Four years around the world

Bashomatsuo, the link you gave for WWOOFing does not have any caveats that I can see other than don't expect a free bed for nothing.

Really? I thought I did a good job of warning people, particularly about that place...

The caveat it should have is that it is not legal for a traveller on a tourist visa to WWOOF or the like in many countries.
The statement, "is a way of getting around the fact that one may not have a work visa.", is absolutely INCORRECT.

YMMV. That was exactly how it was "sold" to us.

They argue it is 'volunteering', not 'working' but Immigration in many countries do not agree.

I have heard of issues you describe, indeed WWOOFing appears to me to be full of nothing but legends and stories. On the other hand, It's not hard to get a working VISA for Australia and NZ (if one is British and under 30 - as I was... just). However, when we tried to WWOOF in Japan we had a very negative experience with the WWOOFing organisation, which I will be covering on the site in April.

As you asked so nicely - not really - I have put a warning on the bottom of the article using your text.

For the OP, I met a guy (in Agra) who cycled from Aberdeen to Adelaide and then Adelaide to Aberdeen (the other way). He did all this while recovering from ME. I also met a man who walked across Europe, dressed as Charlie Chaplin, and demanded (and got) an audience with the Pope. Sure, your plans need to turn from fantasy into reality - but that's a good thing.

Regards,

Basho

The caveat should be at the beginning of your article, not the end Basho. Frankly, I would guess that some people won't read all the way to the end. I'm sorry if you read a tone into my response that I did not mean to impart. I have no problem with you or your blog. I have a problem with mis-information (however well intended) and a problem with the very apparent unwillingness of WWOOF organizations in some countries to make it clear to potential paricipants that they may not be able to legally participate.

If you start out your article by explaining what WWOOF is and how it works then you should explain it correctly. That includes the fact that it is not necessarily legal and has implications. The first thing anyone considering WWOOF or the like in any country should do is determine if it is legal for them to do so. The same applies to programs like HelpX and WorkaWay.

The Name is no longer Willing Workers on Organic Farms. It started out (1971) as Working Weekends on Organic Farms in the UK. The intent being to encourage city dwellers to visit a farm for a weekend and learn about organic farming. The hope was they would then return home and start buying organic produce. So it was a win/win. The participant had an intersting weekend in the countryside and the farmer did some marketing to get the word out.

Like many things however, it took on a life of its own. People began seeing it as a way to not need to pay for a bed when travelling. They also wanted to stay longer than a weekend. The idea also spread to other countries. So today, it is a business like many others. There is no 'head office' anywhere, there is nothing other than a loose affiliation; there is no regulation of each organization. WWOOF USA for example is owned by one woman who lives in one state (I forget now which one) while the business is registered in another state (California). The WWOOF USA website used to actually tell people to LIE to Immigration when entering the country. Now it has been changed to 'lawyer speak' that you need to be a lawyer to understand what it is saying. Basic translation is, 'WWOOFing is not legal without a proper work permit/visa and we are not responsible for anything that happens to you when you enter the country.' But rather than simply saying that, it hides the reality behind a statement most people will not even understand, assuming they even read it.

The name was changed from 'Weekend Workers' to 'Willing Workers' to adapt to the desire for longer stays. But as more and more countries' Immigration departments started seeing it as 'work', the name was changed yet again to the current name of World Wide Opportunites on Organic Farms. Thus removing the word 'work' altogether.