My Scholarship entry - Giving back on the road

pronomad — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 15:45:00 GMT

Farming is not something which most people associate with Alaska, but that was how I chose to travel there - through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program (wwoof.org).

The first farm I went to was totally “off grid”, several hours out of Anchorage. Electricity was provided by solar panels and a generator, while water had to be hauled from a nearby natural spring. Animals under my care included 25 goats (milked twice a day), lots of chickens, some turkeys, 3 Alaskan Husky sled dogs and a pig. While the experience was very authentic, having no washing facilities after a long day of shovelling goat poop and the like took its toll. There is only so much bathing in a freezing creek one can do before it gets old, so after 3 weeks I moved on, though not before they took me on a ride in their bush plane across the Chugach mountain range and over the sparkling blue Prince William Sound.

The next location was a heli-ski lodge near Valdez. It sounds glamorous, but the reality was a little different. I was given jobs like entering credit card transactions into accounting software and cleaning out the garage. The owner was a single girl taking advantage of free muscles around the house, rather than providing a true organic farming experience. In fact the place did not produce a single edible plant nor own any livestock! This taught me how important it is to learn as much as possible about the situation you’re walking into. Suffice to say I did not last long.

The third and last experience was with a couple who owned a 20 acre farm near Homer, a beautiful town on the sea. Bill and Judy were unbelievably good to me, and were very interesting people - Bill was a Vietnam veteran and an outspoken anti-war and Green Party spokesman. They served up amazing Alaskan meals every night, including locally caught King Salmon that would be worth at least $50 a plate at a restaurant in my native Australia.

WWOOF-ing in the land of the midnight sun was truly memorable!

Farming Under the Midnight Sun

My Scholarship entry - Giving back on the road