after spending a few holidays at farm B&B's and keeping a few ex batts in my garden I am itching to get some real farm hand experience as I hope to get a smallholding and would like to get proper experience beforehand. Ive looked at WWOOFing and cant find anywhere localish that has a variety of livestock.
Does anyone know of a site for volunteers or anyone have a smallholding in North West willing to take a volunteer in exchange for bed and board???
volunteering on a farm
-
cherami
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 10:00 am
- Location: France 18
Re: volunteering on a farm
Yes I believe it's called workaway and there are several different sites, not sure if it covers the UK as well as Europe etc but I am sure you would have no problems. old post I know but you did not get any answer.
I hope you have a pleasant Journey Through Life
Re: volunteering on a farm
I would recommend https://www.helpx.net/ , I spent 4 months volunteering with them at the beginning of this year (Feb-May) and it is something I'd highly recommend doing. I learnt so much, and it's incredible to see how really different the ways are that people manage living self-sufficientishly are.
If you were going further afield then I could recommend some hosts, but as you seem to be wanting to stay in the UK I'd just recommend making sure your hosts have reviews.
We had no problems with any of our host farms but one, they were completely mis-advertised and we ended up sleeping on their porch in the pouring rain for two weeks whilst we waited for the next transport out of the place and worked 8 hours a day doing nothing but painting water-based paint on tipi poles every day (for it to be washed off again by rain and need doing again, we did point out their stupidity but
they were know-it-alls and clearly we were wrong) and pulling tiny weeds out of a path - we were told we'd be doing mostly woodwork and building and have our own private accommodation. They were obsessed with staining/painting all the wood there to make it look more 'eco' and 'natural'.
That guy really was a hippy parasite. Twit.
But not to put you off! It was great otherwise and really challenging at times (e.g. living off grid in a caravan with no showers, loo, running water, electric etc, but was actually our favourite time). Found out how stubborn goats are, how great human poo is, and how quickly you get used to looking at a ducks severed head in a maggot bucket every morning.
Good luck and tell us all about it afterwards!
EDIT: Ah crap, just noticed the date, so you've probably already done it! Will leave this here in case it's of any use to anyone else though.
If you were going further afield then I could recommend some hosts, but as you seem to be wanting to stay in the UK I'd just recommend making sure your hosts have reviews.
We had no problems with any of our host farms but one, they were completely mis-advertised and we ended up sleeping on their porch in the pouring rain for two weeks whilst we waited for the next transport out of the place and worked 8 hours a day doing nothing but painting water-based paint on tipi poles every day (for it to be washed off again by rain and need doing again, we did point out their stupidity but
they were know-it-alls and clearly we were wrong) and pulling tiny weeds out of a path - we were told we'd be doing mostly woodwork and building and have our own private accommodation. They were obsessed with staining/painting all the wood there to make it look more 'eco' and 'natural'. That guy really was a hippy parasite. Twit.
But not to put you off! It was great otherwise and really challenging at times (e.g. living off grid in a caravan with no showers, loo, running water, electric etc, but was actually our favourite time). Found out how stubborn goats are, how great human poo is, and how quickly you get used to looking at a ducks severed head in a maggot bucket every morning.
Good luck and tell us all about it afterwards!
EDIT: Ah crap, just noticed the date, so you've probably already done it! Will leave this here in case it's of any use to anyone else though.