Hello Friends,

 Kia Ora,

Thanks to all of you for your interest in the programmed to be run in Kina Peninsula for 12 days during three week.

The initial aim of this workshop was to apply diverse techniques into building something functional and to experience the whole process of such techniques with a social focus by working in group and community. This requires at least 3 weeks, and a minimum of 10 people previously enrolled.

 Because to-day, three days away from the starting date of the workshop we couldn’t reach this goal the first week has been cancelled.

 Enthusiastic for the good interest of some of you fellows, we are trying to make this happen. We have come to an alternative version of a one week program as a compact workshop that can cover briefly the same alternative techniques stated in the program, with the cost of $100 NZ dollars and with the following program and tentative schedule.

Still for this to happen, a minimum of 10 people is required to be previously enrolled.

PROGRAM

Thursday 2^nd of April 2pm-8pm

Bamboo: introduction about harvesting, treatment, preparation, joints and structures, brief exercise about garden structures, and application into buildings.

Other Fibres: Revision of hemp, yute, flax, and some grasses and straws as a building Material.

Friday 3^rd of April 2pm-8pm

Earth as a Building Material: Introduction differentiation of soils and uses, tests, mixture and brief understanding of different principles of Earth buildings.

Wattle and Daub: practical exercise applied into a building.

Straw Clay: Introduction, preparation and exercise applied to a building.

Saturday 4^th of April 9am-1pm (lunch brake) 2pm-8pm

Adobes (Mud Bricks): Introduction, preparation, moulds, joining mixture, and exercise into a building.

Cob: Introduction, mixture, preparation, exercise into a building; Oregon technique, bottle work, sculptural application.

Sunday 5^th of April 9am-1pm (lunch brake) 2pm-8pm

Reviewing of techniques: Integrating Natural Materials for Sustainable way of Building, Reviewing of Manuals, handbooks examples and Bibliography.

Choose a Favourite: Practical work and building exercise to apply the technique of your preference.

Finishing walls: Natural Plasters, Details and Paints.

*note: This program has been redesigned to be more compact and more intensive, therefore 36 hours where divided to fit half day Thursday and Friday, and full day during Saturday and Sunday. Bring your lunch to share on Saturday and Sunday, and as an option dinner also can be shared if you all feel like it.

Let us know any comments or suggestions.

Once10 people have contacted me for enrolment I will email the group with the account details for payment. An initial 50% of the total cost is asked as a confirmation of your enrolment. And the deadline for enrolments is Monday the 30^th of March.

Thanks for your understanding, interest time and energy, we will love to know about your comments and suggestions, hoping to hear from you soon.

 Please phone (03) 5266846 to make enquiries.

Blessings

Jaime Rios

Bambungalos@hotmail.com

The Proposal

The proposal was for an optional scheme to be made available for WWOOFers that records and recognises the variety of learning they receive while WWOOFing. Some form of log book would record daily learning with contributions from both WWOOFer and their host. It was suggested that there be a requirement for a minimum period of time. This proposal was published in the winter 2008 newsletter.

The Consultation

The results of the consultation were somewhat mixed. People pointed out the positive aspects of this proposal:

• The scheme is a way to recognise the learning that happens while WWOOFing.

• The log book would quantify what has been learnt, and could be used for future studies, employment etc,
• The scheme would help WWOOFers to cover a broad variety of biological growing techniques.

On the other hand there were some concerns raised:

• Some hosts felt that a scheme like this would tend to make WWOOF too formal and prescriptive. “People go WWOOFing to get away from paperwork!”
• Others commented that WWOOF works well just as it is and care needs to be taken not to interfere with what is really a low-bureaucracy system.

Some people thought that the scheme was going to be compulsory which was not the case – WWOOFers would opt in if they wish to.

A Pilot Project

Where to from here? How can we build on the positive aspects while addressing the concerns raised? Some suggestions have been to invite a group of interested hosts to run a trial project. This group could jointly develop the following:

• A list of topics to be “achieved” e.g. composting, propagation, harvesting/preserving/drying, biological pest and disease management, weed management, seed saving, EM, organic/ethical livestock management, no-dig, raised bed, intensive methods,  heirloom/heritage varieties etc.
• How the log book could be managed, what it should include, assessment of the log book at the end of the period.
• How long the period should be.
• What the scheme should be called.

This group could also look at ways to prevent people becoming confused between this scheme and good-old WWOOFing.  Can the scheme maintain a certain level of separation while being supported and promoted by WWOOF?

If you think you would be interested in being on this team please contact support@wwoof.co.nz for further information.

Fellow WWOOF  hosts, check out these cute cabins/huts: www.hut2go.com which make great wwooferies.

Kate Burness originally did the artwork for the WWOOF Festival back in 2006. There was some good feedback on this so Kate was commissioned to do a series of graphics that would be suitable for use as logos – thanks Kate!

(send in 3rd Feb 2009)
I, and I’m sure other wwoofers with children, would really appreciate it if you had a search category/key word search that searched for wwoofing hosts that allow children to stay. This would really make things soooo much easier when searching for a suitable host. Kind regards. Keep up the good work. Leonie

 (sent in Feb 2009)

Hello- My name is Rhiannon and I have been in New Zealand for the last 2 months honeymooning with my husband. I signed up for WWOOF so that we could experience the community and work our way across the islands. We regretfully had a very troubling experience with the participants in the book. Of the participants we emailed (and we emailed 3 weeks or more ahead) we only heard back from 3. Some of the ones that we didn’t hear from we used our calling cards to call them to get a response of “Please email us with inquiries”. I am my husband sent separate emails to them as well and both of us did not hear back. Consequently we did not participate on a WWOOF property and we were very disappointed by that. It is frustrating when you pay for a service and you don’t get an acknowledgement or even a friendly rejection. It was difficult to plan where we were going to go next when we could not even get a hold of some one to let us know if they needed us. We were even inquiring into a long stay of 2 weeks for these places. Our trip was fantastic despite this experience, but it would have been nice to have experienced something a little different. I will still recommend WWOOF to friends, but I will warn them and let them know of our frustrations…hopefully they do not loose out on money spent for a service that they couldn’t use. We waited on these places for some response so that we could plan our trip and to figure out finances. I wish they could have just had the courtesy to email a simple no thank you…it would have made things just that much easier.
Rhiannon, USA

(sent in 18th August 2008)
While I think of it, one of the mechanisms missing in the organization is us hosts being able to double check on potential visitors. Obviously talking/emailing the people is essential, but a means of recording a hosts experience of visitors will make it easy & quick for other hosts being asked to take visitors. Something like the Trademe feedback mechanism?? The visitors have all the info about us hosts on line, but we have nothing!!!! This seems very one sided, and we’re the ones taking the risk on who we are getting….good & bad workers, trust worthy people or not…etc etc. How about us hosts having access to some basic member info????? Or at least a means to log feedback on the wwoof site?
Cheers, Cliff

(sent on on 5th March 2009)
Hi there Andrew & Jane,
I find the wwoof system great (I am a host). I do have one thing I would love to see so am writing to suggest it. When I am looking for a wwoofer with particular skills I use the search features to find wwoofers and then contact them via email from that result list. The frustration is that there is no way of knowing how current their write up is and I am often sending 10 or so emails to get back 8 or 9 replies from wwoofers saying they are now back in their home country! Can the initial postings of wwoofer info be dated please so that it can give some point of reference, i.e. a wwoofer may say “I will arrive in October and stay till Jan” but I can’t tell if they’re talking about 2007, 2008 or 2009 !! It would be great if you are happy to do this, for now I have stopped sending emails via this method as I have just had another bunch replied to by long-gone wwoofers. Thanks! Christine.

Some recent organisations that have formed include:

• WWOOF Ireland:   www.wwoof.ie
• WWOOF Portugal:   www.wwoofportugal.org
• WWOOF Philippines:   www.wwoofportugal.org
• WWOOF Cameroon    Email: pnjome@hotmail.com

These independent organisations have their individual way of operating but all support common ideals of helping people to experience life on organic properties and work hard to provide a good service for their members. You can find full list of WWOOF organisation at www.wwoofinternational.org

WWOOF New Zealand is one the few organisations where membership includes the printed book but it’s becoming quite common for WWOOFers to ask, “Can we join and just use the website without getting the book”? The reasons given include:

• We have left home and don’t have a postal address.
• Using the just the website saves trees and uses less resources.
• It’s one less thing to pack and look after while traveling.
• The website is updated daily, whereas the book is only printed twice a year.

It seems to be the new way of “connecting”, people are sending pictures and accessing the internet on their mobile phones and happily networking on Facebook and Myspace.
Having said all that, there are always going to be people who want a printed book:

• It is sometimes difficult to access the internet.
• It’s nice to have the hardcopy to study, make notes in etc.
• The green “WWOOF book” has been an icon in New Zealand for many years.

The best solution that hopefully caters to the needs of all members is to provide two options:

1. As it is currently (membership includes both printed book and website access).
2. Membership includes website access only (a book can be ordered later).

For WWOOFers who choose website access only, hosts can look up their profile online or WWOOFers can show a printed copy for proof of membership.
Feedback from hosts has been that they find it useful to look up WWOOFers’ profile online so they can maybe see a photo of the WWOOFer and read a bit more about them (and of course check that they are actually a current member).