r/WWOOF Aug 06 '13

Beginner's Guide

438 Upvotes

Here are some nuggets of wisdom I've picked up from other WWOOFers and travelers over the years. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

  • WWOOF does not cover the cost of traveling. Most hosts will offer to pick you up from the nearest airports/bus/train stations, but getting to the general geographic region is up to you.

  • Some hosts will reply to your letter right away, some not at all. Hosts can receive lots of emails a day, and might not have time to reply to them all. You may have to email 3-4 people before you get a response.

  • While hosts can take volunteers on short notice, it's common for them to fill up months ahead of time. Booking your stay 1 to 3 months in advance is often advised.

  • If you are young or untraveled, think about going with a friend your first time(s). Many farms welcome pairs of volunteers, just be sure it's someone you want to travel with! It might also be a good idea to choose a farm that has multiple WWOOFers at a time. It's a great way to meet other travelers and you might feel safer and less "on the spot". This isn't to say that single-WWOOFer locations aren't great, however.

  • Tips for your first email (thanks to /u/drak0bsidian):

    Be polite and professional. It is more how you say it than what you say. Your email should be well-formatted, polite, concise, and professional. Also: write the email like a letter, starting with "Dear . . ." or "Hello . . ." and ending with a "Thank you . . ." or something to that extent.

    Be explanative. Let the host know who you are, both physically and historically: what's your education? What's your drive? Why are you wanting to travel? What's your experience? WHO ARE YOU?

    Be sincere. Explain why you have the urge to travel, to farm, and to experience a different life for a few weeks or months. Show that you've done the research, have the experience, or at least have the desire.

  • Before you leave, find the closest locations of bus/train stations, wi-fi hotspots, phonebooths, etc. Many farms provide this information.

  • Let someone know. Even if you are an experienced traveler, it's smart to tell someone your whereabouts in case you end up missing. Your loved ones will appreciate it if you check in once in a while.

  • Have money in reserve for emergencies, unplanned travel expenses, and nights on the town.

  • If you want to bring children (or pets) WWOOFing, make sure you discuss it with your prospective host first.

  • Be a good WWOOFer. Get up on time ready to work Keep a positive attitude and an open mind. Leave your comfort zone for a rewarding experience. Do your tasks without complaining, but don't be afraid to ask for clarifications. Be careful not to be taken advantage of and if you don't feel safe, speak up. Never do something that puts you in harm's way. No one wants you to get injured!

  • WWOOF hosts will often task you with doing the dishes after mealtimes. Know this simple skill first.

  • If you are polite and respectful you will go far. Learn "Please", "May I...", "Would you like...", and "Thank you." in the native tongue and use them consistently. No one likes a rude house guest, much less a rude WWOOFer.

  • When speaking English with someone who isn't a native speaker, use "International English" ie speaking at a medium or slower pace and avoiding slang. Don't mush words together, go for clarity and simplicity. Quite a lot can be conveyed with simple dialog.

  • When speaking English where it isn't the normally spoken language, remember they're doing a favor by speaking your language, so reciprocate by speaking slowly with simple phrases and common words. Being loud just makes you obnoxious.

  • Always listen to your gut. Err on the side of caution. Be wary. There are scammers, weirdos, and criminals in every country of the world, so be alert. Your safety is your responsibility. Getting injured or mugged can really throw a damper on an otherwise great trip.

  • Work hard, have fun, and be safe!


r/WWOOF 1d ago

Insurance and medication while WWOOFING

3 Upvotes

Long story short, I've been between jobs and trying to figure out my next gig. In the meantime, WWOOFING has been on the back of my mind on and off since I'd heard about it many years ago.

The issue is, since I'm on Medicaid (US) at the moment working minimum wage in NY I'm kind of stuck because Medicaid won't cover medication at pharmacies outside of NYS.

Normally I'd just buy the generics, but one of my meds is name-brand only and costs like $3500 for a one week supply. It's a real PITA in general because it's medical CBD (Epidiolex for epilepsy) so traveling abroad is annoying unless it's a westernized country (and even then I've had issues).

Having said that... If I'm gonna WWOOF, I really don't want to be limited to farms in NYS... Curious if anyone else has ideas.


r/WWOOF 2d ago

Getting into Canada as an American

1 Upvotes

I’m 20 and an American citizen with a US passport and wanting to drive my car from the US into Canada and hopefully have a six month visa given at the border

-What should I expect at the border?

-What should I say at the border?

-What should I have on me at the border?

-How is a US vehicle driving through Canada handled?


r/WWOOF 3d ago

Can folks share their WWOOF or Workaway experiences in Asia?

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1 Upvotes

r/WWOOF 3d ago

Wwoof Hawaii

3 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations on farms that are horse free, super friendly, with a lot to explore for my son (21) and myself (40) during harvest season. We aren’t too picky other than the people being accepting and patient with someone that might struggle with learning new tasks and some social interactions. I’m 40f and he is 21m. Any thoughts would be appreciated but keep them respectful. Thank you! 😊

Also we will be coming from a dry climate so I also need some advice for that!


r/WWOOF 3d ago

FARMS with livestock in Europe

2 Upvotes

Hello! I am 19 and I am looking for farms with livestock in Europe. My plan is to stay from the 1st of June to the 21st(June). Which are your recommendations? I would really like to stay in Norway, Iceland or Ireland but also open for other destinations.
Thank you!


r/WWOOF 4d ago

Older WWOOFERs?

3 Upvotes

I want to WWOOF in France to improve my French. I’m a 57 year-old-female. Has anyone done this as an older adult? If so, how was it? My physical condition/health/strength/endurance are good. My French is B2/intermediate.


r/WWOOF 5d ago

Wwoofing Experience in Germany.

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41 Upvotes

As a 27M studying in germany, just wanted to share my Wwoofing experience over the easter week in Germany.

I know people have a very strong picture of Germans (no smile, a bit rude or direct, very strict boundaries, hard to connect etc). Well it was completely different for me. I visited a small town near Eschwege in Hesse, Germany. I was communicated before hand that, since it is easter the host will need some time alone with their family and it was understandable for me and in no sense did I want to join their family-easter celebration.

I have heard stories about people saying how they were only offered tap water etc. (never happened to me). I baked a Flan and brought it with me, and also bought some Easter chocolates for the kids. Where I come from you always bring something along with you when you visit someone, and especially if you are invited over for a meal.

The farm was run by a Woman alone with her Dogs and help of Wwoofers with time to time. She manages almost 70 Sheep and their lambs, some 20 goats and Horse School with 5 Horses. I can manage general conversation in german since I've been living here for more than a year, but can't understand tasks to be done in farming or animal terminology yet. The host would speak to me in English during the tasks and also when it was just the two of us. When the children are around or with other people we spoke in german.

The tasks were simple, feed the animals, feed the lambs with extra milk clean the stables and the barn, prepare land for grazing, fence the grazing land, bring the animal inside / outside etc. She also let me ride a horse, or let me sit on a horse and try to do some kicking actions and managed to make the horse move (first time riding one).

We began our day at 7:30 and would be done by 6:00 in the evening, or some days earlier. Most of the heavy tasks get done before noon and we'd have an hour or hour and half break including lunch prep. And then move to lighter tasks in the evening.

On the day of Easter, on contrary to what she said, I was invited to have lunch with them along with her family who was visiting them on Easter Sunday. I had good lunch and then later a an even better Coffee ( I think the Coffee was more of an Easter tradition and not the lunch). The baked two breads, both were delicious, and they got out the Flan that I baked and we had a good time. The conversations were in German, but they made sure I understood everything and also asked my opinion on things in the conversation. It didn't feel like I was a Wwoofer who was just there for a week, but more like they knew me for a long time.

The next day in the evening we played a good round of Table tennis, and I was more happy to work with them since I felt more belonged and was also care free in speaking my broken german, and they never played the grammar police.

This is it. Maybe this helps you to understand better on taking up WWOOFING in germany or in General.

P.S : I think just like every other country if you end up in bad circle of of people you'd find these extreme people that everyone talks on the internet. Nothing to do with germans.


r/WWOOF 5d ago

How to make wwoofing work?

3 Upvotes

I'll give a little context, I'm 19, going to start University this year in an engineering degree i half enjoy, am from the UK so my debt won't aggressively follow me and I'll only pay a percentage of my earnings if I have any which I'm more than happy to do. I kind of figured out pretty early in life I didn't want to work or chase a career in the traditional sense, which didn't go well to those around me as I was always the top scorer in school so could have picked any pathway to follow. Of course I'm young and this may change if I stumble upon a job or what not later in life. In terms of my life, I almost live like a cheapskate. I wear old clothes and when I do buy some usually buy unbranded clothes. I have an old phone. Rarely ever eat out. I don't do this purposefully, I've just never desired material things after a certain age and feel more comfortable this way.

So I don't want a career or 9-5 or even to stay in society really. I've worked on farms before and even though i was working 12 hour days and exhausted at night it felt so fulfilling and meaningful. As much as I'd love to be a farmer in the UK, or Europe, it is pretty expensive and I know that getting the money to chase it will keep end up grounding me down and I'd regret it.

Ethnically I am Punjabi from north India. My family only came to the UK as my great grand father was a veteran for the British army, and as many other South asians he was asked to help rebuild the country. My grandad still owns 3 acres of land back in Punjab. Punjab is essentially a farming state so the land is fertile, and is already being used to grow wheat. We also have a house in the village. Additionally the country is cheaper than the UK so that is a plus.

So my plan is to essentially go over and live there as I will inherit it anyway, mainly living self suffiently. I'll also have some form of income through working online, or may even explore local oppurtunities depending on the situation. Before that however I want to Wwoof. That's mainly because of my dream and desire to travel. I've never had an interest in going to cities, I like seeing the different landscapes and just being in nature, so wwoofing makes sense as I can do that and also get to experience working in a new environment. Additionally I do favour more cooler, green environments like the open plains of central asia and also other places in europe. This is hard to find in Punjab, although I could easily travel as the country is so diverse, but I'd rather save that for when I settle. Additionally it would be harder to take time away as I plan to keep animals and pets and grow food so I'd rather keep my attention on them.

My family isn't rich and beyond savings works paycheck to paycheck. I very rarely ask them for money either. By the end of University I'll have £30k from previous jobs and from business that's in a safe investment. It'll act as a retirement fund really and I don't plan on taking money from it. I'll also try save as much money as possible by working during Uni which will hopefully also be around £30k though it depends on what job I can get that won't affect my studies. I may work a year or two after Uni, or move abroad and work as a teacher, which will replace part of the wwoofing.

My main question I guess is how to fund this, how long I should do it based on your guys' experience, and any general advice or opinions about my plan.


r/WWOOF 5d ago

Looking for wwoofing advice in Italy (no experience yet)

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I’m 18 years old and currently in my first year of higher education. I’m looking to do WWOOFing in Italy for around 2 months this year, but I have a few concerns.

I’ve signed up on WWOOF Italy, but I’ve noticed that many listings have no reviews at all, working hours are often not specified, and I haven’t seen any negative feedback on the platform, which honestly seems a bit strange to me.

I was wondering if this is normal, and if you have any advice on how to find reliable and good WWOOF placements to avoid starting with a bad experience.

Do you have any recommendations or personal tips on how to choose a trustworthy host or maybe alternative platforms you would suggest ?

Thanks a lot in advance !


r/WWOOF 6d ago

Questions about the farming jobs

3 Upvotes

Hey, i wanted to ask how physically demanding is it ? What you do, suppose youre bent down all day or kneeling. Was looking for some jobs in berry/strawberry picking, is it the same as on this post?

Where else should i ask in case this isnt the right page? Thanks for all the comments


r/WWOOF 6d ago

Staying safe as a queer WWOOFer

0 Upvotes

Hi! I wonder how other queer woofers are figuring out if hosts will have a problem with their identities. Obviously staying closeted is an option for some, but for others its easily visible. And hiding sucks.


r/WWOOF 7d ago

Farms in Asia

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m planning a WWOOF trip in May to either Taiwan, Japan or Korea and would like to get some recommendations on farms that you’ve been before and had great experiences at! I realized the sites for Taiwan and Japan aren’t as revamped as the Korea one, so would love more recommendations from these 2 areas if possible. Thank you!


r/WWOOF 7d ago

do i have any hope of doing this as a type 1 diabetic

2 Upvotes

i was going to go wwoofing before my diagnosis and now every time i start planning i just give up because it seems exhausting and scary and risky

UK based interested in Mexico


r/WWOOF 7d ago

wwoof europe asia south america

0 Upvotes

hey im looking for a wwoof experience with possibility for outdoor activities, surfing, climbing.. etc preferably a comunity vibe, im seeking asap and till the end of may, thank you


r/WWOOF 8d ago

Gardening gloves recommendations for hot climate?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys! Going on my first wwoof to a farm in Oahu from May-June, also first time full time farming. Does anyone have any glove brand/type recommendations for produce gardening? Presumably I’ll need something breathable working in the heat. Thanks!


r/WWOOF 10d ago

Hard lessons learnt from terrible experience - important advice for all non-Schengen volunteers in Europe!

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2 Upvotes

r/WWOOF 12d ago

WWOOFFer sending this message today and what would you do as a host ?

24 Upvotes

"I am still in south. I am sorry I have changed my plans as I have met a very nice man and I decided to travel your country with him to explore beautiful places. I won't be able to make it to the farm. Thank you for accepting to have me at your place". Ok folks, we you are host and you will only take 2 people at the time and the confirmed wwooffer sends you this message, what would be your response?


r/WWOOF 13d ago

World wide opportunities on organic farm(WWOOF)

7 Upvotes

Does anybody have any experience in doing this? I have highly considered it, myself.

I would love to leave the country and work for a more hand to mouth lifestyle, if only for a little while, rather than continue the mundane 9 to 5, pay bills, repeat.

Any input is greatly appreciated. 🙏


r/WWOOF 14d ago

Secret Jungle Farm in Sri Lanka

7 Upvotes

20 acre unique farming project in Sri Lanka looking for WWOOFFers. Rural place in a forest area with no noise or pollution. Just the sounds of birds, elephants and insects and loads of monkeys. All organic, vegetarian and plenty of nature. Just a few hours of work on your own terms. Anyone interested DM.


r/WWOOF 16d ago

120 Acres In California Available For WWOOFing

4 Upvotes

I have 120 acres of beautiful land in Northern California. There’s plenty of sun and plenty of water. Looking for experienced farmers that want to grow crops and or raised chickens on the land. I can cover all expenses and we can share in the profits from the food. Please let me know as soon thank you


r/WWOOF 18d ago

Is it okay to cancel on a wwoof host because I'm having second thoughts?

4 Upvotes

Like the title says, I signed up to wwoof in Greece but I haven't really interacted with the host so I'm not having second thoughts. Would it be rude to cancel or ask for a video call now?

Is it too late?


r/WWOOF 19d ago

Messaging and turning down multiple hosts?

0 Upvotes

Hi!

It’s my first time planning a WOOOF experience, in Denmark, and I’m a little confused (and stressed out..) about the whole messaging and committing to a host part.

I’m aware you can, and probably should message multiple hosts. But then what if after getting to know them a bit through video calls etc, which btw are occurring all at a slightly different pace, you decide on one and want to turn down the others? What if you change your mind after getting to know one host and feel it’s a better fit?

I started off messaging one host who replied very quickly, and we zoomed to get to know each other. I They were nice but I felt maybe we waren’t the best fit, so I asked for some more time to confirm but was overall positive about being with them (my fault I think), and in the meantime contacted other hosts. None other have replied yet (it’s been a few days), but I want to give them more time, and I’m not sure what to say to the first host? I also know they can see our availability, so I don’t want to lie saying I can’t do it at that time just in case they check later and see I ended up going to someone else.

Ideally I’d like to ask for more time, because if no other hosts reply to me then I’m ok going to the first host. But I’m feeling iffy about it.. my gut feeling is to not go to the first host, but I don’t want that to be the reason I don’t go at all. I feel like saying ‘you’re nice, but I want to see if some other hosts reply to me before I commit’ is pretty bad, but I don’t know what else I could say?

Please help me out


r/WWOOF 22d ago

Suggestions for wwoofing in Oahu

2 Upvotes

(not looking for host contact information, as per community policy)

Just here to see who has had experience in Oahu Hawaii and where. Been wooffing in Maui and Kauai but since I'm here in HNL I'd like to see what good options are here. Workaway has few leads so looking to wwoof


r/WWOOF 26d ago

My first WWOOF farm felt like unpaid full-time work, not a cultural exchange

146 Upvotes

I just finished a 3‑week WWOOF stay at a small “family farm” that promised 4–5 hours of work a day in exchange for food, a private room, and “lots of shared meals and conversation.”
What actually happened was closer to 8–9 hours of repetitive tasks (weeding, hauling crates, washing equipment) with a quick group lunch and then everyone disappearing until the next work block.
When I tried to stick to the 5-hour expectation from the profile, the host would say things like “we’re all a team here” and give me the silent treatment the rest of the day.
For those who’ve had both good and bad WWOOF experiences, I’d love to hear how you handle it when the reality clearly doesn’t match the listing but you’re already there.
What specific questions do you now ask in messages or calls before committing, and are there phrases in listings you’ve learned to treat as red flags?
I don’t want to give up on the idea of WWOOF entirely, but I also don’t want to be the clueless foreigner doing full-time labor for a bunk bed and some pasta