Worldwide opportunities on organic farms. Wufing or agritourism, volunteering for shelter and food. What kind of volunteers?

As I have written more than once, opportunities should not form desires, but on the contrary, desires should create opportunities. Lack of money can in no way be an obstacle for someone who really wants to travel.

An acquaintance told me about one opportunity to travel on a minimal budget, who dropped in a few days ago with a letter to me in the mail, after two years of silence. I have already talked about him somewhere on this site, but allow me a lyrical digression.

We met in 2001, in the city of Lincoln, which is located in England. One cold March evening, our group of emigrants were sitting in a pub on the street corner. The establishment was run by an elderly Englishman named Norman, a huge, six-foot-tall former truck driver who loved us like his sons.

Besides the fact that we drank two months' supply of alcohol in one weekend, he liked our company because we behaved quietly and decently. We fit in perfectly with the company of regular customers: apart from a dozen old men who came to Norman for a glass of beer, we were often the only visitors.

It was truly cozy there: it was drizzling outside the window, and Pink Floyd was playing from the jukebox in the bar, beer was poured and there were a lot of stories to be told and listened to. I probably laid the foundation of my English in this pub, because somehow I couldn’t talk to real English people in other places.

And so, as I said, one cold March evening a group of Englishmen came into the bar. An acquaintance began, and after a couple of hours we were already happily singing something, moving the tables together.

Since I was the only one in our company who spoke English sufficiently, I had to act as a translator. As it turns out, one of our new friends, Kevin, arrived a few days ago from Australia.

Kevin had been hopelessly interested in surfing for many years: according to him, where he comes from, only babies don’t surf. He graduated from the university and got a good job, but by the age of 30, something clicked in his head, and, throwing his fledgling career to hell, he went on his first voyage along the beaches of the world.

In two years, he visited almost all the iconic places for a surfer. There is a whole subculture in the world, if you have watched Point Break, then you understand what I mean, but the fights between surfers and the crime in the film are fiction.

So, since Kevin could no longer force himself to work in an office, and he needed to earn something, he got a job as an industrial climber, washing glass on skyscrapers. Kevin joked that he felt sick just from the thought that one of those he sees in offices through the glass outside could be him. 🙂

For six months he worked as a glass washer in Australia, and for the other six months, with the money he earned, he traveled around the world with a couple of dozen other crazy people in search of waves. We met just as he was on his way to meet his group of surfers, who had set up a meeting place on one of the deserted beaches of southern England. Despite March, cold wind and water of +10 degrees, they are already surfing with all their might, and live in a caravan park on the seashore.

Then they were going to fly somewhere to warm regions, where the waves are especially large at this time of year. Then I was simply amazed by this man’s lifestyle; I didn’t even think about travel, considering it an unnecessary whim. To me, he looked like a man from another planet: I dreamed of a new car, and Kevin said that he was happy because he didn’t need anything other than a board, a neoprene suit and a wave.

Kevin, drunk, described his adventures and what not. There are people with iron charisma - as soon as they start talking about what they do, you listen with bated breath, although you have never even thought about anything like that. The dark room of the pub was filled in my imagination with the bright Hawaiian sun and white sand, the English drizzle gave way to scorching heat... It was wild to realize that I would go to work tomorrow, and he would fly to his waves.

In general, we still talked about a lot of things, or rather, he talked, but I had nothing to tell. We exchanged emails and said goodbye. Once every two or three years I received a letter from him in which he wrote about his life, which has changed only in that now he travels not only with a board, but with his wife and two children.

This time he wrote that they are now in South America, and since a tent on the beach is not quite suitable for the family, they are living for free on farms, under the WWOOF program. Of course, I immediately became interested in what it was: freebies when traveling are a very important thing.

It turned out that for more than 40 years, the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program has been operating in the world, which “brings together” farmers in need of free labor and people who want to exercise in the fresh air, receiving accommodation and food for this.

This is not a job, because people are not paid (sometimes, on the contrary, they pay the owners a couple of dollars for food), so you can use the program with a regular tourist visa (however, this is not possible in all countries - you need to google it in each specific case) .

Farm guests help with housework for 4-5 hours a day; the length of their stay depends on their desire and sympathy from the owners - from several days to many months. Kevin wrote that they rarely stay more than a week in one place. As a rule, farmers task guests with simple work, such as weeding, picking fruit, feeding animals, or cleaning the area.

WWOOF is designed to help owners of organic farms (the word Organic in the name) who do not use chemicals. Often running such a farm is unprofitable for a family of farmers, and the program helps them get free labor, which allows them to stay afloat.

Who uses this program? These could be travelers, like my friend, or they could be students looking for language practice or new acquaintances in a foreign country. Sometimes ordinary people spend their holidays this way to improve their nerves and save money.

The relationship between farmers and guests is completely informal - in some places the workers get what they came for - free food and a bed, but in others they become almost family members, living and eating under the same roof with the owners.

Surprisingly, I have never even heard of such a program, while it is very popular in the West. You may ask whether there are many such eco-farms around the world, and I will answer - there are thousands of them! For us, with our dead agriculture and unborn farming, it is difficult to imagine that all of Europe is endless fields on which something is grown. In addition, there are still a lot of ordinary people living from their land.

You ride a bicycle in Italy, and literally every kilometer you see signs - Agriturismo. Agritourism is when people come to a farm to live in an environmentally friendly place and eat natural food without pesticides. Organic farm owners survive by catering to these tourists and selling their products to expensive restaurants or stores, where they sell them under the Organic brand.

And the matter is not limited only to Europe - there are eco-farms in Asia, in the Americas, and everywhere around the world. Moreover, the profile can also be anything - from horse breeding to butterfly cultivation.

Therefore, for a traveler, the choice of where to stay for leisure or work is large - hands are needed everywhere. But you need to understand, however, that this is not a hotel where you can book a place - you need to make arrangements in advance, and you shouldn’t count on being given a whole room and breakfast in bed. Students live several people in a room, families and couples receive a separate area.

People come to such places not for comfort, but for communication, because if there is a way to get to know a foreign country, it’s just to live in the outback, eat country food and do a little work. On such farms there is a special atmosphere of friendship - everyone is on the same wavelength, because they didn’t come for the money. Some photos of happy village life:

Of course, I won’t say that everything is so smooth - it’s not always possible to immediately find a suitable farm. To use the WWOOF database, you need to pay an annual fee of 20-50 euros, depending on the country. Also, the language barrier can become a problem, because farmers rarely speak English, but whoever needs it will always find an opportunity.

In my opinion, this program is very interesting for anyone who wants to find something new, see an unfamiliar country, meet people and just save money. If you still want to travel, but don't have the money, then just Google the word WWOOF, read and try it yourself!

This question once forced me to get up from the couch, pack my backpack and go away to practically study myself and my capabilities.

Last summer I spent in an eco-hotel in Berlin and on farms in Portugal. The budget for the trip was about 200 euros, all of which were transportation costs.

Surprisingly, with this money you can live for a month in Berlin and a month and a half in Portugal, while seriously improving your skills in a variety of areas (from banal communication in English to farming). How? You have several options.

Opportunity one: workaway.info

This is a service that connects people who need help (hosts) with travelers (volunteers) who are ready to provide this help in exchange for a roof over their heads and food. Volunteers have very different motives. Some people are recovering from a breakup with a loved one or other emotional wounds, some are looking for themselves and their place in the world, some have a limited budget but want to travel, some want to learn something in practice, There's simply nothing to do.

The service works like this:

At first register on the website, fill out a detailed form and find the place where you want to go.
The most important thing is to pay attention read reviews(it’s better to go to a place with a lot of positive reviews - at least at first).
When corresponding with the host, be sure to make sure your expectations match. Basically you are expected to work about 5 hours a day, 5 times a week. But conditions, of course, are very different. The options for possible work are so diverse that they simply boggle the imagination.

You may be offered to breed turtles in a nature reserve, restore an old English castle, or build a hotel on some small Vietnamese island.

For example, I have been interested in the topic of ecology and the magic word “organic” for a very long time. That’s why, to begin with, I decided to pursue my passion and go to an eco-hotel in Berlin. The work there was not difficult, sometimes I was even trusted to cook something for guests of the organic vegan restaurant at the hotel.

I lived in comfortable conditions and ate restaurant food made from the best organic ingredients. And my fellow volunteers were simply wonderful people. In short, life in Berlin was wonderful.

Then I decided to go to Portugal and volunteer at a hostel in the surfing resort town of Lagos. Local conditions turned out to be the complete opposite of an eco-hotel.

Now I slept in the attic, scrubbed rooms with toilets every day and was very tired. And they didn’t provide food there, they only gave us 5 euros for breakfast.

For me this experience meant one thing: you need to have either a plan B or at least some money in case you end up in such a place.

Possibility two: WWOF

Willing Workers on Organic Farms is an older and proven resource with its own specifics, as the name suggests. The site seems antediluvian and inconvenient, but this can be forgiven for its reliability and huge base of farmer hosts around the world. The essence is the same as workaway.

Using this service, I spent 2 weeks on an organic farm near Lisbon. I had to work 6 hours a day: digging beds, planting plants, harvesting crops (strawberries, pears, figs and various vegetables) and selling them at the farmers market.

Despite the rather serious workload for a “greenhouse vegetable” (that is, me), I made friends with farm vegetables and was happy: finally, the word “organic” acquired a physical meaning for me. From books you will never understand how a farm actually works, as well as how to plant and care for plants correctly.

I became very close to the owner of the farm, George, even though we both knew little English and understood each other almost intuitively. Nevertheless, we were able to discuss almost all global trends.

I really remember his thoughts about consumer society:

“We live in crazy times,” George said. - People sit in box offices all day, and then in box apartments, and on weekends they need to hang out. But what are they doing? They get into cars and then spend 4 hours on the road to stand or lie somewhere on a crowded beach. When people go to get some exercise, they put on a tracksuit with sneakers... and go to the mall. Not to the park, but to the shopping center. Moreover, they go there not to buy something, but to simply gawk and want to buy another unnecessary thing with their next paycheck. Or sometimes they buy a T-shirt, although they already have about 10 of them in their closet.”

On the last day I worked for probably eight hours. And at least 3-4 of them were preparing basil for pesto sauce. This sauce is very simple to prepare - take fresh basil leaves, a little cheese, a little garlic and olive oil. Grind it all in a blender and put it in the freezer overnight. The next morning you have real pesto on your table!

Perhaps what impressed me most was living on an organic spirulina farm in the mountains of southern Portugal.

This farm belongs to an elderly couple, Christine (58 years old) and Georges (60 years old). They started living together and generally fell in love with each other just 20 years ago. For me, they became the most striking example of what life can be like in old age.

For some time, Christina and Georges traveled, studying the structure of spirulina farms, and then they found this place in the mountains and decided to start their own farm here. Now they live in a mobile home. The second RV serves as the kitchen, living room and sometimes bedroom (where I slept the last two nights when it was too cold and wet in the tent).

There wasn't much work for me, so I just wandered around, packed spirulina, helped with little things or cooked for everyone. She also studied people.

Christina and Georges do not count days at all, do not think about the past and very easily, freely look into the future. They are very erudite. It seems to me that the relationship between Christine and Georges, and then their relationship with me, can be called ideal. They were based on respect, love, freedom and the right to be oneself. At some point, I didn’t even believe that such a relationship was even real.

Traveling with meaning is not as difficult or expensive as it seems

As you can see, traveling to immerse yourself in other cultures and areas of activity is quite accessible. When you go on such an adventure, you discover those missing facets of self-realization within yourself. And interaction with people, bypassing money, gives indescribable emotions.

Of course, tourist volunteering has its downsides; this way of exploring the world is not for everyone and not everyone needs it.

But one way or another, the world belongs to eccentrics who follow their dreams and support each other in this. Join us!

Photo 1 of 16:© workaway.info

Imagine a two-week vacation not on some hackneyed beach in Egypt, but, for example, on a ranch somewhere in Jamaica, where you will live and eat for free, you will be free to decide how to spend your free time, but before that you will need to work 4 hours.

Many will be surprised: why would I turn my vacation into work and go somewhere to harvest? It's actually very simple: programs like this allow you to immerse yourself in the natural habitat of local residents. Well, the second, of course, important plus is the opportunity to travel almost free of charge.

And given that the geography of volunteer programs is huge, you can find shelter and work in any country in South America or, say, Australia, and even in Alaska! In some regions where hosts are invited (owners of farms, ranches, etc.), you will never even rent a hotel if you wanted to - they simply aren’t there.

We will tell you in this article how and where to look for such options.

Helpx Volunteer Program

What is the feature of the program: in fact, this is an online directory of owners of various farms, cottages, ranches, guest houses, etc., who invite travelers from all over the world and are ready to provide them with free accommodation, plus often food in exchange for work (usually 4-5 hours a day).

How to get involved : There are two types of helpx memberships: free and premier. The first type of account gives you the right to view advertisements from all hosts and create your own profile, but does not allow you to contact the hosts. At the same time, if some host liked your profile or, for example, you indicated that you can do specific work, then he can write to you, even if you have a free account for which you just need to register on the site.

But a prime account allows you to write directly to any host you like. It's not free. If you want to become a Premier Member, you will need to pay a membership fee of €20 (for two years).

Basic Rules : each host prescribes living conditions separately. That is, the number of hours of work, the specifics of this work (cleaning, teaching children, helping with housework) - please clarify directly in communication with the owners (often this is all spelled out in detail in the host’s application).

But keep in mind that Helpx has age restrictions: if you are under 18 years old, you can only participate in a program if accompanied by your parents and with the consent of the owners. Otherwise, wait until you reach adulthood.

Example ad : Do you like horses? Do you like warm, tropical climates? Organic gardening? Are you interested in learning practical riding skills and horse training? Then you need to come to us!

Our farm is located in the Dominican Republic, on top of a mountain with beautiful views of the city of Puerto Plata and the ocean. We offer travelers accommodation in a comfortable, furnished private cottage with a bathroom, WI-FI, plus home-cooked meals. You will need to help us look after the horses, help with agricultural work (harvesting, weeding, etc.) No experience required.

Traveler reviews : I just returned from Australia where I spent 6 months on two different farms that I found through HelpEx. This was definitely a great experience and I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity, writes Tiffany M. on www.yelp.com.

The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to choose a place to volunteer very carefully. For example, you'll be hard-pressed to find hosts whose accommodations are close to the beach (or somewhere scenic) and not too far from major cities.

WWoof Volunteer Program

What is the feature of the program: by and large, this is the same directory of hosts as Helpx, but with some significant differences. Firstly, on Wwoof only farms are presented, here you will not find advertisements “we invite you to work in our cafe on the beach” or “practice English with poor Nepalese kids”. It is supposed to work in the field, so to speak.

The second significant difference is the format itself. Read more about this in “how to become a member.”

How to get involved : It’s not enough to just register on Woof. First, you need to select the region in which you would like to work (say, Europe or Asia), then select the country.

The next step is to become a member of the local Wwoof organization (for example, Wwoof Canada). To do this, you need to pay a membership fee (from $40 to $55 depending on the region). After this, you will have access to lists of farms (they will send you a printed catalog or an online catalog - as you wish).

Basic Rules : Farmers go through a rigorous selection process before being accepted onto Wwoof. Thus, each host must confirm that his farm meets certain standards (for example, prove that volunteers will not have to deal with pesticides), and also provide information about housing, which must also meet sanitary standards.

Example ad : Working on a family farm in Tuscany, Italy. Working hours per day are limited to 4 hours. This is mainly the work of caring for vineyards (harvesting) and olive groves. The food is mainly vegetarian. Accommodation in a separate house with shower and toilet. There is room for two volunteers. Minimum period - a week, preferably English speaking.

To access the announcement, you must become a member of WWOOF Italia http://www.wwoof.it/en/

So what about woofing? Let's work for food and get some fresh air. For example, in the French Pyrenees. Where they make foie gras... Country skills will come in handy.

Organic cottage
WWOOF is an acronym that has two meanings in English: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, that is, “Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms,” or Willing Workers on Organic Farms, that is, “Voluntary Workers on Organic Farms.” In general, we can say that this is a kind of ecotourism that allows you to combine relaxation and work in the fresh air with gaining knowledge about organic agriculture, which has become especially fashionable in Europe over the past few years. Although this knowledge will be surprisingly familiar to many Russians. In essence, this is the same Russian dacha: a compost heap, mandatory waste separation, saving water and electricity, manual labor and a minimum of fertilizers. In Russia it is a forced “ecologically friendly farm”, in Europe it is a hard-won one.
A farmer who wishes to participate in the program pays a small annual fee to WWOOF in his country, confirming that his farm meets some organic farming standards (for example, no chemicals are used) and that volunteers will be provided with sanitary housing.
A volunteer who wants to participate in the program contacts the office of the organization of the country where he wants to visit and pays an annual membership fee ($20-60). In exchange for this, he receives a catalog notebook with a list of farms, their addresses, conditions and telephone numbers. Then all that remains is to write off and call the selected people and arrive at the appointed time.
As a rule, such an ecotourist stays on the farm for a period of no less than two weeks; the stay can be up to six months. You don't have to work that much - four to six hours a day - in exchange for food and housing. The farmer and the volunteer do not pay each other any money. In 2010, 50 countries were registered in the system, although 20 had only one farm. Work on a farm for food and housing (and not only on a farm) can also be found through the sites http://www.workaway.info/ and http://www.helpx.net/ However, no one there can guarantee “organic” farms, but some exclusive offers are possible.
The work can be very diverse - in South Korea you will help make kim-chi and tofu, on farms in France - picking grapes, collecting coffee beans - in Northern Thailand, and on the Kangaroo Islands - honey from Ligurian bees. Of course, there is still the issue of visas. Work, even volunteer work, sometimes requires a special visa. The type of visa required depends on the immigration laws and practices of the country being visited. But in some countries there is a simplified exchange. For example, Europeans can go to work in New Zealand without a visa.
There are no such concessions for Russians, but in many countries you can still work for free and on a tourist visa. In addition, farm owners can help you with invitations. And, of course, why specify for what purpose you are going to Spain - to watch bullfights or pick apples. In Australia, wufing on a tourist visa is allowed to everyone; in Canada, you can also work “for free” for one to four weeks.

The story of one farm
Jane and Peter and their 13-year-old daughter Eli-Flo moved to France from Albion 12 years ago when they realized they had become terribly disconnected from nature. It was impossible to buy a plot of land in England for the amount received from the sale of their modest apartment, but in the Pyrenees there were plenty of very good offers. They really liked the name of the farm - “New Doors”, since they were just opening the doors to a new life, so they decided not to change it. This is how the New Doors permaculture farming association appeared. Yes, in the French Pyrenees, opening your own association is a piece of cake. Therefore, in Miron - a neighboring town of 3.5 thousand inhabitants - there is a fairly developed shooting club, swimming clubs, bagpipe clubs and a couple of hundred other clubs and organizations. This is because registering such organizations allows you not to pay taxes on your commercial activities (for example, on the sale of fruit grown in your garden). Therefore, small and very small businesses in this region are thriving - farms from all the surrounding villages producing homemade apple juice and cider, foie gras and pates, buns, waffles and bread, fresh vegetables, fruits and canned food from them, thousands of types of cheeses, represent their products at the Saturday morning market in Miron. What a sight this is! Wood crafts and handmade ceramics, baskets, salad, croissants - everything is mixed under the roof of the covered market, which flows out onto the street, filling all the surrounding streets of medieval Myron. However, things that are sold here are not entirely “handmade” - Turkish jeans, Chinese combs, T-shirts from Thailand, etc. The prices are not at all rustic. It’s not for nothing that France is considered one of the most expensive countries in the European Union.
Of course, before getting on their feet and becoming a farm that provided itself with vegetables and fruits all year round, Jane and Peter had to work hard - restoring the house, building another one, putting the garden in order. Woofers helped them with this - from the very first year they had them regularly - once every few months - and helped them build, dig and weed. A very cozy van was allocated for the volunteers - a mobile home turned into a guest house with a wide bed and electricity. The farm, in general, is small - a couple of donkeys for preparing firewood, very thick, but “working”. Ducks with ducklings, hens with chicks. Three cats and one “very protective dog” named Bomba. Several fig trees, from which Jane sells figs at the local market. Cherry trees. A pond with six carp - fish not for food, but to test the purity of drinking water. Well, beds with all sorts of little things.

Wufing from personal experience
Having learned that we got from Barcelona to the tiny village of Beloc-Saint-Clemens, a hundred kilometers from Toulouse, in just 12 hours, Peter was very surprised: for an experienced hitchhiker, getting there in just twice the time of a car is a good result, but for a first-time hitchhiker The hitchhiking experience is simply superb. However, we would have gotten there faster... We had problems only in Spain - the Spaniards rarely give us lifts, but the deeper we got into the French wilderness (Toulouse-Oche-Miron-Belok-San Clemens), the friendlier the people became. And so a neighbor takes us to the very doors of Les portes nueves (“New Doors” in French)... We are met by 13-year-old Eli-Flo and her friend Emily. My parents left to look for us - they received our message and did not think that we would find a ride right to the door.
I met a family of British musicians and farmers by chance - through my French friend Joanne, who, having learned that I wanted to try wufing, gave them their contacts. This way I managed to avoid the registration procedure and registration fee. Well, I already had a Schengen visa.

The first three days we really worked very hard. The task was to clear a fence overgrown with thorny bushes and the area around it overgrown with grass. In three days, the task was completed, at the cost of two pairs of slippers almost torn to shreds. Jane and Peter were surprised and asked to cut the nettles under the fruit trees. We asked if they knew that nettle hay is very beneficial for ducklings and chicks in winter. Of course not. I had to make hay. Well, it was quite easy. Meals are provided by the owners. In the morning - “French” breakfast - cold juice or tea, white bread with butter and jam or honey. Unusual for us, traditional for them. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon there is tea, which for the British is just tea, without any sweets or buns. At 6 - an aperitif (three types of homemade liqueurs), smoothly turning into dinner - invariably appetizing. Then the program became more varied - trim branches using a special pruner, eat cherries from a tree, help load a canoe into a car to take it to the river and ride it...
One day we went to the cottage of Jane’s friend, who breeds horses, to restore order there, since the owner broke her spine after falling from a horse and was in the hospital. This farm, according to Jane, was more “manicured”, but we liked it less than “New Doors” - everything was too “civilized”. Here our task is to put back the stones that have fallen out of the fences, cut the grass with a lawn mower and... swim in the pool. Which we did with pleasure.
After restoring the stone fence, the owners realized that they could trust us with more serious tasks, so the last thing we did on the farm was repairing the steps going down to the garden. The earthen steps, covered with broken shards and bordered by boards, crumbled - 12 years ago they were erected by the first woofers, who now have their own farm in England...
This work was creative - we had to re-plan the entire staircase. But the owners were satisfied. Then we were entitled to the weekend - we wandered around the neighborhood, walked the dog, slept in the shade and sunbathed in the sun. We swam in the pool again. We ate barbecue and drank. In general, woofing was definitely a success. The week flew by like one day. It was a pity to leave, but Peter and Jane promised to leave the farm at our disposal for a whole month - when they went on vacation...
Text by Natalya Vladimirova, photo of the author, published in the in-flight magazine “Vladivostok Air” No. 49, 2011.

The essence of the program is the exchange of labor for housing and food. A volunteer worker works on a farm 4-6 hours a day, in exchange for which the host farmer provides him with housing and food. Neither the farmer nor the volunteer pays the other.

To participate in the program, a farmer must pay a small annual fee to WWOOF in his country, declaring that his farm meets some organic farming standards (meaning at least the volunteers won't have to deal with pesticides), and that the volunteers Those working on the farm will be provided with housing that meets sanitary standards.

For his part, the volunteer must pay an annual membership fee ($40-$55) to the WWOOF organization in the country where he would like to work. He will receive a directory of farmers participating in the program in that country, and will then be able to negotiate with any of them about the period of his stay on the farm.

Countries with WWOOF organizations

Currently (2012) there are WWOOF organizations in the following countries:

Farmers in many other countries that do not have their own WWOOF organizations also participate in the program. A directory of these "independent contributors" can be purchased through an international or Australian WWOOF organization.

Visa situation

Any person can, of course, freely work on farms in the country of his citizenship, as well as in the country where he has the right of permanent residence. To work in other countries, it may be necessary to obtain an appropriate visa. The type of visa required depends on the immigration laws and practices of the country being visited, as a regular tourist visa (or its visa-free equivalent) may in some countries prohibit any work, even without monetary remuneration.

International treaties

In some cases, countries allow citizens of the other contracting party to live and work freely on their territory. (For example, EU countries, or Australia and New Zealand are in accordance with the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement). This naturally allows their citizens to work on WWOOF farms as well.

There are also agreements between a number of countries, mainly in Europe, the British Commonwealth, and East Asia, which allow youth from these countries to obtain a Working holiday visa, allowing them to work for a year or even two in another country; travelers on such visas make up a significant portion of WWOOF volunteers in Australia and some other countries.

Australia

Australian authorities allow WWOOF work on a tourist visa, provided that the main purpose of visiting Australia is tourism, the volunteer is not paid (providing room and board or reimbursement of expenses is permitted), and that in the absence of foreign volunteers, the farmer would not hire Australians instead salary.

Canada

In principle, foreign citizens need a special work permit to work in Canada. However, it is not required for work activities that are not paid and in which the foreigner does not compete with the Canadian workforce. Thus, short-term work (1-4 weeks) on principles comparable to WWOOF does not require special permission, and thus it can be done while in Canada, for example on a student or tourist visa.

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Excerpt describing WWOOF

Why did it happen this way and not otherwise?
Because that's how it happened. “Chance made the situation; genius took advantage of it,” says history.
But what is a case? What is a genius?
The words chance and genius do not mean anything that really exists and therefore cannot be defined. These words only denote a certain degree of understanding of phenomena. I don't know why this phenomenon happens; I don't think I can know; That’s why I don’t want to know and say: chance. I see a force producing an action disproportionate to universal human properties; I don’t understand why this happens, and I say: genius.
For a herd of rams, the ram that is driven every evening by the shepherd into a special stall to feed and becomes twice as thick as the others must seem like a genius. And the fact that every evening this very same ram ends up not in a common sheepfold, but in a special stall for oats, and that this very same ram, doused in fat, is killed for meat, should seem like an amazing combination of genius with a whole series of extraordinary accidents .
But the rams just have to stop thinking that everything that is done to them happens only to achieve their ram goals; it is worth admitting that the events happening to them may also have goals that are incomprehensible to them, and they will immediately see unity, consistency in what happens to the fattened ram. Even if they do not know for what purpose he was fattened, then at least they will know that everything that happened to the ram did not happen by accident, and they will no longer need the concept of either chance or genius.
Only by renouncing the knowledge of a close, understandable goal and recognizing that the final goal is inaccessible to us, will we see consistency and purposefulness in the lives of historical persons; the reason for the action they produce, disproportionate to universal human properties, will be revealed to us, and we will not need the words chance and genius.
One has only to admit that the purpose of the unrest of the European peoples is unknown to us, and only the facts are known, consisting of murders, first in France, then in Italy, in Africa, in Prussia, in Austria, in Spain, in Russia, and that movements from the West to the east and from east to west constitute the essence and purpose of these events, and not only will we not need to see exclusivity and genius in the characters of Napoleon and Alexander, but it will be impossible to imagine these persons otherwise than as the same people as everyone else; and not only will it not be necessary to explain by chance those small events that made these people what they were, but it will be clear that all these small events were necessary.
Having detached ourselves from knowledge of the ultimate goal, we will clearly understand that just as it is impossible for any plant to come up with other colors and seeds that are more appropriate to it than those that it produces, in the same way it is impossible to come up with two other people, with all their past, which would correspond to such an extent, to such the smallest details, to the purpose that they were to fulfill.

The main, essential meaning of European events at the beginning of this century is the militant movement of the masses of European peoples from West to East and then from East to West. The first instigator of this movement was the movement from west to east. In order for the peoples of the West to be able to make the warlike movement to Moscow that they made, it was necessary: 1) for them to form into a warlike group of such a size that would be able to withstand a clash with the warlike group of the East; 2) so that they renounce all established traditions and habits and 3) so that, when making their militant movement, they have at their head a person who, both for himself and for them, could justify the deceptions, robberies and murders that were accompanied this movement.
And since the French Revolution, the old group, not great enough, is destroyed; old habits and traditions are destroyed; a group of new sizes, new habits and traditions are developed, step by step, and the person who must stand at the head of the future movement and bear all the responsibility of what is to come is being prepared.
A man without convictions, without habits, without traditions, without a name, not even a Frenchman, by the most strange accidents, it seems, moves among all the parties that worry France and, without attaching himself to any of them, is brought to a prominent place.
The ignorance of his comrades, the weakness and insignificance of his opponents, the sincerity of the lie and the brilliant and self-confident narrow-mindedness of this man put him at the head of the army. The brilliant composition of the soldiers of the Italian army, the reluctance of his opponents to fight, his childish audacity and self-confidence gain him military glory. Countless so-called accidents accompany him everywhere. The disfavor into which he falls from the rulers of France serves to his advantage. His attempts to change the path destined for him fail: he is not accepted into the service in Russia, and he fails to be assigned to Turkey. During the wars in Italy, he is on the verge of death several times and is saved each time in an unexpected way. Russian troops, the very ones that could destroy his glory, for various diplomatic reasons, do not enter Europe as long as he is there.