Travellers can gain experience through volunteer network
Jun 17, 2009 - 12:57 PM
By Jeff Hayward
UXBRIDGE -- A small farm in Uxbridge has become an international destination.
That's because the Family Nickle Happy Farm on Feasby Road is registered on the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) network, for Canadians and foreigners looking to volunteer on farms around the globe.
Annette Munck, a 19 year old from Germany, recently arrived at the Uxbridge farm ready to learn in a new country. During her stay until May, she will perform a variety of farm duties such as feeding animals each morning.
"This is all new to me," Ms. Munck said.
In exchange, Happy Farm owner Angela Nickle said her new German farmhand will earn room and board as well as "experience and friends." She said the partnership is working well.
"For my first student, I've been very lucky," Ms. Nickle said.
Ms. Munck said she may volunteer on other Canadian farms before heading to Austria later this year to study international business administration. And she has a lot of other locations to choose from; the Canadian WWOOF network (wwoof.ca) lists hundreds of host farms in the country, "from the east coast to the west coast, to the Yukon and Northwest Territories."
In fact, there are other WWOOF partner sites in the Uxbridge area, including a location in Victoria Corners and another in Sunderland, according to Ms. Nickle.
She said other volunteers from overseas, including a yoga instructor from Hong Kong, are soon coming to the Happy Farm to get a taste of farm life.
But you don't have to be a foreigner to volunteer on the Nickle farm. Locals willing to commit at least four hours of labour per week from April to November will be rewarded with produce, Ms. Nickle said.
Recommend :