r/WWOOF

Hello everyone,

I’m leaving for Canada on September 1st to do WWOOFing at ranches through the HelpX platform. Overall, I’ll be spending 5 weeks at a ranch near Kelowna, 5 weeks at another one near Saskatoon, then 5 days in Montreal as a tourist before flying back to Paris.

I already have my eTA, passport, international driving permit, travel insurance, and all the necessary flight tickets, including my return flight. Since I’ve finished my studies, I’ve also signed a job offer for when I return to France.

However, after reading several people’s experiences, I’m a bit worried about going through Canadian customs. From what I’ve read, many people recommend saying that you’re visiting friends rather than mentioning that you’re going to do WWOOFing.
I’m planning to book 2 cheap hotel nights in the city where I arrive, just in case, so I don’t have to explain the WWOOFing situation right away, or in case I meet up with friends and they ask me additional questions.
I’ve also bought some gifts for my hosts (French biscuits, strawberry jam, and a few pâtés/terrines that comply with the permitted regulations). However, I understand that I need to declare them when I arrive.

So I have a few questions:
- How does declaring the food I’m bringing work?
- What would you generally recommend telling the customs officer? Especially if I book 2 nights at a hotel at the beginning, how should I explain the rest of my trip if I don’t have any other bookings?
- If anyone has had experience staying at ranches or travelling around Canada, I’d love to hear about it!
- Anything else I should know or any advice?

Thank you!!

As the title suggests, I’m really passionate about dairy farming.
I just don’t want to buy a membership to then find out they won’t accept me, and I can’t contact hosts until I buy a membership.
Or perhaps, someone with a membership who can contact a farm to ask them for me, I’d be very grateful.

I'm going to be bouncing around europe for a few months and while I don't need my laptop for work or anything I do find it much more convenient than my phone for browsing. I'll be booking further wwoof/workaways and think it might be easier to use than my phone for that. Space isn't an issue, but I do have to consider the weight (and concern about damage or theft). I'm trying to make sure all farms I'm going to will have wifi, but I certainly don't hope to spend my free time inside on the internet, I mostly want to use it for things like research and planning.

What do yall think? Do you bring your laptop with you? Any other pros/cons I should consider?

Hello! I am a hijabi muslim woman living in Canada. I want to try WWOOFing solo here in Canada, but I'm worried about islamophobia. Does anyone know if it, or other forms of bigotry, are common? I take horseback riding lessons and microaggressions from staff at the barn aren't super rare. It's not the biggest issue when I ride, but I'm worried about it with WWOOFing because I will be living with the "staff". I know people in rural areas tend to be white and may hold more conservative viewpoints. I want to try WWOOFing as a way to disconnect and experience nature, as well as gain diverse animal experience since I plan to apply to vet school. How common is islamophobia?

I’m really interested in getting into volunteering, especially wildlife/animal conservation. I love animals, nature, traveling, meeting people, helping others, and seeing different parts of the world.
I have no clue what places are good for volunteering but I wouldn’t mind Africa, the Americas or Asia(I know that’s not very specific but anything but Europe tbh). I’d be free after the month of August.

I have so many questions and I’d love for people who have actually done it to answer and enlighten me!!
\- How did you get started, and what do I need to do beforehand(Vaccines etc.)?
\- What visas/permits do I usually need for volunteering?
\-Which countries would you recommend, especially for wildlife/animal conservation?Which ones should I avoid? and which ones are good for August and onward
\- What should I look for when choosing a legitimate organization/project? Any green/red flags?
\- How much should I realistically budget?(Ive got some saved up money!)
\- What should I pack, and what should I definitely not bring?
\- How long should I Volunteer? Weeks Months ??
\- Are there any organizations/websites you personally recommend or ones I should avoid?

Help me out if i forgot some questions.
Any experiences, tips, mistakes you made, or things you wish you knew beforehand would be really appreciated!

So I'm on a farm working and didnt even know all these animals I care for will eventually turn into dinner.

When I talked to the host over the phone he just said you will be "working with".

I'm somewhat spiritual but vegetarian (personal choice so wont get into it).

Anyways is there another website/app like WWOOF or even wwoof itself where I can care for all types of animals? (maybe you know of a wwoofing place you can recommend me from TN state line and below since I dont like super cold weather)

Mainly mammals that wont be end up for dinner (dogs, cats, 4 legged animals).

Trying to build up my resume since its impossible to get a paying job without 1 year minimum experience and I don't want to take care of animals just for them to be killed and also the fact that many die before they are sent in for slaughter which I dont like to touch dead animals.

Planning 2 months in NZ on a Working Holiday Visa - would love input from anyone who's done similar!

 

Advice would be so appreciated on:

1. Working holiday vs volunteering/exchange: Which is the better / more realistic experience for a two month stay?

• Option one: Shorter volunteer stays in multiple places (bed and board)
• Option two: A (paid?) stint in a pretty area with day trips and a week or two travel at end of visit (though paid work seems scarce and sort own accommodation)

1. Which regions for Jan–Feb? Normally a city girl but would love to get outside and see NZ beauty spots. From research, Christchurch / Queenstown might be a good match if staying in one place, also eager to see as lots of beauty spots if possible!
2. Vineyard/fruit-picking: I’ve met people who loved it. Is Jan–Feb realistic timing? Would also consider casual hospitality work alongside WWOOFing etc. I'm Irish, is walking into an Irish pub and asking if there’s availability a done thing in NZ?
3. Typical WWOOF/HelpX etc. host stays: I'd imagined 1–2 weeks per place. Realistic or do most hosts want longer?
4. Car: buy and resell as opposed to renting for a 2-month trip — worth the hassle?

 

TIA!

 

Extra info:

Never been to NZ before! Considering this trip to get a break from the desk job and live abroad for a while. I've only heard positives about the people and scenery in NZ!

Marketing manager with a postgrad in sustainability from Cambridge and volunteer with a conservation charity in the UK. I love getting my body moving and am very active, so organic farm work, conservation, vineyards etc. all appeal to me.

I’ve previously worked in catering/hospitality and retail so I’m very happy working with new people and getting stuck in.

I have a UK and Irish passport, so I’d be applying for the NZ Working Holiday Visa on my British passport.

I really want to wwoof at age 16, thinking about Germany and northern Italy, though any of the following countries I’ll be more than glad to wwoof in. In Germany, Italy, Portugal and uk they allow participating from age 16. If anyone got any experience with it, it’ll be awesome and helpful.

I’m in the US and interested in doing WWOOF in Japan in the fall for the first time. The site says it’s ok to visit as a tourist since there’s no monetary compensation but I’m a bit paranoid after reading some old news stories where people got in trouble, and also since the government seems to be more anti-foreigner lately. Has anyone done WWOOF in Japan recently and had any issues or things went fine under a tourist visa?

Hallo!

I will be solo WWOOFing for the very first time from Sept 23 to Oct 28 this fall staying in both South Germany and central Switzerland. I am from the US and this is also my first time traveling internationally.

I am an extreme overpacker and have never been away from this long, so I really have no clue as to what are necessities and what should stay home. Obviously this differs for everyone but I would appreciate any general suggestions of what to pack based on your experiences. I will be doing classic farm work with both gardening and animal caretaking.

I am mostly curious about how much clothing yall got away with, things you are glad you brought/wish you had left, and maybe some things most people dont think of when packing.

Danke!

I keep seeing comments about how to gauge what a farm may be like, to "read between the lines" of reviews. Why is that? Why aren't reviews more straightforward and honest?

hello!!! i’m going to be coming over to new zealand on a working holiday visa in september, and i was just wondering if anyone had any recs or advice for getting a job on the south island!! i would love to be able to work on a small farm or something like that, but i’m really willing to do anything (hospitality, tourism, fruit picking). I will be near the queenstown / lake wakatipu area. i’m super flexible, eager to learn, hardworking, and i love nature and animals. let me know if you have any suggestions or if you know anyone who would be in need of assistance or a farmhand for a bit!

I may be stupid, idk, but for the life of me I have no clue where to see all the places I saved in Favourites. I spend like 3h surveying, reading and picking what I liked 😭 Plsss where r they???

Hopefully this is going to be my first time going on sth like this and I am still choosing between 3 countries so I haven't paid the membership yet. it's entirely unfair if they expect me to pay in order to have a favourites list , jeez

Edit: nvm, found it. It wasn't my fault really, the fuckass button looks like an AI button. (I mean it's organic farming, there should not be an AI button but one of the hosts I checked offered AI courses online so 💀)