Willing Workers On Organic Farms, World-Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms (change of name to avoid problems with local labour laws) or simply WWOOF is a program which provides placement opportunities for volunteers to work in organic farms in exchange for food, accommodation and a taste of local farm life.
My original itinerary for South Korea included the usual mountains, temples, Jeju and DMZ. But since I was in no hurry to get home (the joy of quitting one’s job), I wanted to make full use of the opportunity to partake in some activities which would normally be too time-consuming in a short 1 or 2 weeks holidays. And then I came across Wwoofing in South Korea.
I read quite a few interesting experiences from previous Wwoofers in South Korea. Most of them recommended Jiri Mountain Bio-land. From the map, the location of the farm looked like a convenient break between the journey from Seoul to Wando, where I planned to catch a ferry to Jeju. I see no good reasons not to add Wwoofing at Jiri Mountain Bio-land to my to-do list. 🙂
When I was traveling in Seoul, the USO DMZ tour I wanted to join was only available at a later date. As a result, I had some days to spare. Looking for a nearby farm to Wwoof seemed like a reasonable choice of activity. So that’s how I also ended up Wwoofing at Sandeul Farm.
Wwoofing at both farms were memorable experiences. For urban folks like me, it’s an eye opener and make me appreciate the kind of hardship my parents went through when they were kids. Farming conditions back then would definitely be tougher. Working and living with the locals also gave me a peek into South Korea’s culture and lifestyle. Farming can be a physically straining, but I like to believe that I lost some weight as a result. 😛 And not forgetting to mention, for somebody as tight as me, the free food and lodgings were certainly welcomed.
The South Korea, Wwoofing trip report is divided into the following sections:
- WWOOF Korea -Introduction (You are here)
- WWOOF Korea – Getting Started
- WWOOF Korea – Sandeul Farm
- WWOOF Korea – Jiri Mountain Bio-land
Disclaimer: This trip was taken in July 2008. The information is provided ‘as is’ with no warranties and confers no rights. If you are interested to know more, please add a comment and I will update the post with more details.
I’m a Japanese who has enjoyed visiting many places in and out of Japan.
I remembered days in Sandeul Farm and Jiri Mountain Bio-land.
Do you have plans to visit Japan?
I checked out your website, seems like you have been to quite a number of places.
Are you a marathon runner?
I visited Japan for a short period once. Only skimmed through Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. But I would really hope to spend much more time in Japan, preferably on my own vehicle moving around the country.