If you've ever dreamed of trying your hand at farming (or other earthy project), programs like WWOOF could be for you.

In return for your time and energy, WWOOFing hosts offer accomodation, vittles and wisdom - sidestepping cash and capitalising on pure human exchange.

Like a smorgasbord of life’s options, WWOOF (or HelpX or Workaway) represent the perfect way to meet new folks, test drive a vast array of lifestyles and get enmeshed in the lives of others quickly and meaningfully. You'll make friends, learn new skills, live like a local, broaden your worldview and travel at very low cost.

As you can guess, Jade and Catie are both big fans of this exchange and bring you 20 minutes of lived experience, from both the host's and helper's perspective.

We hope that if you haven't already, you'll place a farm exchange on your to-do list: young or old, with or without a family, you can gain so much for stepping boldly into the agricultural unknown, getting front row seats to our food system and first hand-experience in the soil.

SHOW NOTES

• Catie's volunteering rite-of-passage.
• WWOOFing as a wonderful way to cram diversity into your life.
• Avoiding tourist traps and getting a VIP pass to real life.
• Why to relish the experience - even it's a little uncomfortable. It's about the story.
• How it works as a host: the day in/day out routine.
• How it encourages cultural sharing, illuminating how humans and communities are shaped.
• How it creates a mini-village, with many hands participating in daily life.
• The importance of vetting - for both volunteers and hosts.
• Why having an open mind and acceptance of the unknown is critical.
• Why to always pack warm and dirt-proof clothes!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

• WWOOF Australia
• HelpX
• Workaway

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