Have you been dreaming of traveling the world and living in another country? How about traveling to and living in multiple countries? Well, WWOOFing might be your ticket around the world. WWOOFing is a service whereby farmers looking for labor employ the services of foreign travelers. Travelers who are hosted by the farmers are treated to lodging, amenities, and food provided by the owners of the farms. It is a wonderful way to travel that allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture, often visiting destinations off the beaten path that are not crowded with tourists. The process to start WWOOFing is not an incredibly difficult one, but in this article, we will help make your life a little easier by sharing the ways you can use WWOOF in no time!
Joining the community
The first step to WWOOFing is signing up to be a part of the community. This will be the way you look for potential farms to offer your services on. In order to do so, head to the website and begin by creating an account with your personal details. From here, you can start searching for the country and destination of your choosing, putting the traveling entirely in your hands. The next step is to complete the application form and pay the small fee, which you will make back fairly quickly once you start traveling and staying around the world for free. With the application form complete and the fee paid, you are free to search their list of incredible farms and begin globetrotting.
Choosing the right farm
In order to make WWOOFing a successful means of travel, you need to try your best to find farms that will be conducive to the experience you wish to enjoy. For example, if you want to get by with doing simple and easy tasks then you should be looking for farms that offer activities like cherry-picking. There are hundreds of farms to choose from, so be sure to read over the description of the farm and the work to ensure that you match up with someone and a place that you will be completely comfortable at. Some of the farmers might even help you out with things like transfer costs and VISA forms, but this is purely done between you and them so opt for someone willing to reach you halfway.
Building a relationship
The hardest part of WWOOFing is the uncertainty of what you are getting yourself into exactly. As we have already mentioned, you should start building a relationship with the farmer well in advance of actually catching your flight over to their country. But, even once you are on the farm you should be willing to build a respectful relationship with the farmer. You are not there to be exploited, so be honest and transparent but also be willing to compromise on certain things as you are a guest at their farm and within their country. If you simply cannot get along with your host, then be absolutely sure that you have saved the funds for an urgent flight home. The last thing you need is to be stranded in a foreign country with nowhere to go. Having a solid backup plan will ensure that you are able to get out of sticky situations as quickly as possible.
With these considerations in check and travel insurance secured, you are ready to begin your WWOOFing adventures and start seeing the world in the most budget-friendly way possible!
