WWOOFING Do you know?Discovery of this practice in farms and gardens of Grand Paris

50 years already that wwoofing has existed worldwide and for 14 years in France.But do you know what it is?Followers, wwoofers, are learned from organic know-how and lifestyles, lending a hand to farmers or individuals who offer the cottage and the cover in exchange.

More and more Parisians and Ile -de -France joints join the volunteers who came all horizons in the practice of wwoofing, this activity which allows in exchange for a few hours of work, to be hosted and nourished for free in gardens and organic farms.A way of traveling...while reconnecting with its roots...But beware this activity is not to be confused with a job or a vacation.Launched 50 years ago, the movement is today present worldwide.For her birthday, a wwoof fest is planned in Lyon in October.

To better understand this practice, here is our summer series to discover wwoofers.

A summer series on France 3 Paris IDF

The Bumbylius workshop (episode 1/3): To start this series to discover wwoofing, we went to this vegetable farm in Périgny-sur-Yereres in the Val de Marne.Meeting with Cécile Némorin who, after her engineering studies, chose in 2021 to resume the market gardening of her mother, Wilma van den Broek.In the 80s, the latter had the beginning of wwoofing.Sets, they now welcome apprentices and wwoofers.This summer, it's Damaris Cavolan, a French teacher who came to learn the picking of vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, fennel...Without forgetting the weeding and transplanting leeks.

La philosophie du lieu : ""Si l’exploitation est un outil de production, il est aussi et surtout un outil d’apprentissage pour nous, nos stagiaires, et tous nos invités.At the turn of exploration of techniques, experimentation in cooking, enriching discussions, playful animations, the farm offers a multitude of opportunities to learn from each other and nature.""Cécile Némorin, manager of the Bumbylius workshop

Bon à savoir : tous les produits de la ferme maraichère sont en vente sur place, sous forme de paniers ou au détail - Atelier Bombylius 9 domaine de Saint-Leu à Périgny sur Yerres (94)

The French garden (episode 2/2): For this second episode, our team left 50 km from Paris to discover the old nursery of the Château d'Ermenonville, where the writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived.This nursery is now the property of Marie-Christine Frébourg.This summer because of the pandemic, wwoofers are much less numerous in the French garden.Young student Jeanne Wüller nevertheless came from Germany.

La philosophie du lieu : ""C’est en visitant les jardins anglais que Marie-Christine Frébourg-Dujols a découvert sa vocation : cultiver des plantes vivaces pour créer des jardins naturels et vivants, où chaque lieu trouve sa plante, à l’ombre comme au soleil.""Self-taught, Marie-Christine's creations have received numerous awards: three times awarded in Saint Jean de Beauregard, first prize in the press in Courson, first prize in Versigny twice and first prize in the spring of Saint-Fiacre.""Marie-Christine Frébourg, manager of the French garden

Bon à savoir : des oeufs frais et de confitures du jardin sont en vente et bien sûr toutes les plantes vivaces et rosiers anciens à découvrir sur place - Le Jardin Français 24 rue René de Girardin, Ermenonville (60)

La Ferme de la Genevroye (episode 3/3): for the last day, our team went to the campaign of Château-Thierry (02), at the borders of Ile-de-France, in an organic farm since30 years.At the head of the operation Sébastien Hincelin, a farmer with a herd of Salers cows and a Charolais bull.It also has a hundred wet shelves and laying hens.All raised in freedom in the pastures of the Genevroye at the entrance to the village of Rocourt-Saint-Martin (02).The farm is large and Sébastien is therefore used to welcoming many wwoofers, including families with children.This summer we found Shanon Leahy, a Belgian wwoofer.

La philosophie du lieu : ""La Fête des légumes anciens existe depuis 2013.In the farm courtyard, this celebration brings together the organic producer market.The objective is to introduce the old varieties of fruits and vegetables and to mobilize the public, by encouraging amateur gardeners to cultivate them, reproduce and share them.It is also a question of discovering organic farming, respectful of the environment and health, promoting a healthy diet and learning eco-citizen gestures for a more sustainable lifestyle.""Sébastien Hincelin, farmer

Bon à savoir : dans la boutique, des produits de la ferme : volailles (poulets, pintades,...) Ready to cook, eggs, beef and veal in the box, honeys and vegetables.Genevroy farm in Rocourt-Saint-Martin (02)

A little history

The beginnings of Wwofing were thus told on their site: ""In 1971, Sue Coppard, young secretary in London during the week, decided to use his weekends to help small farms engaged in organic farming.A way for her to set in motion, in the great outdoors, while defending nascent organic farming, whose values she shares.To launch her project, she posts an ad entitled “Working Weekends on Organic Farms”...About fifteen answers later, a few weekends redo the world, boots on the feet with the farmers who welcome him...And wwoofing was born.

Since then, wwoofing (now since World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) has swarmed around the world and federated hundreds of thousands of people around this desire and this common need ""living and learning in biological farms"".""

"I did not suspect that wwoof would become a global network!"But wwoof meets the needs of such a large number of people that it should happen.""Founder Sue Coppard continues:

No exchange of money and a trip in total immersion

Wwoofing is obviously not suitable for people who are just looking for a vacation spot: you have to work and participate in the daily life of its hosts, we are not just there to have free accommodation!Otherwise as much to choose a paid seasonal work!

WWOFING is not a summer job as noted by Francetvinfo.These are not a lazing vacation, either.The services requested are very varied, depending on the type of farm and the season.It can thus be picking of harvests, plantations and various field work, but also DIY or animal care.

In addition to the financial savings made, Woofing allows you to live in total immersion, to learn more easily a foreign language, to discover a region of the unknown world, a new culture while enjoying good addresses but also to train you in agricultural tasks.This is the initial goal, Woofing, transmit to the general public the know-how used within a biological farm.

On this subject, the editorial staff recommends you

The newspaper Les Échos specifies that wwoofing is a growing success for a few years, in particular since the COVVI crisis."There was a boom last year following confinements", attests Cécile Paturel, coordinator of the WWOOF France association.The number of members (membership costs 25 euros) doubled between 2019 and 2020, passing the 20 mark.000 registered."Certainly a craze for well-being, a desire to take care of animals, to help others and especially to get out of an apartment to touch something other than a computer mouse.In 2021, the number of members dropped down, but still rises 30 % compared to the pre-Pandemic level.

Watch out for traps!

As France 3 Alps explains, if most of the time, the exchange between wwoofers and their hosts is going well.Drifts have also been noted.So beware, wwoofer is not an agricultural worker, the host is not a professional trainer, wwoofing is not a dating site for single...

But if you want to try the experience, you can contact the official French association of wwoofing.She gives all the useful advice.

More than 130 countries adhere to the international charter with 12,000 hosts and 100,000 wwoofers.So many possible destinations in the world like Japan, why not wwoofer in order to prolong the OJ experience.