Adventures In Organic Farming
IN PURSUIT OF AN ECO-EDUCATION, VOLUNTEERS CAN SWAP THEIR TIME FOR HANDS-ON LESSONS IN BEEKEEPING, CHEESEMAKING, SHEEP HERDING AND OTHER EARTHLY PURSUITS.
Harvest star fruit
© Pam Mclean
So began my entrance into low-impact living. Greeted by coconut palms, star fruit trees and mid-January warmth, I found my Midwestern self in an exotic south Florida world. Having emerged from a tent rather than a grand hotel room made me feel a connection with my fellow living beings. I was just another creature starting to move around. Birds flitted through the branches, and there were soft rustlings in the fallen leaves. A gecko darted by and I, too, decided to get going in search of breakfast.
The aptly named Paradise Farms was the site of my eco-adventure in organic farming and sustainable living. Before the sun hit mid-sky, I learned how to harvest edible flowers, how to make dirt and how to use a composting toilet. I was a WWOOFer.
Created in London in 1971, Working Weekends On Organic Farms was established to give British urbanites the chance to dig into the then-emerging organic movement. Renamed World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms in 2002, the organization has grown into an international facilitator of farm stays, helping curious eaters learn firsthand where their food comes from; providing budding beekeepers, kale growers, goat herders and vintners hands-on internships; and giving travelers an affordable and truly authentic sense of place.
WWOOF-USA (one of 50 independently operating worldwide branches of WWOOF) lists more than 1,200 organic farms willing to provide room, board and an education in exchange for labor. In 2006, it had 1,900 members; by 2009, 9,000 wannabe WWOOFers had paid the $20 registration fee to browse the directory of host farms, which details the farms’ locations, preferred lengths of stay (from a few days to an entire growing season), hours of work expected and type of accommodations and meals offered. Volunteers make arrangements directly with the host of their choice—a tough decision, considering the multitude of farming and sustainable living situations available.
The typical WWOOFer is a young person with an interest in sustainable living, a willingness to learn and a limited budget. Many, like Nicole Reynolds, have college degrees but seek an education that traditional classes can’t provide. “As a WWOOFer, I learned things every day—how to look after animals, how to cook and grow organic food,” Reynolds says. “I’ve never gotten so much practical experience.”
I may not be young, but the chance to go green in a foreign environment (there aren’t any star fruit trees in Minneapolis), escape the winter weather for a few days and experience a different kind of south Florida getaway won me over.
HIDDEN BEHIND A HIGH HEDGE OFF OF AN ASPHALT ROAD, Paradise Farms’ five-acre expanse is more like a magical garden than the patchwork farms of my experience, filled with winding paths, raised vegetable beds, a limestone grotto and a pond with ferns overhead. Owner Gabriele Marewski employed feng shui principles to heighten the feeling of serenity and harmony with nature and is committed to growing food organically, using biodynamic principles which seek a natural harmony between soil, plants, animals and the cosmos.
Balancing out the Eden-like bliss, the always-busy farm manager Gus Jones was a reminder to the nine other WWOOFers and me that there was work to be done in this earthly garden. Tall and spare, he put the “dynamic” in biodynamic, giving directions on the fly, hacking out bamboo, sifting dirt and shoveling compost.
While my fellow volunteers were delegated to such projects as building an alfresco shower enclosure and removing fast-growing bamboo from a soon-to-be salad greens site, my first assignment was gathering edible sun hemp flowers. They’re harvested nearly every day in the morning, when the sun has coaxed them to unfold but before they are fully open. I was to find flowers with at least one unfurled yellow petal that would present nicely on a plate, since they are primarily decorative. Once gathered, the delicate yellow flowers are carefully cooled and shipped to upscale restaurants in Miami. “It’s not a hundred-dollar steak until they put that flower on it,” quipped Jones, as he hurried by with a rake and wheelbarrow.
Moving quietly through the waist-high plants, combing the long green tendrils with the sun warming my back, I enjoyed the work, which was quite pleasant but not rocket science. And that’s the beauty of many WWOOFing tasks—you’re free to think, be at one with nature, hum.
Next on my to-do list was making dirt. Paradise Farms’ recipe for creating sustainable organic dirt: Dump leaves, branches, spent plants, bamboo, weeds and palm bark from the farm in a big pile. Turn the pile many times during the breakdown process. Once it starts to break down, shovel it onto a window-sized wire screen with a wheelbarrow underneath. Shake the screen to sift out the usable dirt and toss the remaining bits in a refuse pile. Blend the dirt with an equal amount of compost with a rake. Mound it up about four inches and flatten off the top so it’s about two feet wide. Easy, right? My shoulders did not agree.
After six hours of labor, it was time to call it quits. (Like all WWOOF hosts, Paradise Farms is clear about the hours it expects volunteers to work per day.) The other dusty volunteers and I meandered onto the screened porch to check email, read or fix a snack from the store of vegan staples (which offers all-you-can-eat fresh man-goes and avocado). As we lounged on the assortment of garage-sale furniture, I discovered the variety of avenues that brought my fellow WWOOFers to Paradise Farms.
Charlie O’Dowd had a new teaching degree but was here for some continuing ed: “Small-scale farms are the way of the future, and right now there aren’t enough farmers or people who can teach sustainable farming.” College sophomore Meredith Corey-Disch wanted a cheap winter break. Retired college professor Colette Urban was on a research expedition, with hopes of establishing an organic farm at home in Newfoundland. And Cristy Latagan? She was working in a culinary arts program in New York City but didn’t really know where the raw ingredients used in her cooking came from. She got to the root of the issue by WWOOFing.
HOST FARMS REPRESENT AN INCREDIBLE range of business models and industries, from urban gardens to off-grid rural homesteads, cheesemakers to cattle ranchers, and market producers to retreat centers. To help narrow the field, the WWOOFUSA.org directory is searchable by interest, region of the country and state. For example, if you type in contemporary art and Louisiana, you’ll come across Trouser House in central New Orleans. Established by former WWOOFer Emily Morrison, Trouser House holds an art gallery and organic garden, and volunteers may weed the garden, help with an art installation or prepare a community dinner. Mardi Gras? Not so much. WWOOFers experience Crescent City joie de vivre year-round.
Melani Cheers of Three Cheers Farm in New Bethlehem, PA, has hosted many a city slicker. “When we ask them to go out and harvest some beans for dinner, many have no idea what a bean plant looks like, how it grows or how to prepare it,” she says. In addition to planting and harvesting vegetables, caring for an orchard and a flock of sheep, WWOOFers at Three Cheers Farm make meals with the family. “They can be involved in food from soil preparation to table,” Cheers says.
Oenophiles participate in all aspects of winemaking, from building trellises to harvesting grapes and assisting with fermentation, at Alli-Lanphear Farm and Vineyard on Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. The farm prefers short stays of three to seven days, perfect for WWOOFers who only have time for a taste of the eco life.
Many a surfer dude has contacted Markegard Family Grass-Fed, located just outside San Francisco on a surf-tastic stretch of California coast, but owners Erik and Doniga Markegard are selective. “We want to teach people about ranching and are looking for those who are passionate about learning,” Doniga says. WWOOFers may be so busy caring for livestock, learning about permaculture and how to run a vehicle on used vegetable oil, riding horses and busting a move at monthly barn dances, they might forget about surfing anyway.
Back at Paradise Farms, the WWOOFers’ thoughts turn from the upcoming farmers market and a possible weekend trip to Key West to more immediate concerns, namely dinner. No frozen entrées or takeout here: Between the farm’s produce and the eclectically outfitted outdoor kitchen, the evening meal is just another opportunity for active participation in the garden-to-table chapter of the organic farming story. Basil, oregano, thyme, onions, garlic, oyster mushrooms (one of Paradise Farms’ specialties) and sun-warmed red and yellow tomatoes go into the pan, and we enjoy the fruits of our labors with a million-dollar Miami sunset glowing orange and pink in the background. Garnishing my plate with brightly colored sun hemp seems redundant.
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