Rose and I had always discussed the desire to Wwoof for a couple weeks at some point during our tip. Wwoof (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is an organization that puts volunteers in touch with organic farmers. In exchange for 30-40 hours a week worth of work you get a roof over your head and all the food you can eat. Rose and I had both done some research and sent several emails to a number of different farms. Luckily Danny Bull, got back to us right away and accepted our request. Danny had a organic vineyard, and ranch near Monticello, UT. We were both excited for a number of reasons: we were both looking forward to staying in one place for more than 3 nights. I was also excited to do something productive and less selfish. Lisa would join us for the first 10 days on the farm, before returning to Vancouver.
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| My morning run down the canyon. |
Life on the farm was great. There were 4 other wwoofers, there at the same time, all relatively young people with different goals and backgrounds. Typically the work day would start at 9:30 am would last until 5Pm, and included a 1.5 hr lunch. This gave me time in the morning for a run, usually Lisa would join me. After 3 weeks of no running, I was eager to get back into it and start building my mileage back up for the up coming marathon in June. In the evenings we would all help out to make dinner, share a few beers, watch movies, go for a hike, or play video games. One night Danny gave us all a chance to skeet shoot, and rifle shoot as well. It was the first time I fired a weapon since my days in the Canadian Army reserves when I was 20.
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| The cabin |
Danny had started to build a 800 sq ft. cabin for the wwoofers the previous summer, and was now ready for the electrical wiring and plumbing to be installed, but he did not have much experience with home wiring. I was able to spend my 2 weeks on the farm, completing the electrical rough and finish install, while helping out with insulation and drywall installation too. It was really good to have arrived at a time when I was needed the most. Rose and Lisa spent the first few days planting trees for erosion control, pruning trees, and pulling weeds. Later they spent the rest of their time helping with the cabin construction, along with the rest of the wwoofers.
The ranch was also entirely off the grid, relying on propane for heat, a well for water, and solar power for electricity. All of their garbage and recycling had to be trucked out, and mail had to be picked up in town. I was fascinated to see how this whole system worked, and although I liked the idea of being off the grid, I don’t think I could ever live in such isolation. Internet was available, but slow, and cell phone service was minimal.
On our weekend off all of the wwoofer and Danny went to Moab camping for the weekend. Lisa and I took detour on our way and tried to climb the nearby Mt. Peale. Unfortunately, the road to the mountain was snowbound and we could not get close enough to start an ascent in the time we allotted ourselves. So instead we opted for some snowshoeing. We later met up with a group of one of the wwoofers friends, and had a good time around the campfire, late into the evening. We camped in the Kane Creek Canyon, several miles from the town. The next morning, I woke up before everyone else and was able to sneak in a 13 mile run up and over the canyon rim.
Our last night on the farm we cooked ribs, chicken and veggies on the open fire, and drank Tomatio shots. This involves doing a shot of tequila and hot sauce with a friend and then simultaneously slapping each other across the face.
I strongly recommend WWOOfing for anyone interested in farming, or has lots of time, but not necessarily the money for travel. I would have been happy to spend 3 months on the farm, exploring the surrounding areas on the weekends, and living a very simple life.
Check out the photo album here: FTF Day 63-75
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