It’s another rhythm of life at the Monastary. Caring for animals, working in the vegetable garden, learning the basics of permaculture—the Sisters here also aspire to share century-old experiences of learning about collective life with WWOOFers.
Étiquette : en
« I was on my way to literally get up close and personal with some good old-fashioned dirt. I wanted to learn how to grow things: delicious, beautiful organic fruits and vegetables. So I headed to the south of France to spend three weeks working on an organic farm – because if you’re going to learn how to grow food, what better place is there than the south of France… »
Contrary to popular belief, WWOOFing is not volunteer labor for accommodation and a holiday. A WWOOFer should have a genuine interest in « agroecology » or ecological farming practices to learn about the host’s work and to share in their lifestyle. Likewise, hosts must express a sincere desire to share their expertise in organic farming. Accommodation merely becomes a means for an educational approach in teaching and learning about a more sustainable way of life.
In her blog Curated Adventure, Texas native Adelle writes about some appetizing topics: travel, food, wine, and self-discovery. It’s during her stay at WWOOF farm Grand La Grange de Bouys in the South of France where she decompresses from her former work life and gets her hands dirty all while finding some « peace of mind ».
Cheesemaking, permaculture, raising animals—members of the WWOOFing community express their love for learning and sharing. A need to reconnect with how to make and do the everyday things in life.
Right from her host’s farm, Marissia takes us on a farm-to-table culinary experience. With views of the mill and forest, we see how polenta is ground using a traditional stone mill and prepared with wild picked mushrooms in a cozy farm-house kitchen. The soothing montage transports us to slow-food life, a bucolic feast for the belly as well as the eyes.
Here is the down n’ dirty (no pun intended) on how to make your kitchen scraps a work of sustainable art—that gives back to the community one banana peel at a time.
Wholesome communication is not so unlike tending to your organic garden. It requires good intentions, a few handy tools, and a bit of work. Here, WWOOFers and hosts come together to give their best practices around how to effectively communicate in hopes that your experiences on the farm may flourish.
Packing my bag to head to Haute-Savoie, I donned a pair of working boots and left my expectations in the city. With a curious and eager spirit, I opened up to an alternative way of engaging with my environment and share those impressions of living and working on an organic farm in France.
Anouk, nick named Oogie, is a Hamburg native who tries out WWOOFing on a French farm where she shares the techniques she learned from cheese making to bread baking. Through her detailed entries, we experience a day in the life on the farm with an appétit as big as the local French gourmands.