Jorge Moreno wants to be a doctor. More specifically, he wants to work with Doctors Without Borders. However, today, the 22-year-old biology major from Los Angeles, is knee deep in a pond, clearing out debris from falling trees grateful for the cool, cloudy afternoon skies. Moreno volunteers at Olomana Gardens, learning about rural living and organic farming in exchange for accommodations and meals.

‘I was looking for a change of pace, a change of scenery, a kind of apprenticeship,’ Moreno says. ‘I eventually want to work with Doctors Without Borders, and what I learn here, I can apply. In the places they go, organic usually is the only way to go.’

Moreno is a WWOOFer, one of an estimated 500 people who annually migrate to Hawai’i to volunteer their services on the Islands’ organic farms. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It first came to Hawai’i about 10 years ago, according to John Vanden Heuvel, WWOOF Hawai’i’s host coordinator.

‘Hawai’i is a very popular destination,’ Vanden Heuvel says. ‘But it could be substantially more so.’

WWOOF, a nonprofit organization, began in 1971 when a London secretary named Sue Coppard wanted to get out to the countryside and learn about biodynamic farming. She arranged a visit to a rural farm for herself and four friends. They worked weekends on the farm in exchange for room and board. It was such a successful partnership, she started Working Weekends on Organic Farms, or WWOOF. When it became clear that others wanted to volunteer for longer periods, the name was changed to Willing Workers on Organic Farms. ‘Workers’ became an issue, since the participants are actually volunteers, so it was changed again to World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It now has 43 membership organizations worldwide, says Vanden Heuvel, who has also hosted WWOOF Canada for 20 years.

‘WWOOFing, generally, it ends up being a cultural exchange,’ Vanden Heuvel says. ‘Say a girl in her 20s or 30s–it appeals to that age bracket generally–is from New York City and wants to come to Hawai’i and have a rural experience. She’s bringing her cultural impulses. And [she] learns about rural Hawai’i. WWOOFing fosters national cultural experiences.’

Vanden Heuvel says that Hawai’i’s climate and organic farming challenges are so different than the mainland, that the group maintains a separate WWOOF organization.

‘Hawai’i is substantially different from WWOOFing in other countries,’ Vanden Heuvel says. ‘Some are interested in organic farming. Others simply want an inexpensive way to see Hawai’i. People want the sunshine and warmth so wintertime is a good time to go.’

Marianna ‘Rainbow’ and Reiner Schrepfer run a bed and breakfast and a 7-acre organic farm on the Big Island. They have hosted many WWOOFers in their eight years with the program, many who stay in touch. Generally, they host no more than three volunteers, who maintain the vegetable garden, weed, rake, maintain the grounds, help in the kitchen and house, says Marianna Schrepfer, via e-mail.

According to Glenn Martinez, owner of Olomana Gardens, ‘It’s like the craigslist for volunteers,’ Martinez says. ‘What you get are degree-oriented, agriculture-biology-save-the-world-peace-corps kind of people. All of them are third-year college or graduates.’

WWOOF does not advertise, but uses word-of-mouth and the internet. Those interested contact host organizations and receive a booklet with an explanation on WWOOFing and a listing of farms. Vanden Heuvel says he visited Hawai’i a few years ago and tried to visit as many farms as possible, but he was not able to check out every farm listing. He ‘gets a pulse reading’ from the host and relies on feedback from WWOOFers for accuracy of accommodations and terms of stay.

‘We are a grassroots organization,’ Vanden Heuvel says. ‘Our biggest PR is word of mouthÖOur inspiration is knowing that when someone goes WWOOfing they have a very enriching experience. They learn things, a friendship is created and the host receives valuable help. A lot of places say that they couldn’t operate our market garden without this volunteer help.’

But the pastoral picture is not always perfect. ‘A knock that is often put out by volunteers is that we are looked upon as free labor,’ Vanden Heuvel says.

As Moreno and fellow volunteer Matt Gagnon finish clearing the pond, they pause to talk to two visitors from the Wild Dolphin Foundation, who have come by for an informal tour. Tomorrow, Martinez will take them out on his boat to see the work of the Wild Dolphin Foundation.

‘Now that is a good host,’ Vanden Heuvel says. ‘The ideal host cherishes the help they receive and integrates the [volunteer] host into their lifestyle. By taking them sailing or taking them to a concert or something else because it is a wonderful gift that the host receives.’

Working Weekends on Organic Farms
www.wwoofhawaii.org
www.wwoof.org

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