Comments on: 5 Mistakes WWOOFers Make http://thenewsbase.com/2009/12/5-mistakes-wwoofers-make/ Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:44:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leighann http://thenewsbase.com/2009/12/5-mistakes-wwoofers-make/comment-page-1/#comment-44236 Leighann Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:43:08 +0000 http://thenewsbase.com/?p=4830#comment-44236 Wow, Becky, what an inconsiderate, mooching loser! Some people don't get that WWOOFing is a relationship, about BOTH parties getting something. WWOOF is non-profit, but it's not a charity! This guy should have stayed home with his momma if he didn't know how to behave. And your compensation sounds pretty good, 3 hours a day, 5 days a week? Breakfast at 9? Sign me up! Haha. But seriously, he took advantage of you. I hate confrontation too, and I'm more likely to let someone walk all over me than to tell them off. I guess I believe in the basic goodness of people, or I'm more trusting because I try to think of other people's situation and feelings first and I expect others to think of me like that too. Unfortunately, there are losers in the world who think only of themselves. In a situation like this, <strong>communication </strong>is absolutely essential. I think that in most human relationships the reason there are conflicts from the smallest at-home disagreement to international wars is due to<strong> lack of communication</strong>. As soon as you realize a WWOOFer has gone beyond making a mistake or making things a little inconvenient, that he's actually taking advantage of you, you have to take some time to sit down quietly together and discuss how things are going. Explain again what you expect and what you are giving in return, see if there are any issues that he feels are a disadvantage to him. I think it's also important, especially in the case of young, inexperienced people, to give reasons for the rules you have. He may not have realized what a drag he put on your day by sleeping in or may have been oblivious to the mud that he tracked through the house. I've found that if you tell people why the rules are in place they will be more likely to follow them. And wow, offering to pay a plane ticket. That's a tough one. For the right WWOOFer that would be a really nice compensation. However, it's hard to tell before you meet someone how they're going to work out. It's best to at least meet in person before making any large commitment like that, or even an agreement to let someone stay more than a week or two. I like to have a 2 week trial period with any new host. Some people are bizarre or too strict or have really bad accomodations (the story of the ironing board and the moldy oatmeal comes to mind). So it's nice to have a way to duck out (either side, the host or the WWOOFer) gracefully. I don't think your WWOOFer got the point and message of WWOOFing. Eating frozen convenience food dinners when he could have had a (FREE!!) home-cooked meal, fresh from the farm? That's crazy, and sad!! You know, if he'd have eaten a nice meal with lots of veggies to fill him up, he wouldn't have needed to eat so much. I would never buy something special like that for a WWOOFer if he didn't want to eat the food in the house. If it's that bad, as a WWOOFer you can (and I have) buy your own food to supplement what the host is giving you. When we go to a new place, especially if I take my son, we always make sure to have SOME emergency rations, like fruit, peanut butter and crackers, etc. Because you never know what you're going to get. But I've been pretty lucky with food, having enjoyed heritage apples, home-smoked salmon and crab, the best sushi I've ever eaten, eggs just out of the chicken, and grass-fed beef, all for a couple hours of work. I love food and that is one of the best compensations to me, enjoying all the taste treats from different locations. I've never worked with someone who was that lazy, but I have heard stories from WWOOF hosts. Particularly one hungry guy who would eat a huge scoop of organic oats with miso and molasses (or something weird and expensive like that) every day for breakfast. I'm lucky enough to have an overachiever husband who usually puts me to shame with the beautiful work he does and getting up on time. I'm really proud of him and he has landscaping/gardening handiwork still standing in Germany, France and Canada that we still get gushing emails about. :) I can't imagine how anyone would be so inconsiderate as your WWOOFer but I hope he's grown up a little now. What kind of farm do you have? Are you in the US? Wow, Becky, what an inconsiderate, mooching loser! Some people don’t get that WWOOFing is a relationship, about BOTH parties getting something. WWOOF is non-profit, but it’s not a charity! This guy should have stayed home with his momma if he didn’t know how to behave. And your compensation sounds pretty good, 3 hours a day, 5 days a week? Breakfast at 9? Sign me up! Haha. But seriously, he took advantage of you. I hate confrontation too, and I’m more likely to let someone walk all over me than to tell them off. I guess I believe in the basic goodness of people, or I’m more trusting because I try to think of other people’s situation and feelings first and I expect others to think of me like that too. Unfortunately, there are losers in the world who think only of themselves.

In a situation like this, communication is absolutely essential. I think that in most human relationships the reason there are conflicts from the smallest at-home disagreement to international wars is due to lack of communication. As soon as you realize a WWOOFer has gone beyond making a mistake or making things a little inconvenient, that he’s actually taking advantage of you, you have to take some time to sit down quietly together and discuss how things are going. Explain again what you expect and what you are giving in return, see if there are any issues that he feels are a disadvantage to him. I think it’s also important, especially in the case of young, inexperienced people, to give reasons for the rules you have. He may not have realized what a drag he put on your day by sleeping in or may have been oblivious to the mud that he tracked through the house. I’ve found that if you tell people why the rules are in place they will be more likely to follow them.

And wow, offering to pay a plane ticket. That’s a tough one. For the right WWOOFer that would be a really nice compensation. However, it’s hard to tell before you meet someone how they’re going to work out. It’s best to at least meet in person before making any large commitment like that, or even an agreement to let someone stay more than a week or two. I like to have a 2 week trial period with any new host. Some people are bizarre or too strict or have really bad accomodations (the story of the ironing board and the moldy oatmeal comes to mind). So it’s nice to have a way to duck out (either side, the host or the WWOOFer) gracefully.

I don’t think your WWOOFer got the point and message of WWOOFing. Eating frozen convenience food dinners when he could have had a (FREE!!) home-cooked meal, fresh from the farm? That’s crazy, and sad!! You know, if he’d have eaten a nice meal with lots of veggies to fill him up, he wouldn’t have needed to eat so much. I would never buy something special like that for a WWOOFer if he didn’t want to eat the food in the house. If it’s that bad, as a WWOOFer you can (and I have) buy your own food to supplement what the host is giving you. When we go to a new place, especially if I take my son, we always make sure to have SOME emergency rations, like fruit, peanut butter and crackers, etc. Because you never know what you’re going to get. But I’ve been pretty lucky with food, having enjoyed heritage apples, home-smoked salmon and crab, the best sushi I’ve ever eaten, eggs just out of the chicken, and grass-fed beef, all for a couple hours of work. I love food and that is one of the best compensations to me, enjoying all the taste treats from different locations.

I’ve never worked with someone who was that lazy, but I have heard stories from WWOOF hosts. Particularly one hungry guy who would eat a huge scoop of organic oats with miso and molasses (or something weird and expensive like that) every day for breakfast. I’m lucky enough to have an overachiever husband who usually puts me to shame with the beautiful work he does and getting up on time. I’m really proud of him and he has landscaping/gardening handiwork still standing in Germany, France and Canada that we still get gushing emails about. :) I can’t imagine how anyone would be so inconsiderate as your WWOOFer but I hope he’s grown up a little now.

What kind of farm do you have? Are you in the US?

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]]> By: Becky http://thenewsbase.com/2009/12/5-mistakes-wwoofers-make/comment-page-1/#comment-44229 Becky Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:58:11 +0000 http://thenewsbase.com/?p=4830#comment-44229 I love your site. It's full of good info on wwoofing for both workers and hosts! My story is not a horror story, but I had a lond term wwoofer that felt like I had a 4th child. He was here for 3 months and we said we would reimburse airfare with a successful completion of the farm season. For the first 6 weeks he barely got out of bed before 2pm. I think the average workday was 3 hours during that time with 2 days off a week. He told me he was too lazy to make his lunch at breakfast time to put in the work fridge. So that meant he would have to trek in through the house (usually dirty) to fix a frozen meal. (we gave up and bought frozen burritoes and such) Lunch was usually 3 burritoes and a can of chili. Dinner was as many helpings as possible usually without the consideration of others. When other wwoofers joined the farm that finally got him motivated to work, but never would he do more than he had to. We didn't exoect 24 hours a day, but there were times when work wasn't finished and he would dissappear. Rules were also hard for him to follow such as breakfast between 9am-10:30am, he would always be there at 10:26 or 10:30 when I was ready to finally get in the shower! The other wwoofers were long done and out doing their duties. Laundry is to be done on days off, but he would be too lazy to do it and want to tend to it during the work day. I'm a nice person, but it was a frustrating summer. As a wwoofer, what do you think should be done about this situation? Have you been wwooffing where there was a wwoofer who was not pulling their share? I never had a problem with the other 5 wwoofers who stayed for shorter periods during the summer. It was a wonderful experience, but I need to avoid this kind of frustrating behavior in the future. We provide decent food for breakfast and lunch, and I cook good meals for dinner, but I cannot be an endless buffet. I also am embarrased to have a wwoofer eat all the crappy frozen and canned stuff cause he was too lazy to eat it. (My husband bought the crappy stuff) Great site! Thanks. I love your site. It’s full of good info on wwoofing for both workers and hosts! My story is not a horror story, but I had a lond term wwoofer that felt like I had a 4th child. He was here for 3 months and we said we would reimburse airfare with a successful completion of the farm season. For the first 6 weeks he barely got out of bed before 2pm. I think the average workday was 3 hours during that time with 2 days off a week. He told me he was too lazy to make his lunch at breakfast time to put in the work fridge. So that meant he would have to trek in through the house (usually dirty) to fix a frozen meal. (we gave up and bought frozen burritoes and such) Lunch was usually 3 burritoes and a can of chili. Dinner was as many helpings as possible usually without the consideration of others. When other wwoofers joined the farm that finally got him motivated to work, but never would he do more than he had to. We didn’t exoect 24 hours a day, but there were times when work wasn’t finished and he would dissappear. Rules were also hard for him to follow such as breakfast between 9am-10:30am, he would always be there at 10:26 or 10:30 when I was ready to finally get in the shower! The other wwoofers were long done and out doing their duties. Laundry is to be done on days off, but he would be too lazy to do it and want to tend to it during the work day. I’m a nice person, but it was a frustrating summer. As a wwoofer, what do you think should be done about this situation? Have you been wwooffing where there was a wwoofer who was not pulling their share? I never had a problem with the other 5 wwoofers who stayed for shorter periods during the summer. It was a wonderful experience, but I need to avoid this kind of frustrating behavior in the future. We provide decent food for breakfast and lunch, and I cook good meals for dinner, but I cannot be an endless buffet. I also am embarrased to have a wwoofer eat all the crappy frozen and canned stuff cause he was too lazy to eat it. (My husband bought the crappy stuff) Great site! Thanks.

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