WWOOF is an exchange: in return for your help on organic farms, gardens and homesteads, you receive meals, a place to sleep, and a practical insight into organic growing methods. WWOOF-Switzerland is compiling a list of organic farms participating in this exchange. At least since the year 2001, the international year of volunteers, more and more countries accept that helping a limited number of hours as a learning and cultural exchange experience is a legal tourist activity! To participate you should be over 17 years old, at least average physically fit and mentally stable.

The farmlist of WWOOF-Switzerland currently contains about 45 farms all over Switzerland and about 10 farms in other countries.

What can you expect from «wwoofing»

• You will get first hand experience of organic farming and growing by giving a hand wherever it is needed.

• In the country you are staying , you will get ito know the people, the way of live, and the culture.

• You will meet other people from the organic movement and make friends.

• And you will help the organic movement, which is often labour-intensive and does not rely on artificial fertilizers or persistent poisons.

WWOOF is not...

... a way to earn money during your holidays, though some farms do pay some pocket money, depending on your capabilities and dedication. We think that 4 - 6 hours help per day on average should do if no money will be paid, and that no pocket money should be given during the first week. Don't forget to come to an agreement regarding pocket money before arriving at the farm, if payment is important for you. Do not rely on any expected earnings. Make sure you have a valid return ticket and enough money to stay elsewhere as a normal tourist in case you have to leave your volunteer job for whatever reasons.

And that's how it works

Details of organic farms registered with WWOOF Switzerland (big or small, rural or urban) are included in our farm list. Among them you find vegetable, dairy, or livestock breeding farms. You can contact them directly. For an initial contact we advise you to send a letter, giving some information on yourself and your travel plans. If you write via email use only plain text without attachment.  Don't write to too many farms in advance. They are looking forward to your help, but they have no time to handle and answer too many inquiring letters. Call the farm after a few days, or enclose an international reply coupon (available from your local post office), if you want to be sure of an answer.

Once you have agreed on a stay don't disappoint the WWOOF farm by not showing up or missleading them otherwise. Phone your hosts and confirm your planned arrival a few days before you leave your home. Depending on the situation somebody will get you from the nearest train or bus station.

You are free to stay for a few days, weeks or even longer, depending on the needs on the farm. Of course you can also move from one farm to another. Some WWOOFers have stayed two or three months at one place; others stay a few weeks, then move on to another farm on the list.

Some rules

• Don't use old listings in order to avoid contacting farms which can not longer host WWOOFers.

• Don't pass on the list to your friends, as it is your personal copy. Always quote your personal membership number when writing to the farms. You need to show your registration card to your host farm on arrival. WWOOF depends on the support of those taking part in the exchange. Tell other people about WWOOF and how to become a registered member.

• When contacting your farm, always leave your full address and phone number, so they can contact you in case they have to change an agreement.

• Make sure to tell your farm as soon as possible if you can't stick to an agreement, or if only your arrival is delayed.

• Take with you working clothes and heavy shoes. Check with your hosts if you need to bring a sleeping bag.

• Be prepared to do a good job in exchange for food and sleeping accomodation.

• Be prepared to cook a meal from your country and sing some songs from your country, etc.

• Keep you hosts informed about your plans and don't leave unexpectedly.

• The farms do normaly have an insurance for part-time helpers, but check with your hosts and also contact your local insurance company. At the moment becoming a member of WWOOF Italy seems to be a good option because the insurance they provide will also cover you fairly whell when wwoofing in other countries. Or consider getting the insurance that we recommend on our website.

• Students from Eastern European or Third World countries are advised to get a confirmation from their universities, stating that the volunteer work is part of their education. Swiss immigration laws are very strict. Illegal labour may result in heavy penalties both for the Swiss employers and the illegal labourer themselves. So watch it! Without the possession of a valid document allowing to enter Switzerland, we advise not to send any money for a WWOOF membership, since a visa can be hard to get or take a long time. If you need help in order to get a visa and if you are planning only a short WWOOF-stay, then it is not likely that you will find a host who will make the effort of applying for a work permit for you. Therefore it does maybe also happen that some WWOOFers are travelling as tourists.

• WWOOF-Switzerland can not accept any liabilities for loss or damages you may cause or suffer.

WWOOF world wide

There are WWOOF organizations in many countries. They all have their own regulations and fees, which, we think, should not be very high. Check their Internet websites for current information how to join.

A complete list of WWOOF-organizations you can find on the website www.wwoofinternational.org . An overview of european WWOOF-organization you can find at www.wwoof.eu .

For countries without their own WWOOF-organisation, check the Worldwide-Lists of WWOOF-Australia, or WWOOF Independents www.wwoof.org .
 

Subscription Form WWOOF-Switzerland  (PDF Version)

Please send send this form together with a fotocopy of your passport and your membership fee (paper money, no checks) to

WWOOF Switzerland
Postfach 59
CH-8124 Maur

Active WWOOFers will get next years membership cheaper or free.

Please tick where appriopriate:

:_: I will become a member of WWOOF-Switzerland. Please forward me the farmlist valid for one year. Cost sFr. 20.- or sFr. 23.- in other major currencies, e.g. 20 US$ or 15 Euro. (No checks!)

:_: I will become a member of WWOOF-Australia. Please forward me the current Australian Cultural Exchange and Farmlist. Arrival date in Australia (day.month.year): ______________ Cost including basic insurance sFr. 60.- single or sFr. 70.- for 2 persons travelling together (include passport fotocopies of both persons).

_: WWOOF receives many letters from all over the world. In order to pay for expenses in dealing with this mail, I would like to make a contribution. I enclose sFr./US$ ____

:_: We would like as well to be visited by WWOOFers and be listed in the list of WWOOF Switzerland under :_: farms :_: hosts in return for help. Please send us more information.

Valid members of other WWOOF organizations (fotocopy) receive Swiss membership for 10 Euro or 15 sFr or 15 US$ incl. postage. (Only WWOOF Switzerland gives such a discount!)

I have read the WWOOF-rules and I will follow them. Together with this form I am sending the membership fee, a photocopy of my passport and a short letter explaining who I am and why I want to become a WWOOF-volunteer. I understand that incomplete applications will not be processed.

We can only mail the farmlist if you include the payment together with this order form. (No bankers drafts because of the high fees, but cash please.) The Swiss post offices exchange  international reply coupons to stamps of only 1.30 sFr., but international letters cost 1.80 sFr. Therefore we prefer to receive money instead of internation reply coupons. If you want to send IRCs anyway then you have to divide our prices by 1.3 in order to find out the correct number of international reply coupons.

Some other volunteer programs

Following you find information on some other volunteer programs in Switzerland. When contacting them, please make sure to include 2 international reply coupons, obtainable from your local post office.

Landdienst / Swiss Farm Work
Postfach 728
8025 Zürich
Unskilled farmers's assistance (age 17+ from western Europe only) to work on (conventional) farms (knowledge of German and/or French is essential).

Caritas Schweiz
Bergbauernhilfe / Freiwilligeneinsätze
Löwenstr. 3
Postfach
6002 Luzern
Work in areas affected by bad weather and on small mountain farms.

World Wide Fund for Nature WWF
Pandiamo
Postfach
8010 Zürich
Holiday camps, weekends and volunteer work for children and youth from 8 to 22 years.

Schweizer Bund für Naturschutz (SBN)
Natur Aktiv
Postfach
4020 Basel
Holiday camps for children, families and youths. Also volunteer programs.

Bergwaldprojekt
bergwaldprojekt@email.ch
One week conservation work volunteer groups in mountain woods, minimum age 18 years. German required.

Service Civile International
Gerberngasse 21a
3000 Bern 13
International workcamps with 8 to 20 volunteers of all ages from 18 years and above.

Back to Top