Care About Sustainable Ag? Volunteer on a Farm
It’s easy for city dwellers to push for more organic and/or sustainable farms. But small farmers who go that route face an uphill climb. The current agricultural environment doesn’t do much to help family farms, and the growers often live close to the financial edge. Unless you’ve worked on a farm, you often don’t know how hard the work can be.
My wife Melissa discovered World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, where farms can post requests for volunteers. Those volunteers come and work for some period of time, getting room and board and rarely anything more. This isn’t agritourism; this is you working hard and realizing what farm life is actually about. It gives the farm a helping hand at minimal cost, and gives you the perspective to talk more wisely about small farm issues.
Got some free time? Check out the site and see if any of your local farmers have put up requests. Small farms are vital to our agricultural economy, and this is your chance to provide the help that might sustain them.
