Farming around the Country: An Organic Odyssey
Brian J Bender, NorlightsPress, Nashville, IN, United States, September 2010

The following, a quotation from a host recorded by the author, must surely sum up the spirit of genuine organic farmers and Woof hosts: “to educate as many young people as possible about living on the land, living sustainably, living in community, living meaningfully, living aware of nature, growing your food, developing meaningful relationships, enjoying life, inspiring others and being inspired by others, living, living, living, making every moment count, teaching and learning and being real with no B.S.” Then again we also get to read about those, hopefully a minority, who while operating highly profitable farms and cooperating with high-end chefs, exploit volunteer labour under the ruse of Woofing.
This is not one more dry how-to guide fo volunteers: there are no guidelines and know-it-all instructions, no diagrams, no pictures even: no need - the authors descriptions are as sharp as any. Neither is it a glowing or indirect advertising account for specific farms and accommodation providers, as so much of travel writing these days. It could have been a documentary and it can become a scenario for an alternative off-road movie trip across the United States, showing the rest of the world its other, beautiful, small-size, peaceful side, and that there, through organic farming & living, many are already applying Gandhi’s famous dictum, quoted in the book, “be the change you would like to see in the world”.
The only character, among people and animals, that is not described in detail, until the final chapters of the book is perhaps the author himself. By the end of the book we can deduce with confidence that this has indeed been a real, eye-opening journey, that he is indeed “happy”, “always learning” and “forever changing”. Hopefully happiness will not stand in the way of more travel and writing.