How to become a volunteer(WWOOFER) at Glenhordial Farm

 If you would like to volunteer at  Glenhordial Farm  it is necessary to  register either with  WWOOF Ireland  or  HELPX   before contacting us. We do not take volunteers who are unregistered

What do you need to do now ?  

 After you have registered with either organisation.

Email us  with your registration details telling us all about yourself  and the reasons you want to come and volunteer and roughly what your preferred dates are. 

We will respond giving information about ourselves  explaining about what you can expect from us and what we expect from you.

After that  if both parties are in agreement we will invite you to be a volunteer at Glenhordial Farm sharing our home and life with you for an agreed period.

 Information from  WWOOF IRELAND

What does WWOOF mean?

WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It started in the UK in 1971 and has since become an international movement that is helping people share more sustainable ways of living through a global network of education through exchange. By joining WWOOF you are supporting the sustainable living movement worldwide.
WWOOF is essentially an exchange - in return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.
WWOOF is also now recognised as having an important contribution to make in the wider organic world as it brings more and more people into direct contact with organic growers both independently and through other organisations who are trying to influence policy and consumer demand.

How does WWOOF work?

There is no payment between WWOOFers and WWOOF Hosts. Hosts provide food and accommodation and share their knowledge and experience of organic and sustainable lifestyles with WWOOFers. There are many WWOOF organisations around the world, but there is no single WWOOF membership that covers all countries. To be a Host or WWOOFer in Ireland, you must register on this site and then pay a small subscription fee. There is a preview list to give you a taste of the Hosts already registered, but no contact details are available until you subscribe.

The aims of WWOOF

• To enable people to learn about organic growing techniques first hand
• To enable people to learn about sustainable living, healthier life styles and alternative ways of life
• To provide an opportunity to learn about rural life in the Irish countryside by living and working together
• To give practical assistance to producers of organic food
• To give people a chance to meet, talk, learn and exchange views with others in the organic movement

What does a WWOOFer do?

In  exchange for learning opportunities in organic farming and living, and accommodation and food, WWOOFers give help that is wide and variable. The WWOOF hosts may be on large and small farms, have small holdings, houses with large gaderns and woods and (all variations in between). Hosts will either be growing organically or in conversion. The exchange is based on trust.
WWOOFing is a wonderful way to contribute to the health of the planet. The help you give your host will be wide and variable, including.... gardening: sowing; making compost; planting; weeding; cutting wood; harvesting; fencing; building; packing; milking; feeding ... the list is endless and varies from Host to Host! What you do is an arrangement made between you and your host. You should negotiate beforehand with your host so that you know what they expect from you and the sort of volunteering you are happy to do.

WWOOFing in Ireland

WWOOF hosts in Ireland are mainly pursuing a simple, sustainable lifestyle. Many are practising Permaculture or Bio-dynamic growing methods. Some farms are Commercial Producers, whether full or part time, others are alternative Co-opperatives or Communities. The WWOOF Ireland list also includes locations which are not organic farms but which are in keeping with the general ethic of respect for the environment and the idea of an exchange of knowledge and expertise, food and accommodation for help on a voluntary basis. These may include centres for yoga, crafts or the arts or spiritual pursuits.

WWOOFer Commitment

• A willingness to learn from your stay
• Patience and an open mind is needed, avoid over-expectation, too much time off
• Attention and commitment to the help you give is important to both you and your host
• Keep in your mind that your host may hold different views to you and remain open to differemt interpretations of life styles.
• Talk about difficulties when and if they arise - misunderstandings can be resolved by a simple talk!
• Travel in the spirit of humanity and with a genuine desire to learn more about the people and culture of the Island of Ireland
• Insurance and Visas - you must have the appropriate papers for travel from your country to Ireland and it is the responsibility of each individual WWOOFer to take out their own insurance. Travel and health insurance is a MUST! A special insurance policy for WWOOFers is available HERE
• To provide your personal profile and contact details in 'My WWOOFer Information' within 14 days of registration

 INFORMATION FROM  HELPX

Welcome to Help Exchange (HelpX), an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.
HelpX is provided primarily as a cultural exchange for working holiday makers who would like the opportunity during their travels abroad, to stay with local people and gain practical experience. In the typical arrangement, the helper works an average of 4 hours per day and receives free accommodation and meals for their efforts. This time range can vary considerably depending on the tasks at hand and the host’s preferences. Some hosts may require just 2 hours per day for accommodation only, and ask you to provide and cook your own food. Others may expect 6 hours per day in return for meals, your own room and sometimes other benefits such as free Internet use, horse riding, kayaking, bikes, local sight-seeing trips, yoga or English lessons, etc. Some will give weekends off, while others might allow you to put in 8 hours one day and later take a full day off. Helpers often live with the host family and are expected to join in and offer a helping hand with day-to-day activities.

Volunteer helpers are required to sign up for one of two levels of membership, Free or Premier. Helpers must upgrade to Premier membership to take full advantage of all HelpX has to offer. Premier membership costs 20 Euros for 2 years and allows the helper to contact all hosts and read all host reviews. Helpers can browse this site and contact hosts directly to see about making arrangements to stay.

Hosts wishing to add a free listing inviting helpers to stay will need to register. Registered hosts may update their details as often as they like and view helper profiles.
We advise both helpers and hosts to ask plenty of questions about each other in order to establish expectations from each party. Helpers should never turn up without prior arrangement. Basic host listings can still be browsed without registering by signing in as a 'Guest'. Helpers can also opt to provide a self description for hosts to view who may then wish to invite the helper to stay with them. We advise helpers to include in their profile any skills or experience they may have, such as gardening, farming, agriculture, permaculture, fruit-picking; trade skills such as building, carpentry, landscaping, sail boat crewing; working with animals or an ability to care for and ride horses. Helpers can also look for travel companions.

http://www.helpx.net/