In the bustling metropolis of London, it is often hard to imagine that not everywhere in the world is constantly crowded, smelly, and loud, and when choosing our vacation destinations, “farm” is not exactly the first place that comes to mind. However, one of my good friends here at City is thinking outside the box.
Clara Pluton, a 20-year-old third year Sociology student, was raised in Chicago and loves the city life, but this year has chosen to escape it for a while with the help of WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). What’s WWOOF? Read my interview with Clara below to find out…
Clara livin’ the farm life…
Clara, can you explain the concept behind WWOOF? WWOOF is a website that exchanges free shelter and food for work. You can sign up and browse by location, then select a family with whom you can stay and eat for free in exchange for unpaid work. There are tons of locations – the ones in cities will often have you working in the family’s café or restaurant, whereas the more rural ones (which are the ones I’ve chosen so far) will mostly have you working on the family’s farm. WWOOF is very safe and includes reviews of each family, so potential visitors know what they’re getting themselves into!
Sounds pretty cool. Tell us about the trips you’ve been on. During my reading week in March I went to Somerset to stay on a farm with lambs, cows, vegetables, and flowers, among other things. I was there for a week and I loved it – the family was great and made me feel very comfortable. I just got back from my last trip a couple of weeks ago – I was in Penarth, Wales – which is outside of Cardiff – for three weeks, just before my exams. I really enjoyed that trip too – I lived in a little trailer next to the family’s house with another girl who was staying. We had lots of fun together.
What kind of work have you had to do? In Somerset I mostly prepared seeds for harvest, but I had to weed the surrounding area as well as sow seeds and feed farm animals. In Wales the work was pretty different: the mother of the family I was staying with ran a landscaping company so we helped out with transferring her plants to an exhibit for University of Cardiff’s graduation ceremony.
… And enjoying London nightlife! (She’s on the left… That’s little ol’ me on the right, folks!)
What have been your favourite parts of your trips? Eating unlimited amounts of free cheese. Also, in both places I was working about 5-6 hours a day so I had plenty of time to have fun as well. I would explore the area and also visit neighboring towns… In a quaint little village called Cheddar I scored a vintage black leather backpack for £1!!!
I’m jealous! Do you plan on using WWOOF again? Absolutely! I’ve had a great experience and would recommend it to anyone who wants to travel for cheap, or even just wants to be out of London for a while.
How has WWOOF impacted your life living in a city? It has made me reassess where my food comes from and I am now more proactive in buying my dairy, eggs, honey and vegetables from London-based farms. During the summer I hope to join a gardening society so I can do my part in helping make London a greener city! I’m definitely a city slicker at heart, but I believe everything needs to have balance… So getting out of London is great once in a while!
Awesome – I can’t really picture myself on a farm but maybe I’ll give it a shot one day! OK, now some quick, fun questions. What are your hobbies? Googling obscure facts, searching movie plots on Wikipedia, activism, and petting dogs on the street.
Same. What’s your favourite food? Chana masala.
Favourite band? Death Grips.
Favourite book? “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Favourite London tip? Go to as many drag shows as you can. They are fun, quirky, and whimsical.
Thanks for chatting, Clara!