Written by Anne Custer, VRG Intern

Veganism, as many know, is not just a diet, but a complete lifestyle change. Becoming more aware of where food comes is a common interest among vegans. Learning about environmental effects of meat and dairy production made me more aware and concerned about the way our world is treated. This new awareness led me to start my own garden and compost pile and hopefully one day to work short term on an organic farm. I’m not saying all vegans are gardeners and tree huggers, but veganism does come with a greater appreciation and respect for the Earth.

Have you ever been curious about gardening, composting, or small scale farming? Working on an organic farm would allow you to experience and learn about all of these facets and more. Devlyn Perugini, former VRG intern, has experienced this first hand while working on a farm for two months on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. She still credits it as the “greatest, most rewarding and life changing experience.” As a high schooler, Devlyn was intrigued by a booth at her local farmers market and decided to talk to them about her budding interest in organic farming. They allowed her to come work on the farm whenever she wanted. She later found out about World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) which is an organization that connects host farms with people willing to work on a farm for short or long term stays. Check out their website, wwoofusa.org, for opportunities across the United States, including Puerto Rico.

On the website, you can search based on many different criteria including diet. If you click “Vegan” under diet with no other criteria, there are still over one thousand farms to choose from! Devlyn was a vegetarian while working on the farm and had no problem sustaining her lifestyle. She said there was a vegan staying on the farm as well and she maintained her diet “healthfully and comfortably.” She says, “We had everything we needed readily available to us.” That certainly is a perk living on an organic vegetable farm.

As for day to day tasks, Devlyn was up early at 6:00 am to start fieldwork and then to eat breakfast at 8:00 am. They would work for three more hours, take a lunch break, and then work for two more. After the eight hour work day, they were done for the day as long as they were ready for the big harvest each Thursday. “The fieldwork on any particular day could include, weeding, harvesting, creating new seedlings, planting the new seedlings, composting or daily chores such as, watering the new plants/trees, feeding the chickens*, making breakfast or any other side job.” (*Vegans may feel more comfortable on a farm that doesn’t raise chickens.) Devlyn also said the farm she worked at not only attended farmers markets, but delivered food to different restaurants and cafés, a local Whole Foods, and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in Hawaii.

Devlyn’s advice for people interested in this type of work is to be prepared to work hard. “If you can’t or don’t want to work hard then it would be best to not invest your time and money on something that you may have to leave.” She suggests trying out a local farm for a day and if you could picture yourself doing it for a longer period of time, give WWOOF a try. WWOOF is said to be a credible, safe website. An annual membership allows you to see different farms, read reviews of experiences, and ask farmers specific questions. You can easily find a farm tailored to your particular interests and geographical preference.

“My most valued advice I could give would be to be accepting of change. Understand that it will be a beautiful adventure that you can create incredible memories. Try your best and follow your heart.” Big thanks to Devlyn for sharing her experience and challenging others to live their dreams.

For more information on organic farming, visit: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue2/2010_issue2_farmers_view.php.