For the first time in over a month of travels we are in the comfort of a home again. The smells of morning porridge, the comfort of a warm bed, and the energy of a bustling family. For the past week the Walkabout crew has been WWOOFing (Worldwide Oppprtunities on Organic Farms) on a farm Carpe has visit several times about an hour from Hastings. The experience I’ve had at Tom and PJ’s farm is unlike anything I’ve ever had, and one of my favorite parts of the trip so far.
The White family, who opened up their home and farm to us, are some of the most welcoming and openhearted people I’ve met. From the first day of WWOOFing they trusted us fullheartedly as members of their family. We cooked together, woke at the same times, and mucked out cow poop together. Leaving the farm after only a week here I feel like I’ve gained a whole other family that I can’t wait to come back and visit. And the experience I’ve had is one I can’t imagine having anywhere else.
Tom, the father, is one of the most dedicated men to both his work and family I’ve met. He wakes in the wee morning(way before any Carpe people) and is the last to come in in the evening. The mom, PJ, is a badass woman (excuse my language). A full time mom and farmer, she goes from being completely covered in muck and poop during the day to creating a masterpiece meal for dinner. Meanwhile, she still manages to pick up the kids from school on time. Tom and PJ have three adorable children; George (12), Ben (10), and Rosie (8).
When we arrived at Tom and PJ’s we all came in with excited, optimistic thoughts on what the week may hold. We fell asleep in warm beds with happy thoughts. Less than 12 hours later we were covered in muck and poo, and the only thing we wanted to do was sleep, but we were so happy. While waking up at the wee hours of 5:30 to be pooped and peed on while milking cows may sound like an unfortunate morning, it some of the most rewarding work I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. Being in an environment where your work is not only wanted, but needed is such an awesome feeling. In just our short week of being here I feel like we have significantly helped Tom, PJ and the kids is multiple ways.
A week isn’t a long time to learn the inner workings of a farmer, but we definetly experienced a lot about what the life of a farming family is like. Each day we were assigned new jobs–Daily Chores, Kitchen Duty, and Odd Jobs. Having various jobs allowed us to experience different aspects of the farm and more about what the average day on a farm can look like. The type of work we did this week is a lot different than anything most of us have experienced at home, so it definelty pushed us..We did everything from milking the cows in the early morning to watching a sheep get shot and butchered in the evening. We herded calfs, fed lambs out of a bottle, deballed sheep (Eek!), developed newfound cooking skills, and saw a newborn baby lamb. The poo, pee and muck generally found everywhere on the farm only added to the good memories. Watching Robbie fall over bare footed into a poopy mud, or my personal experience of fresh pee spraying down my arm only add to the good memories.
Our time at Tom and PJ’s farm has been so amazing. I’m sitting in their living room right now only wishing we could stay longer. Look in any direction and all I can see are rolling green hills and cows off in the distance.
We leave tomorrow for the Maori village! Wish us all luck in our next adventure!