[Sdpg] Are there any WWOOF Farms in Southern California?

[sdpg-admin at arashi.com]

Hi everyone
          just got a request from England if we have any WWOOF farms here 
in Southern California , I check the web and found this 
site  http://wwoofusa.com/  WWOOF stands for "Willing Workers on Organic 
Farms" here is some info from the webpage to get a little background on WWOOF.
                                                 wes




Welcome to the WWOOF program. WWOOF is a coordinating service, bringing
                    together travellers who are seeking to explore new 
cultures and gain experience in
                    organic growing and other rural activities, with host 
farms/families. WWOOF
                    organizations exist around the world, beginning in 
Britain almost 30 years ago and
                    now thriving in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, 
Germany, Austria and many
                    other countries. We have been providing this service in 
Canada for over 12 years
                    and are delighted to extend this program into the 
United States.

                    WWOOFing is a unique cultural exchange in
                    that travellers of all ages can visit
                    communities throughout the U.S. and
                    experience, for a short while, real life on a
                    farm or a rural business. WWOOFers gain
                    from the opportunities to learn about rural
                    life, organic and other sustainable growing
                    techniques as well as being in a family
                    situation. Our hosts express delight and
                    appreciation for the help they receive and the
                    pleasure of sharing their passion for organic growing 
with enthusiastic visitors.

                              What you need to know if you want to be a 
WWOOFer.

                    How do I become a WWOOFer?

                    Complete the application form on this web site and mail 
it to the address provided,
                    enclosing $30.00U.S. When we receive your application 
we will immediately mail
                    the booklet to you.

                    How long can I expect to stay with a WWOOF host?

                    When you receive your WWOOF booklet look through it to 
find hosts that are
                    appealing to you and in the areas you are interested in 
visiting. When you have
                    decided the approximate dates of your travel, contact 
the host(s) directly and
                    discuss your plans. How long you stay with a host is up 
to you, and of course up to
                    the host. With most WWOOF hosts you are welcome to stay 
1 week or longer.
                    Some hosts request a minimum of 2 weeks so that you can 
orientate yourself to the
                    farm scene; many volunteers stay 1-3 weeks then move on 
to another farm - thus
                    gaining a variety of experiences.

                    What experience do I need?

                    You don't need any farm experience at all. What you do 
need is a willingness to
                    learn, laugh and try your best. The hosts will guide 
and teach you.

                    Do I need a visa to be a WWOOFER?

                    If you are an American citizen of course you do not 
need to be concerned about a
                    visa. As a tourist, travelling from another country, 
you also can enter the United
                    States usually without a visa. Internationally 
"WWOOFing"is recognized as a
                    "volunteer activity". U.S. Immigration laws on the 
issue of "volunteering" vs.
                    "working" are somewhat unclear - you certainly cannot 
work in the U.S. without the
                    appropriate visa, but the definition of "work" seems to 
sometimes include
                    "volunteering". Occasionally people have been refused 
entry to the U.S. because
                    the Immigration Officials have interpreted 
"volunteering" as equivalent to "working".
                    It is important that you be aware of this. It is up to 
you to ensure you travel with the
                    correct papers. We are not responsible for any aspect 
of securing a visa.

                                                WWOOF Aims

                         to get firsthand experience of organic farming & 
gardening and to lend a
                         helping hand wherever needed

                         to get into the countryside and experience USA and 
its citizens.

                         to help the organic movement, which is often 
labour intensive and does not
                         rely on artificial fertilizers & pesticides.

                         to make contact with other people in the organic 
movement.

                         to have a wonderful enriching experience.

                         to enable people from all over the world to have a 
cultural exchange with US
                         citizens

                                            Best Time To WWOOF

                    The best time to WWOOF is generally between early 
spring ( April on the eastern
                    side of the USA; February/March/April on the West 
Coast) to late autumn/fall. There
                    are numerous hosts that accept volunteers all year 
round. This is often indicated in
                    the hosts write-up. However even if it is not 
indicated, feel free to ask any host if
                    they accept WWOOFers in the winter, if you desire to 
wwoof in the winter.



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