How to Work on a Farm for a Day
Working on a farm for a day will not only be a rewarding educational experience, but will offer you the opportunity to see where your food comes from and to appreciate those who work each day to provide it. The most convenient way to experience farm work for a day is to volunteer with a farm near your home. Small-scale farms abound even near urban areas. If you are planning a vacation, plan to incorporate a day of volunteer work on a small farm at your destination, which can often be done in exchange for food and lodging.
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Things You'll Need
- Clothes that can get dirty
- Old tennis shoes or boots
- Work gloves
- Interest in farming or growing your own food
- Flexible schedule
Instructions
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Local Opportunities
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Start at localharvest.org. Local Harvest is your source for all things related to small farming. The Web site directs you to farms in your area and provides a directory of farmer's markets where you can connect with local farmers in person to ask about working at their farm for a day.
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Contact your state's farm bureau. These non-governmental and non-profit consortiums work to support agriculture in each state and will be able to direct you to farms within their membership.
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Call or email several nearby farms to inquire about volunteer programs. Remember that you are contacting a working farm and you will need to adjust your schedule and expectations according to their needs. That said, most small farms welcome the help. You may find that after a one day visit, you will want to become a regular volunteer.
Travel Work Opportunities
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Browse the listing of International CSAs maintained by the Fulton Center for Sustainable Living at Wilson College in Pennsylvania. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system in which farmers sell a share of their farm, usually in the form of a box of produce delivered weekly to members of the community. Since these farms rely on community involvement, they generally have volunteer programs.
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Explore the farms online at wwoof.org. The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) connects volunteers with farms across the United States and abroad. According to the WWOOF site, "In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles." WWOOF organizations usually charge a small fee to hosts and volunteers, which helps maintain and develop the WWOOF network.
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Check the Local Harvest site for farms in your destination city.
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Tips & Warnings
Be proactive. Contact farmers directly and ask about working with them for a day.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dairy farm image by mrslevite from Fotolia.com
