Host Ian Greenfield of Our Small Farm recently emailed a thank you and some photos to all his WWOOFers and copied it to us. There have been so many WWOOFers and they’ve obviously made a huge impact on Ian, his family and the farm! Here are just a few extracts from that inspiring email: ‘…many of you were involved in the massive daffodil planting task and I promised to send a photo or two of the result. I think everyone will agree it was well worth while.
The daffodils are now growing over a bank 250m long and look absolutely stunning when people drive past. Thank you for all your efforts, all those who helped plant the five 25kg sacks over several months… We still have juice left (we made 6,600 bottles in the end)… The new workshop, the floor…is now finished and is being used… Lots of weeding has got done… hay… sheep…logs… Another big job was planting a hedge… Our Small Farm, is very much Your Small Farm too, and we are so grateful for your hard work, your good humour, conversation, willingness and sense of fun. We have learnt so much from all of you, and are still using some of the catchphrases! We feel we have friends all over the world now and we hope you will always remember with affection your time with us here. All of you are welcome should you find yourselves in this part of the world again.’
Host Cookes West Wood Farm in the North East are continuing their tradition of running WWOOFing Community Camps this year in June, July, August and September. They say: ‘Camps offer WWOOFers a chance to be a part of a lively temporary community with other WWOOFers from around the globe. Everyone who has been on the camps has enjoyed them very much and the end of camp has always been a sad occasion! WWOOFers on camp, cook, eat and work together. Often there is shared socialising too around a fire, bbqs, exploring the area and skill exchanges – contact them via our website.
Looking forward, hosts Tan-Y-Fron are offering WWOOFers the opportunity to live in history this summer/autumn to learn traditional rural skills by volunteering to help them restore some 19th century rural domestic facilities; accommodation and all meals in exchange for your help of course. This could be for a weekend, a few days or longer…
Working alongside skilled and experienced artisans, WWOOFers will be part of a team working towards the renovation of a wood burning ‘washing machine’, an unusual backyard Ty Bach (a four-seater loo – which is not in use any more as a multi-occupancy toilet!), a cobbled laundry yard and the creation of two ponds. The project, dubbed ‘Leaks, loos and washday blues’, will also include repairing a dry stone wall and constructing a bridge across the stream that runs alongside the house. Tan-Y-Fron is a small community based in mid-Wales – contact them via our website.
And hosts The Crossing, in Forest Row, Sussex continue to develop their vision and their field! They say: the basic idea is to create a resilient landscape, both drought resistant and flood tolerant, that will withstand our changing climate. We can feed ourselves, feed the soil, feed the livestock, feed the
wildlife, in short, let all life thrive, AND sequester carbon all at the same time. What’s not to like? Come on, let’s have it, heaven on earth, and if not now, when?
We’re looking for a young couple interested in Regenerative Agriculture, Agroforestry and Permaculture principles to come and apprentice for the next season, learn about no-dig food growing systems and biochar, animal husbandry, how to run a Community Supported Agriculture scheme and more. Come and teach us, as we all have something to learn from each other – contact them via our website.
