My Journey into the WWOOF Community – A Personal Report by Our Newest GOOFie, Martha
From November 7 to 9, WWOOF Germany trained eight volunteers to become “Guides on Organic Farms” (GOOFies). In the future, GOOFies will support WWOOF weekends as co-organizers and on-site contact persons. This newly developed training program strengthens the volunteer work within WWOOF Germany. The program was funded by the German Foundation for Voluntary Service and Civic Engagement.
I, too, had the chance to step into the role of a GOOFie as a participant. Thanks to my wonderful experiences WWOOFing in Norway, I arrived at the weekend full of anticipation—though admittedly without much prior knowledge or experience. Curiosity drove me, and as it turned out, that was all I needed! Once again, WWOOF led me to a special place—the “Lehmkuhle” farm in the Odenwald—filled with enthusiastic, joyful people. Through small playful tasks, targeted questions, and collective brainstorming, we gained the knowledge and confidence needed to guide and accompany groups in the future. We learned from experts, from each other, and from the vibrant exchange within the group.
We also delved deeper into the topic of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). An online seminar provided valuable insights and inspired us to think about how ESD can be integrated even more prominently into WWOOF activities in the future. And as is typical for a WWOOF weekend, we also got practical: pruning trees, sweeping leaves, and mowing the lawn in the garden. Moments for social exchange and play emerged over freshly prepared meals and later by the campfire in the dark.
In the end, my limited experience as a WWOOFer proved to be no obstacle at all. As this weekend showed me, all you really need to become part of WWOOF is enthusiasm, openness, and the joy of lending a hand on farms.
