road and farms with no telephone or electricity; medium sized family run farms (the majority) and large farms of up to 500 hectares - we even have a castle on our list! Nearly all our hosts are Italian with a smattering of Germans, Dutch, Swiss and Brits and they mostly speak some English or another foreign language.

The formation of WWOOF India signifies the new initiative taken by the international WWOOF community and WWOOF Nepal to spread the WWOOF movement. WWOOF India has started its operations through its office in Uttaranchal state.

Do you want to experience life in Australia by living and working with families all over the country? Why not try WWOOFing! WWOOF (What is WWOOF?) (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) is a unique form of farm stay where you exchange your skills and labour for food, board and a bit of the local culture.

It is not only the WWOOFers who have myths about WWOOF; there are some hosts as well who have misunderstanding of this program.

WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms or World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

WWOOFing involves doing physical labor on organic farms. Hence it is always advisable to get an insurance cover for yourself on your WWOOFing expeditions. A comprehensive health and accident insurance is always helpful in times of need.

WWOOF Mexico was formed in 2004 to spread the concept of organic farming, permaculture and biodynamics in Mexico through practical learning. By WWOOFing in Mexico, WWOOFers get an opportunity to learn daily organic farming activities such as harvesting, preparing soil for planting, milking, cleaning pens, digging trenches, and maintaining fences.

WWOOF aims at providing an enhanced learning experience for the WWOOFers on organic farms. Almost every WWOOF organization lists the aims of WWOOF on its website. These have been summarized below:

WWOOF involves close interaction between strangers and hence WWOOFers as well as hosts should ensure proper communication with the other party.

When a WWOOFer visits an organic farm, he/she doesn’t know anybody except for the hosts. The entire day of the WWOOFer depends on the host and the way the host behaves with the WWOOFer significantly governs how the WWOOFer spends his time. Hence it is necessary for hosts to keep certain things in mind while interacting with WWOOFers.

WWOOF Nepal is among the newly formed WWOOF organizations. It started its operations in July 2003 with the initiative of Mr. Fanindra Datta Regmi.

Willing Workers on Organic Farms or WWOOF is coordinated by numerous WWOOF organizations. Many countries have a national WWOOF organization. For example, if you want to do WWOOFing in Canada, you should become a member of WWOOF Canada. For WWOOFing in New Zealand, membership of WWOOF New Zealand will be beneficial.

If you want to do WWOOFing in a particular country, the first thing that you should do is to become a member of the national WWOOF organization of that country. Many countries have a national WWOOF organization that coordinates the WWOOFing activity in that region. There are numerous benefits offered by WWOOF membership.

Many voluntary activities are backed by huge charity funds. However, WWOOFing involves only a small amount of money. WWOOFing is a give and take relationship between the host and WWOOFers. The fact that WWOOF benefits the WWOOF volunteers as well as the hosts is an important reason for the success of this activity.

WWOOF Korea was formed a decade back, in 1996. Lee, Chan Yul, an ardent traveler, when he visited Australia came to know about the great concept of WWOOF, also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. He thought of creating an organization in Korea similar to WWOOF Australia and founded WWOOF Korea in September 1996.

The advent of Information Technology and the developments in the field of telecommunications have drastically increased the speed of sharing information. We use paper for communication in very rare circumstances.

WWOOF presents an excellent opportunity to carry out a variety of activities related to organic farming. There is hardly any program which will give you so much exposure to organic farming. If you want to get hands-on experience on organic farming, there is nothing better than WWOOFing. What more do you want if you get to see the world at the same time?

A WWOOF host opens the doors to his/her farm and home for a complete stranger. Imagine a stranger calling you up and saying that he will be staying in your house for two weeks, and do some work in exchange of a bed and food. What will be your reaction? Will you not want some identify proof of this person?

WWOOF is a constructive activity and hence there are very few restrictions as to who can become a member. Normally the only criterion used for membership is age. Since working on a farm is unsuitable for children, children are not provided membership to WWOOF. The age limit varies according to the WWOOF organization. For example, the age limit for WWOOF Australia is 17 years, while the age limit for WWOOF New Zealand and WWOOF Canada is 16 years.

WWOOF organizations play an important role of bringing the hosts and WWOOFers together. Without their presence, it would be really difficult for the WWOOFers to find a suitable host.

Hereafter, if you want to start a WWOOF group, you don’t have to wait for the stars to shine. You can get ready support for forming WWOOF groups now. WWOOF organizations all over the world are in the process of forming the International WWOOF Association (IWA). The IWA aims at providing neutral, clear information and support to WWOOF enthusiasts including WWOOFers, WWOOF hosts and WWOOF organizations, throughout the world.

Do you have suggestions for making WWOOF even more enriching and pleasant experience? If you have a good suggestion to make, contact your WWOOF organization immediately ‘coz it may be discussed at the International WWOOF Organizers’ Meeting.