March Farm#1 Pisa, Tuscany, Italy.
This farm is situated in territory known as Alta Val d'Era. They specialize in olive oil and tourism, renting out apartments to travelers and visitors. When the weather is nice the focus will be on olive tree pruning and on the not so nice days I'll be helping out with apartment renos (there's a first time for everything, right?) I am lucky enough to stay in one of these lovely apartments during my stay.
April Farm#2 Piedmonte, Italy
My second farm is in Aramengo, Asti in the Piedmonte region, located in Northern Italy. It's a small (but very impressive!) family run Farm where the main focus is beekeeping and the production of honey and propolis. But that's not all they do. These people know how to keep busy. They also bake bread, work with wood, restore furniture, make ceramics, make candles from beeswax and even spin wool when they have time. But wait... That's not all they do! They organize activities for children, they run courses of meditative dance, yoga and painting. They also, of course, have a vegetable garden and fruit orchard.
May Farm#3 Targu Mures, Transylvania, Romania
I am almost certain this will be the hardest working farm of my trip. I'll be doing every single farm related job you can think (including ploughing, harrowing, hoeing, raking, digging, planting, mulching, weeding, watering, clearing fields and pasture, making or repairing fences, hedges, ditches and compost frames, various jobs of decoration, construction, renovation, maintenance and generally getting dirty) They require you to work 6-8 hours 5-6 days a week. But that being said, I am really exited about this farm!
The farm is owned by an English man (a London rocker turned Romanian farmer) and his Romanian partner. Along side the constant flow of WWOOFers, they are also helped out by the local community, whom they sell their surplus to. They are known for their brandies, liqueurs, jams and preserves.They are big into the local music scene and festivals (which seem to be a plenty in Transylvania, where there Moonshine is 50-60% percent alcohol might I add. Thankful for the warning!) Where they work hard, they play hard. Bring it on Romania!
June Farm#4 Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland
At last I will have arrived to the lush rolling hills of Ireland, where I will be lost in a sea of Irishmen... and chickens.
This farm specializes in egg farming, being home of 500 chickens and 80 ducks situated on a 15 acre farmland that overlooks the Irish sea. They also specialize in preserves and chutneys. Most of my time there will be focused on picking strawberries and making jam. Sounds like just a lovely way to spend my June!
Farms #5 and #6 TBA
