The couple, Tracey and Paula, were so wonderfully friendly and welcoming, having chosen to have wwoofers come into their home rather than out of need in order to get the work done. They have wwoofed themselves, and I think it really shows in the way they treat their wwoofers. Work was laid back and relaxed - you manage your own time and nobody checks how many hours you're doing. If it was too hot, everyone piles down to the river for a swim. The work itself was varied - mostly veg growing, but with small construction tasks and other household things interspersed. When I mentioned that I liked making bread, I suddenly found regular bread making appearing on my daily task list.
But it was how welcoming they were in the rest of their lives that also adds to the experience. They include their wwoofers in all aspects of their lives - inviting us to watch Tracey play softball, going to see a swing band in Fredericton, taking us to the farmers market on Saturday morning... In addition, they lent the other wwoofer and I their car so we could go and see a couple of bands in town on Friday night.
In addition, I found their lifestyle inspiring. They very much live the simple sustainable life that I came to learn about. They eat seasonally, eating the food they grow where possible. They are aware of what they eat - one of the reasons that Tracey started making her own ice cream is that she couldn't find any store bought ice cream that wasn't full of additives and preservatives. This stretches to the rest of their lives, with their household products and toiletries matching their views on food.
I was only there for a week (it was originally a bit of a time filler between other farms), but was really sad to leave - I could have happily stayed for another week or two, learning from them and really feeling like I contributed. But westwards beckons...
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