Photo of Waverly Farms, the organic farm that Benjamin Zimmitti "WWOOFed" at this past summer.
Image Credit: Benjamin Zimmitti
In recent years, the debate concerning whether or not organic produce is healthier or worth the extra pennies at the supermarket has dominated consumer conversations. It also helped spark a passion in sophomore Agricultural and Resource Economics major, Benjamin Zimmitti, to become more informed about and involved in global food systems.
That passion is ultimately what led Zimmitti to take part in an exchange program known as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).
“WWOOFing,” as it’s known, allows individuals to search for an organic farm pretty much anywhere in the world, reach out to the farm owners, and volunteer on that farm in exchange for room, board and food.
“It’s a great opportunity for cultural exchange and learning, while gaining a realistic view of the concerns of farmers and the day-to-day realities of agriculture,” said Wendy Whittemore, Associate Director of the Environmental Science and Policy program. “While it’s important to be grounded in a particular academic discipline, it’s also important to understand and value the perspectives of other disciplines and people involved. WWOOFing encourages this.”
Whittemore says she has known several students who have “WWOOFed” across the globe in recent years, from California to Ireland and Spain. In June, Zimmitti joined the WWOOFing ranks when he spent two weeks working on Waverly Farms in Burkeville, VA.
“I felt that I had no authority to spend the next three years of my schooling talking about the food system if I never experienced where it starts,” Zimmitti explained.
“[WWOOFing] served as a great opportunity for me to get an up close and personal look at an alternative farming system. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, the closest I ever came to a farm was apple picking or passing some cornfields on a drive.”
During his time at Waverly Farms, Zimmitti would start his day by harvesting “sensitive” vegetables like lettuce and squash, go on to weed or remove pests from plants by hand, and occasionally tend to the goats, cattle and chickens by feeding them, moving them, and building a fence.
In fact, Zimmitti’s favorite and strangest experience involved “working the goats” by holding goats by the horns with their heads between his legs so he could clip their hooves and give them their supplements.
“The work is cumbersome, and could quite literally be back-breaking after a while,” Zimmitti said. “Given this, it would seem that no one would want to work on an organic farm, and I certainly learned that this is not what I want to do all my life. However, I worked with some people that truly loved what they were doing and honestly relished the chance to get up and go to work everyday. I really learned to appreciate this work ethic and I admire them for it!”
Though Zimmitti plans on working for a nonprofit in DC that addresses urban food insecurity, he cannot stress enough the value of becoming involved with organic farms.
“People could gain, like I did, a new appreciation for organic foods,” Zimmitti said. “It will take these hands-on experiences for people to truly make the cultural change necessary to fix our food system.”
Zimmitti encourages other students to find out more about WWOOFing and to consider becoming involved.
“Definitely don't hesitate to try this out just because you have absolutely no experience farming,” Zimmitti urges. “It is a fantastic experience!”
