Unfortunately, wwoofing is not for dogs.
Wwoofing, or worldwide opportunities on organic farms, connects eager farmhands with farm owners. In return for the farmhand’s labor, the farm owner compensates them with room & board, food, and an educational experience in sustainable farming. Not only is wwoofing a great way to visit new places for relatively cheap, but it’s also a great way to meet new people who come from a wide range of backgrounds.
How does wwoofing work?
Wwoofing is organized by an international group, the Federation of Wwoof Organizations (FoWo), which is broken down into smaller country-level chapters. The Wwoof network spans over 130 countries and 12,000 farms. I simply had to join the Netherlands chapter of wwoofing for a €20 annual fee, and then I could view and connect with farms.
After researching across farms in the Netherlands available for dates I intended to visit (I’d estimate there were about 200 to choose from), I reached out to the five I was most interested in, knowing that some would respond sooner than others. I messaged the farms via the built-in messaging platform on the website, but most of the farms gave me their phone numbers and we were able to set up WhatsApp video calls with each other. We discussed dates, expectations on the farm, accommodations, availability of bikes (which was never an issue of course), and how the farmers came to start hosting wwoofers. At the time of writing this, I’m planning on visiting 3 amazing farms across the Netherlands for 2 weeks each (I’m intentionally not revealing them ahead of time so each one will come as a surprise to you guys!).