Report from Lidaberg, near Sk\u00f6vde – southern Sweden.<\/p>\n
Ett, tv\u00e5, tre!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The task of the day is to take the bale of straw to the garden and spread it over each of the 21 plots so that they will have a good winter. By covering the soil, not only will the worms not dig too deep in search of warmth, but they will also turn over the cultivable soil on the surface. But also the vegetable garden plots will not have any weeds blooming in the spring, providing virgin soil for the seeds.<\/p>\n
Birgit, 68, has been hosting WWOOFers in her home for almost 10 years. \u201cWe can meet in a way that maybe I didn\u2019t know before\u201d.\u00a0 What is WWOOFing? A platform that connects travellers with farmers. It’s called “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”. In exchange for their voluntary help, the travellers (known as “WWOOFers”) receive food and a pillow to lay their heads on.<\/p>\n
Initiated in England in the 1970s, the movement now includes more than 130 countries around the world. The aim is to promote awareness of ecological farming practices and sustainable living. Each country runs its own platform locally, charging a yearly membership fee ranging from \u20ac25 for France<\/a> to \u20ac32 for Sweden<\/a>. As a WWOOFer, you have access to the contacts of the hosts in the country you have signed up for, and once you are there, there is no question of money. The currency of exchange is human relations.<\/p>\n
So, as Rodrigo Rocha, coordinator of WWOOF Portugal, points out, “the good thing about WWOOFing is that you can do extremely professional things, but without the pressure of money. So the pressure is on quality instead of deadline, or profit.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t