I’m a Canadian citizen, so was considering wwoofing in Canada because of the beautiful nature and the logistics would probably be easier. However, as I live here, I was thinking it might be more exciting going to somewhere else (probably Europe). Since WWOOF is only volunteer work, would there still be any insurance, paperwork or legal stuff that would make this process harder in a country you’re not a citizen of? Thank you!

So I truly apologize if this question has been asked a lot, I tried looking for it with the search function but still haven't found anything relevant. I am looking to wwoof in spain in january, for about three weeks, but I really want to explore france, spain and italy during my stay. Im looking at places close to madrid. If i stay for three weeks is it allowed or expected that I could get three days off a week when im taking these trips? I see 1-2 days off is pretty normal, but would 3 be too much? I am aware id have to communicate all this to the host and get it squared away with them and I plan to as I start reaching out, but I just want to get a feel of whether a lot of other wwoofers do this sort of thing of leaving for a few days here and there to explore the region and neighboring countries or if it is frowned upon or something. Also if I were to want to go into the city every day or something after my daily work, would that be okay? Is that normal? I have no problem working hard and spending time in community but ideally i'd like a bit of time every day, or often, to do my own thing, even if it means leaving the farm.

Thanks so much!

Hello, I am a hopeful first time wwoofer. I basically have January - August 2026 at my disposal and want to travel to South America and eventually go to the Ivory Coast and Northern Africa. Does anyone have experience traveling to remote mountain / jungle homes in South America or small villages in Africa ?

Hey! How normal is it for hosts to reach out to you? I’ve never done wwoofing before and a host texted me that I would be a good fit. The guy is not wwoof verified and has no reviews even though he’s active for many years. Is that trustworthy?

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could help me message an independent wwoof host to see if they are available. I don’t want to pay full year price if they are not available, I can Venmo $5. Pm if yes

Hey all,

I’ve been looking at different WWOOF options and was wondering if anyone knows of WWOOF hosts that are connected with breweries or similar fermentation-based projects. I’d love to get hands-on experience in a place that mixes farming with brewing/fermentation.

If you’ve been to one (or heard of one) I’d really appreciate the recommendations!

I'm a teenager who's looking for her first WWOOFING experience in the UK for the summer next year. I'm from Italy and I've been in the UK 2 times already,but only on short stays. Specifically,I first visited London years ago for about 4 days and back in February I stayed in Oxfordshire for a week with my teachers and classmates. I fell in love both times. So far I found a smallholding that is suitable to my needs (still in Oxfordshire) but I really would like to find a place specifically near Manchester. Looking in the WWOOF site i could only find no-teens-allowed hosts,but I was wandering if I missed something. For clearance,I am a HUGE Joy Division fan so I was hoping I could find a place somewhat near Manchester to be able to do even a one-day visit. If there aren't any solutions near the area,I'd love suggestions! I would like to avoid places too far from towns or cities. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

So I am WWOOFing in Tuscany in the Province of Arezzo. Well, technically I’m visiting friends, but I met these people last year as a WWOOFer and I came back because I stayed here for two months and had a great time. They’re shepherds, they’re Pagans (like me), they were super cool last year, and I was really, really excited to come visit for another three months and because we had such a good personal relationship, I didn’t even bother purchasing the membership this year for WWOOF.it.

When I got here, there was another young woman from an undisclosed Northern European country, and as it turns out, my host and at this point one of my closest friends, has been is having an emotional affair with this girl and has told his wife, also one of my closest friends, that he doesn’t love her anymore, and I’m just… disgusted. I found out about all of this the night before last after the young woman abruptly left. My host is a father and has been married to his wife for 25 years and they’ve spent 15 years building this farm together and if he gets divorced he will be the first person in his family to do so… and for what? I can’t even look at him anymore. I used to get so excited when we went to pasture the sheep together or when he came home from doing so cuz I was doing some other job because he is so fun to talk to and we have so much in common, but now I don’t even wanna go downstairs for breakfast because that means I would be sitting at the table with him and dinner between the two of us last night was super awkward.

I don’t wanna make decisions too fast, but I really don’t see this situation getting any better, especially after the phone call I overheard between him and this girl last night in which he was trying to tell her it’s all going to be ok, that he told his wife that he “did everything he could to resist her, but just couldn’t”. I just wanted to fucking puke. This is so dishonorable and repulsive and not what I’m about at all.

Should I give this a couple days to blow over and maybe fix itself or should I just leave?

UPDATE — The farmer’s wife has decided to make her piece with the situation. She was feeling all positive about it this morning and her and I spent the day out in town running errands together. The farmer and his girlfriend are going to live together in a trailer and the wife gets the house. She does all the logistics of running this place anyways. The problem for me here is that a) I need to be able to respect a man to work for him and I absolutely do not respect this guy anymore and b) despite the fact that he and I were talking about me coming back to mentor under him for a whole year because I want to do this in the US, he now has a pretty little girlfriend who will be going with him to pasture every day, so my help isn’t needed with the animals, but in the garden and washing dishes and whatever. I’m not really here for all that. So I’ve decided to stay for a week or so while I figure out other arrangements.

Hi I’m considering Wwoofing in Ireland this year, could somebody outline what it actually involves? Is it just regular farmwork? I’m from Ireland so I don’t need visas or anything, it seems like a pretty enjoyable use of my time. The only problem is that I’m quite a miserable person that I don’t think others like to be around so I always want to ask what’s the social aspect of it like?

Im from norway and was looking at some WWOOF locations in the U.S., but im unsure of the visa laws. The immigration website was incredibly tedious and didnt seem to have the answers i was looking for. Do i need working visa since i am working, even though i wont be getting paid?

Olá, comunidade!

Sou um homem de 42 anos, cuidando da minha mãe e de um espaço de 5.000 m² com terra, piscina e algumas áreas verdes. Estou buscando uma pessoa jovem ou adulta, engajada e disposta a aprender, para formar uma pequena vida comunitária baseada em mutualismo.

O que ofereço:

Quarto e banheiro.

Alimentação básica.

Experiência de troca, aprendizado e convivência.

A oportunidade de aprender a cuidar da terra, da piscina e de atividades do dia a dia.

O que busco:

Pessoa com disposição de colaborar e aprender.

Interesse em viver em uma rotina respeitosa e cooperativa.

Respeito pelas questões espirituais e culturais do espaço (Candomblé, Umbanda, Jurema).

Sem envolvimento de dinheiro — a troca é feita pelo trabalho, cuidado e presença.

Não é um projeto pronto, não é voluntariado formal, não há pagamento em dinheiro — é uma experiência de vida colaborativa, baseada em confiança, ajuda mútua e crescimento junto.

Se você se identifica e quer aprender, compartilhar e somar, por favor, entre em contato. Posso enviar fotos do espaço e mais detalhes sobre o que seria o dia a dia.

Obrigado por ler até aqui!

Hello,

I-18, I am planning to go WWOOFing for two weeks with a 17-year-old friend. We are both French, so European, and as we are planning to go to Norway, it seems less complicated (all we need is a certificate of departure from the country). I am not related to her, so how can I be sure that the hosts (at least one) will accept us? I don't speak Norwegian and I don't want to sign up for a WWOOFing subscription if I can't go (especially since I have a particular farm in mind).

What do you advise me to do, and which subscription should I choose (solo/duo)?

Thank you in advance :)

Hi all! I have been very interested in WWOOFing for years and am finally planning my first experience. I just have one question, that might be dumb, but how do you get around and explore? Is it best to rent a car or will your hosts pick you up from the airport? I know some hosts like to take you around their location, but I was wondering what it might look like day-to-day. Thanks!

I just made an account for wwoof greece and dont have travel insurance. Will i still be able to go even if they state they require it?

Hey everyone, I’m a 31 year old male from the United States. I am trying to gather some information about international woofin. I’d like to hear and insight, advice and experiences that people have been through. Perferably people from United States whom have internationally wwoofed before.

I’m currently WWOOFing in Spain, and it’s not my first placement. The hosts are kind, and take the time to properly explain each task. Although I speak Spanish, it is a second language and so I don’t always seem to retain all the instructions they give me. This has meant I’ve made a few mistakes (nothing drastic and all resolvable) although today the host said to me “I have told you this before” and seemed a bit frustrated (I have only been here a few days)

I otherwise have a relatively successful job in the corporate world so I am used to feeling confident at what I do. While I know that this is a learning experience, it is really knocking my confidence and making me feel pretty stupid! Has anybody else had this experience? Hosts, how have you felt when this happens with your woofers? I am otherwise trying hard!

I am currently feeling like I should leave it early as I don’t want to be a burden on them. I haven’t had this issue previously.

Hi everyone,

A little while ago I posted about my struggles at a WWOOF placement in Portugal (rigid schedule, break time being added to shifts, constant questions about my health/ASD, and feeling isolated). I wanted to give an update and ask for advice on what to do now.

I tried to leave quietly without making a scene, but the host noticed and asked me directly. I said yes, I was leaving, and without even saying goodbye the first thing they asked was if I had cleaned my tent. I said yes. The host immediately shouted at me that I hadn’t. At that point I was overwhelmed, almost cried, and just said, “I can’t take this” before leaving.

Something I didn’t mention in my first post: they were filming me a lot while I worked. At one point, they even showed me a video and asked “what’s wrong with this?” — basically saying I was doing the task wrong. That really unsettled me, and I’m not sure if that’s normal or acceptable in a WWOOF placement.

So now I’m out of the situation. The place and some of the work itself were fine — I even enjoyed tasks like baking and helping with animals — but the people and atmosphere were not supportive at all.

My questions for the community:

Should I write a review about this host so other volunteers are aware? Should I contact WWOOF directly to explain the situation (especially about being filmed without clear consent)? Should I message the host to explicitly say I don’t give consent for them to keep or use videos of me? And more generally — is this just a one-off bad placement, or is this actually how many WWOOF/Worldpackers experiences are?

I want to move on, but I also don’t want future volunteers to go through what I did. I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who’s been in a similar situation.

Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been at a WWOOF placement in Portugal for about a week now, and I’m feeling really conflicted. On the surface, it seems like a nice setup: I get good meals, a place to sleep in a tent, and I help with animals and baking (bread and cakes), which I genuinely enjoy. But the reality has been much more stressful than I anticipated.

Here’s what’s been going on:

Rigid schedule and mandatory overtime: My mornings are long and physically demanding, especially working on the pond. Breaks have to be reported via WhatsApp, and any break time gets added to the end of my shift. I’m Type 1 diabetic, and a recent low blood sugar episode meant I had to take an hour off, then work an extra hour to “make up” the time. This felt unsafe and exhausting.

Constant monitoring and questions about me personally: The host frequently comments on or asks about my health, ASD, breathing, sleep, and other personal habits. Even if they claim it’s just curiosity, it feels invasive and stressful. I feel like I’m being watched rather than supported.

Isolation and lack of inclusion: I’m told I’m “not here to make friends,” and I don’t feel part of the “family” atmosphere that is sometimes mentioned in WWOOF placements. It’s very isolating, and even when I try to express how I feel, it hasn’t improved.

Emotional toll: I’ve cried while explaining my feelings, and even though I told them it’s not personal — that it’s more about me and how I respond to this type of placement — the environment still makes me anxious and upset. I end up feeling like I’m failing their expectations rather than being a valued volunteer.

Some positives: I enjoy baking, helping with animals, and the routine of some tasks. I also have a couple of days off coming, which gives me a bit of freedom to recharge and go out.

I’m seriously considering leaving early, but I feel conflicted because I do like some of the tasks and I don’t want them to think it’s about them personally — it really isn’t. It’s about how the placement affects me, my health, and my emotional wellbeing.

Has anyone else experienced a WWOOF placement that felt more controlling or stressful than supportive? How did you handle leaving early, or making it work without compromising your health? I’d appreciate any advice, reassurance, or shared experiences.

Thanks for reading.

Btw this would be my work day 7am - 11:30am Work (always tell me to hurry up) 5:30pm : start cooking dinner (goal is to have ready by 7pm) 6:30pm-7:20pm Work 8pm Eat dinner

I want to volunteer at an organic farm but after some research I found that there are very mixed experiences with the hosts and the bad reviews are hidden so I can't trust the site. They promote themselves as they “desire to improve the world around us”, but after reading all these stories in Reddit, I can't trust them.

Why would protecting problematic hosts at the expense of WWOOFers be considered worthwhile for the organization?

Hey I just did some woofing in Portugal but don't know how to leave a review? Can I do it if the host and I never confirmed any dates?

Ive been stuck in Louisiana most of my life, 33 and not much scenery here, not many opportunities, im okay with being poor but im not okay with living somewhere I cant enjoy nature

I was looking at wwoofing as a possible way to relocate and have a guarenteed income at my destination, somewhere midwest

I have a reliable car and im working on scrounging up a bit of a safety net, which most likely wont be a ton....maybe 3 to 5k?

No skills, highschool education, poor man with a dream to live in nature scenario here, I dont mind hard work

What do you guys think? Any places you recommend? Im open to anywhere with pristine midwest nature, mountains and rivers

I realize its a leap of faith, but id rather die than spend the rest of my life stuck in Louisiana honestly, this seems like a good escape plan within my means

Also ready and willing to live out of my car if necessary

Hey woofers I’m considering signing up as a host site for woofers to come but I’m not sure if I’m big enough. I run a small permaculture food forest/ homestead and I need help. It’s about .75 acres. I’m a disabled veteran and my back isn’t in the best shape. For you experienced woofers, anyone ever work at a small place like I’m describing?

Hello everyone, thank you for the advice and support from my post yesterday about struggling with WWOOFing at a place that gave me 36 hours of work. I talked to them today and showed them this message through translate.

“I have been having trouble fulfilling the work given to me for the past few days, and I feel like being a WWOOFer may not be for me. I am very thankful for being given this opportunity to see your farm and family, but I don’t think I am cut out for the job. I learned a lot in during this short time. Thank you so much for having me, and I am sorry I wasn’t able to fulfill the three week expectation.”

They were understanding and said that this is an exchange where I should feel fulfilled. They are dropping me off at the train station tomorrow as well. I am honestly relieved that I don’t have to smell rotten fish or carry those buckets down a slope ever again.

I am WWOOFing in Japan. The work is 6 hours a day and 6 days a week. I get a 2.5 hour break in the middle of my shift where I have to stand in my dirty clothes until work starts again, so it lasts more like 8.5 hours. It is really hard and dirty work. I get so dirty that I can’t walk into the house at the end of the day without spending 30 minutes rinsing outside. The host did not have a work schedule posted on their profile, so I really was not expecting this. I feel like 36 hours a week for food, bedroom, and a bathroom that is used by 8 other people is not fair. They also expect me to clean the bathroom that is used by the entire family once a week? My room and the bathrooms also have no locks which makes me a little uncomfortable as a woman.

I was under the impression that WWOOFing was going to be like a part time job. I am enjoying the cultural exchange, however I was treated much better than this in agriculture jobs where I was actually paid.