WOOFING In New Zealand

My mom raised me to pay attention to what I put into my body and so, after my teenage years of rebellion (during which I consumed copious amounts of sugar) that little voice in the back of my head began speaking up and nudging me to learn about healthy lifestyle choices. I was drawn towards shopping at the local farmers markets, buying organic, leaning into a vegetarian diet and learning about how to grow food.

During my senior year of college, I would spend hours in the UF Ceramics Department, on a dial up computer, in the assistant professor’s office searching for things to do after graduation. I had a strong interest in learning about organic gardening and a desire to travel. At some point in my search, I came across WWOOFing ( Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). The concept was a dream come true, the chance to travel and learn about farming while at the same time meeting local people and learning about the local culture.

I chose to go to New Zealand because, at that time (2004), they had more WWOOFing hosts than any other country in the world and I took that as a sign that the culture may be in general support of the practice.

A WWOOF experience can last for a weekend or years. I ended up spending about six months traveling this way on the North Island in New Zealand. Years later, I spent a few weeks living at an Ashram in California and worked in the organic garden there. Point being, you don’t necessarily have to travel far to get a WWOOF experience.

Look at this pretty farm located in the lower Hudson Valley! Here’s another one in the California Redwoods where you can learn about harvesting seaweed!