WWOOF’ing to Edgewater Farm

And so the adventure begins…

Our youngest daughter “landed” in Maine last week after a 470+ mile drive from Gospel Hill.  Her new home for the summer? Edgewater Farm, working as a “Willing Worker On Organic Farms”…  a WWOOF’er in the lingo of the nearly 40 year-old organization.

According to owners, Bill and Carol Emerson, the “Edgewater Farm B&B is located on four acres of perennial, herb, fruit tree and vegetable gardens.”  Sounds beautiful… a great place to begin a WWOOF’ing experience.

And the willing workers at the Edgewater Farm aren’t just WOOF’ers.  The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardners Association connects those who want to learn more about organic farming through their “Farm Apprenticeship” program.  According to our daughter, several of the workers are sponsored by MOFGA.  Networks for promoting organic, sustainable agriculture have truly taken hold locally, nationally and world wide.

WWOOF is a world wide network that began in the UK in 1971 and is now an international movement:  “helping people share more sustainable ways of living.”  WWOOF is an exchange:   volunteers help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.

Our oldest daughter and her husband introduced our family to WWOOF several years ago when they met a young couple from Japan who were “WWOOF’ing around the world”.  A great pair who basically dedicated a year of their lives to seeing the world, while exploring the incredible diversity of organic farming.  And along the way, making lasting relationships and planting ideas for others to cultivate. Later this year, our daughter and son-in-law will be flying to Japan to vacation with them.  And so the adventures continue…