The WWOOFER Page
Hello wwoofers! (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) Thank you for viewing our listing in the WWOOF USA Directory.
We wholeheartedly support wwoofing, wwoofers, and the World of Wwoof. Each wwoofer is unique, and each one brings new talents and insights to our farm. We have had a variety of personalities pass through our farm on their way to their dreams. We hope that we helped them, or at least made them laugh. We have loved (almost) all of 'our' Wwoofers as they always bring energy, high spirits, and enthusiasm that can be so badly needed in the middle of an overwhelming summer season. Bring your work gloves and ideas. (please also see the Projects and Plans/2012 page on this website to get an idea of what we are up to this season)
This season our wwoofers will be trained to assist our "Fresh Harvest" members with harvesting, washing and bagging of their produce. We are especially looking for wwoofers who are 'good with people' and who really want to interact with the consumers. This is the cutting-edge of social farming. You will of course be learning all aspects of growing good food for local folks, ( the dirty hands part) but you will also experience the satisfaction of direct farmer-to-eater interaction (the happy smile part).
2008 wwoofers: our first year hosting volunteers. We didn't have any big projects that year, the volunteers helped with all farm tasks and we learned a lot about how to be good hosts.
2009 wwoofers painted murals on the high tunnel, made natural fiber aprons for us to wear, sheet- mulched the fruit trees and berries, built the Best Compost Pile Ever, had fun together in the big city, planted, weeded, harvested, and marketed vegetables. They helped with the multifarm CSA in town every Wednesday. This crew bonded for life, and were an amazing team that learned quickly and accomplished a lot. We spawned one urban farmer, one rabbi and two arctic adventurers. I remember hearing a lot of singing in the field that summer...
2010 wwoofers accomplished the following: built a solar oven, built an earthen oven and a shed roof to house it, made a fire ring, created a hops yard, a new herb garden, tended chickens, made art on the adirondack chairs by the pond, planted thousands of row feet of lettuce, strung up the high tunnel tomatoes, sheet-mulched the berries and currants, renovated the hazelnut zone, cleared around the fruit trees, canned and dehydrated many bushels of tomatoes, went camping, sailing, to baseball games, biking, attended our farm yoga class, plus planted, harvested, weeded, cultivated, washed, bagged, priced and delivered produce. (And let us not forget about the First Annual Fire Circle Hip-Hop Rap-Off. pretty fun)
2011 wwoofers accomplished the following: built a really neat solar dehydrator (the same type which is currently being sold through Territorial Seeds for 389.00 plus shipping... ours cost less than $100.00), picked and froze gallons of berries, hilled potatoes, dug potatoes, planted potatoes, went to market and sold stuff to people, enjoyed earth oven Pizza Nights, drummed, did a lot of weeding and watering, went tubing on a local river, danced at a local music festival, and so much more, including most of the 2010 activities.
This is the Wwoofer camper-trailer : (but this is not our yard)
nice and cozy for two with bed, closet, couch/table, electric and mini-frig. The Wwoofer bathroom is in the house. [Ben and Lori do use the trailer once a year to go to the Great Blue Heron Music Festival 2 hours away in N.Y., so expect to be kicked out of the trailer and moved into the house over the July 4th weekend. The above photo is of our "camp" at the festival, clustered with the rest of The Herd family up on The Hill; we repeat; its not our backyard!]
What to expect once you get here? We ask that you be up and ready to attend the Breakfast Meeting at 8:00 a.m., where the daily tasks and schedule are discussed. Once the Goals List is made, you can decide how you want to schedule your 6 hours of work for the day; all at once, some morning some evening, its up to you and the weather. Wwoofers work five days a week, the days are flexible depending on weather, markets, and recreational opportunities. We sail on Wednesdays and Sundays. (competitive race series in Erie)
We will feed you all seven days of the week, though! We are vegetarian, and we will buy milk for you if you need it. We have been known to purchase local organic meat. We can accomodate special diets if and only if you notify us in advance that you require special foods. There is always "grazing" food in the frig; hummus, tortillas, tabbouleh, cheeses, pasta, etc--- you will be well-fed. Dinner is late- 8:00 or 9:00 pm. Lori is pretty tired by then, so it is generally simple yet filling: big salad & pasta, burritos & rice, & stir fry vegs, quesadillas, etc. Please plan to cook your own meals on your day off---there is plenty of food to work with in the pantry, freezer, and frig. We do appreciate and expect a willingness to help with cooking and dishes. Perhaps there is a special dish you like to make?
Since we assume that you are wwoofing because you are interested in learning about agriculture, we also offer opportunities to attend workshops, field days and tours on other farms in the region. Check the PASA list of 2012 Field Day opportunities at www.pasafarming.org. We will pay for your registration fees and gas to attend workshops within 2 hours of our farm.
If the trailer is occupied we can house people in a canvas platform tent-for-two. very nice! We would also like to build a "Wwoofer Hut" in the woods, but definitely need help with this project!
(2009 and 2010 WWOOFER, Hayley, with a baby muscovy duck)
Please go to the Photo Gallery on this website for more photos of the farm and former wwoofers
Please email tchfrch@hotmail.com for more wwoofing information., and get yourself a WWOOF USA directory too!
also see the WWOOFER FAQ webpage... just the facts, ma'am...
