WWOOFing

No, it’s not animal rescue, though some of these trips can involve working humanely with farm animals. It’s World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a movement that matches eco-conscious urbanites with organic farms around the world. You stay for free and receive some meals from your farmer host, and you repay him with weeding, planting, preparing beds and even building fences.

It’s a way to integrate into a community, says Lucas Weiss, 31, of Brooklyn, who has taken two weekend trips to the Meadowstone Farm in New Hampshire over the past year and is planning a third. He chose the farm in Bethlehem, NH because he and his fiancee want to move to the county once he graduates from acupuncture school in a few years.

Staying in farmer Tim Wennrich’s house and eating with his family gave him a taste of farm life he’d never get if he simply stayed in a bed and breakfast or motel — and it certainly was cheaper, costing just gas and a few meals out.

“We got to see first-hand how much work can get done when you have four extra hands,” he said. “I helped build a fence, which I’d never done before, and we planted lots of tomatoes. You really get to see the inner-working of the community.”

You don’t need to have any gardening experience but come prepared to work. You’ll need to commit to up to six hours of work a day and may need to bring your own tent or sleeping bag. While other sites are free, WWOOF USA charges $20 for membership and access to their host farm directory.

While Weiss only visited Meadowbrook Farm for two days, proper WWOOFing requires you to commit to at least five and a half days of work. (Weiss found Meadowbrook, a WWOOF-registered farm, through another Web site which has no such requirements).