WORKING ON ORGANIC FARMS

HELP FARMING AROUND THE WORLD

What associations do you make when you hear the word WWOOF?

It may sound like a dog barking or perhaps just another text messaging slang word, but it’s got nothing to do with these ideas. It’s an acronym for "Worldwide Workers On Organic Farms," or "Willing Workers On Organic Farms." This global organization connects a volunteer workforce and biodynamic farmers in a blissful and beneficial symbiosis. On the one hand, a farmer gets volunteer workers who are eager to learn about biological farming, and on the other, a wwoofer is provided with a room, food, and first-hand, practical knowledge about organic farming.

Farms included in this organization are small, non-industrial, and they promote their crops or livestock as self-sufficient. They market environmentally-friendly practices in contrast to industrial farming that often does more harm than good to mother earth. What’s more, they advertise "mutual aid," where both parties involved benefit from each other. The aim of the WWOOF movement is to link farmers and volunteers to promote organic farming and to expand the global community of people who consider trust and simplicity as high moral standards.

A prospective wwoofer must know what he/she is expecting to get out of involvement in this international phenomenon and make a list of their demands. If you want to learn specific skills and not just weed beds or harvest crops, you should do some research in advance and find a specific farm that is willing to show you more. You mustn’t hesitate to contact a potential host farmer and get rid of any doubts that are making your decision difficult.

The host farmer and the volunteer worker must both honour the agreement, otherwise things may not turn out well. Novice volunteers can find themselves with farmers who just think of them as free seasonal harvesting labourers, and you are free to take your leave if you feel misused. You, however, should do what you are expected to do and understand that your host can also ask you to leave if he feels you’re not meeting their expectations. The best way to avoid such awkward situations is to talk to someone who has already been on the farm you like the look of, as they probably won’t lie about what the place actually offers.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

acronym = (n.) an abbreviation made from the initial letters
blissful = (adj.) very happy
eager = (adj.) full of interest and expectation
novice= (adj.) an inexperienced person in a new situation
misused = (adj.) treated unfairly

FIND OUT

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

GRAMMAR LOG

May, can, should, must are modal verbs. They are special verbs that have some unique characteristics in usage:

1. The same form is used for all persons in singular and plural

They/she should tell you the truth.
Linda/they can crochet well.        

2. They are followed by a bare infinitive

Robert was shocked, he couldn’t utter a word.
This may be a problem.             

3. To make them negative, you simply add ‘not’

We mustn’t (must not) be late.
They shouldn’t (should not) not smoke in front of children.

Modal verbs are used to express obligation, prohibition, permission, ability, necessity, advice, probability, and possibility.

QUESTIONS FOR A DISCUSSION

1. What is the main idea of "wwoofing"?
2. What should a wwoofer be like?
3. What are the basic rules for a volunteer worker and a host farmer?
4. What can one benefit from being a volunteer on an organic farm?

EXAMPLE

1. The main idea of wwoofing is an exchange of help for knowledge. It’s an opportunity to experience organic farming in a foreign country. Volunteer workers are provided with free accommodation, food, and firsthand experience in organic farming in exchange for their help on the farm.

2. A wwoofer should be: prepared to do physical work, willing to obey orders from a stranger, communicative, and non-conflicting.

3. On the one hand, a volunteer worker has to do the farm work the host farmer asks him/her to do and he/she has to accept the everyday routines of farm members. The host farmer mustn’t take advantage of the volunteer’s willingness to help, he/she has to provide a decent accommodation and food for the workers.

4. Volunteer workers experience life on an organic farm, they can learn how to produce homegrown vegetables or fruit, they can acquire skills needed to make products like wine or cheese, and spend some time abroad communicating in a foreign language and making friends with people from all over the world.