A Short Note to All Prospective Wwoofers.

Our farm is a full-time occupation for two people and the workload is likely to be quite intense. Your ability to maintain a degree of self-reliance during your stay is appreciated. As a project in sustainable living the cash output per man-hour is less than a mechanised (oil-dependent) farm and this is reflected in the cash-equivalent value of labour (both yours and ours) being quite low. We often find that Wwoofers view, from the perspective of comparison with their expectations under the "business as usual" (oil-subsidized) scenario, their efforts as being far more cash-equivalent valuable than they really are. Having performed your appx. five hours per day obligation does not create a situation where you can expect to be waited upon in the style of an hotel, guest-house or farm-stay, it covers your food and lodging costs.

Having said all that, we hope you are still interested in visiting, It is just that many Wwoof-hosts effectively subsidize their "hobby-farms" from off-farm income and it creates a distortion of perspective about "value" and expectations.

When we are without Wwoofers we eat more simply than when have them, so time taken to prepare meals becomes time we cannot be performing farm tasks. Therefore help with cooking is always appreciated. Accommodation is in our house which is modern, warm and dry though somewhat cluttered with farm paraphernalia! All reasonable facilities are at your disposal. Showers, laundry, internet (slow dial-up only I'm afraid). If you wish to use the phone other than local calls please buy a phone-card. Vodafone reception is moderately ok. We do not have a television but have a reasonable selection of books and a few videos mostly on "alternative" subjects. We like Wwoofers to stay for at least a week as it takes a couple of days to "fit-in" to the routine.

We are fairly isolated, the nearest towns are Motueka & Richmond 20 mins. drive and Nelson is 40 mins drive. The village of Upper Moutere with garage, shop, pub is ten minutes drive away. We are surrounded by pastoral land so there is little here in the way of "bush walks" etc. but some nice views from the hilltops! It is 40 mins drive to the mountains both north and south of us.

We hope that you will appreciate the ethos of our mission and will have an enjoyable and informative stay with us.

Regards, Susie & Kevin.