Red and black antenna waving.

These past two weeks, I have been helping out at an organic farm (Hu Organics) located near Humpty Doo, about 50 km from Darwin.  Lots of folks come to this farm as WWOOFers (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) and to put in some time toward their 3 months of specified work (e.g., farm work) to earn eligibility for their second year working holiday visa.  By working on the farm, WWOOFers earn free accommodation and food.  I actually found this farm through Help Exchange.  It’s another worldwide organization that connects willing helpers with people who need some help, only it’s not limited to farm work.  In exchange for a few hours of work at the farm/garden/house every day, the helper earns accommodation and, in most cases, food.  At this farm, I have been working 5 hours every day with every 6^th day off.

The family who owns and lives on this organic farm is great.  They have three girls (ages 11, 9, and 6) and one boy who’s 4.  They have five dogs, including two adorable puppies.  Sometimes the bigger dogs would join me on my runs.  They also have three horses (King, Juno, and Chance), “chooks” (ranging from cute little chicks to two roosters who start at 4:30 am), and cows (who love eating the bad tomatoes).  The helpers sleep in old caravans (I keep dreaming that I have fallen asleep in the open woods somewhere – it’s very disorientating) and use the outdoor kitchen, outdoor shower (half exposed), and outdoor compost toilet (also half exposed!).  We eat dinner together with the family twice a week. 

I usually try to work all 5 of my hours in the morning, so I have the rest of the day free.  I started with some tomato picking.  So apropos, I had “Big Yellow Taxi” in my head when picking (Hey farmer farmer, Put away the DDT, I don’t care about spots on my apples, Leave me the birds and the bees, Please!).  In addition to picking fruits and veggies, I have also packed some of them (sorted and placed in boxes for shipping).  We dug holes and planted a couple hundred baby “pawpaw” (papaya) trees.  Yesterday, I was wielding a machete to make some bamboo poles to support banana trees that are falling over with the weight of the fruit.  We have braced banana trees and weeded around them – bananas require a lot more maintenance than you might expect.  During my time here, I have helped harvest tomatoes, eggplants, pawpaws, bananas, and basil.  They will probably start harvesting the watermelon soon too.  We have been eating a lot of food freshly picked from the farm – so delicious.

The farm currently ships a lot of their produce down to Melbourne.  The market for organics is larger down there, especially given that their growing season is just getting started.  They do sell some produce locally, but the demand for organics in the Northern Territory is not large.  CSAs are not popular here; in fact, the first farmers market in Darwin is scheduled to start in March.

My biggest nemesis has been the ginger ant, or fire ant.  These tiny ants have a stinging, venomous bite and will unleash their anger on me, especially when weeding or planting.  The first few bites are annoying, but as the number of bites increased, I think I grew more sensitive.  I have nearly reached a point of jumping if a blade of grass brushes my skin.  I have heaps of red bumps around my ankles, shins (from wearing longer socks), hands, and wrists (from wearing gloves).  The marks are probably not as itchy as chicken pox, but it does remind me of it.  I am about to start on a new adventure, and although I will miss the family, I am sure my body will appreciate a break from the ginger ants.