The Visionary's Wife: WOOFERS.....Who Knew

WOOFERS...Worldwide Organization for Organic Farming. That is what the headlines read as I searched through the Internet for any bit of information on Chile, before Bill and I headed to South America. WOOFing is a chance for anyone to work on a farm or for any type of business that promotes organic living besides farms such wineries, restaurants with their own gardens or orchards, etc...and one can live on the premises of the farms or business and work as a volunteer, along with obtaining room and board. Your required amount of work each day is 5 hours and your required amount of time to stay is usually three weeks. So this information seemed to be the answer for Bill and me as an option of where to stay and learn about the culture of Chile, without spending a lot of money.

Bill and I are now living in a little cabin on the farm that is somewhat a cross between a hunting cabin and a shed, but it used to be the home for a Chilean woman and her children, many years ago, the previous owner of the farm. There is no electricity, but running water in a little kitchen sink it does have....abundant with water, I might add, that is straight from a glacier which is on the mountain above the cabin. Nice. The best tasting water I have ever had. No kidding. And another plus, there is, as is the custom of all Coyhaiquean homes, a precious little white wood stove that heats the cabin, as well as heats our water for all cooking and cleaning. We don't have a shower yet, so bathing in a bucket is our routine, but it does the job and it beats staying in a hostel and sharing a bathroom with strangers.

Now washing clothes is a bit more strenuous, but we purchased a huge aluminum pot that serves as our "washing machine" and we are using a laundry plunger that pushes the water and dirt through the clothes making them unbelievably clean, using plenty of hot water, detergent, and clean rinse water. Hey, it is great for exercise, too! Grandma and Grandpa Kettle, here we come!

Bill and I do a mixture of chores on the farm. He helps the owner, fixing tools, cutting fire wood, carousing animals, etc...typical farm work. I do anything from babysitting to helping a little with school to picking all kinds of cherries and berries in the orchard...or at least that is what I've done so far, while the berries and cherries are in season. Winter will prove itself to be something different, Im sure.

The whole reason Bill and I chose to WOOF was to see if we could actually have a farm of our own one day in this region of Chile. There is no doubt due to the mountains and sometimes harsh cold weather during winter months, it will be difficult, to say the least. You really can only grow most vegetables with a green house, which is different than what Bill and I are accustomed to. But all in all, for now, we believe the good of Patagonia is outweighing the bad.