Episode 36: WWOOF Chloe Sullivan - What Is WWOOF World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms?
Release Date: 10/15/2025
Food For You and the Planet
David Finlay is the owner and co-founder of The Ethical Dairy which he co-founded with his late wife Wilma. David Finlay is renowned for his innovative and sustainable approach to dairying. As an early adopter of organic farming, he has led the movement in Scotland and the UK, integrating agroecological practices, renewable energy solutions, and forward-thinking dairying systems, such as cow-calf contact dairying. His commitment to sustainability is evident through his work on soil and pasture management, wind turbines, and biodigesters, winning him multiple accolades, including the...
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Professor Hermann Lotze-Campen, is Co-Author of the EAT Lancet Commission, an agricultural economist and Head of Research Department 2 "Climate Resilience" at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Professor of Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change at Humboldt University in Berlin. Professor Hermann Lotze-Campen grew up on a farm in Northern Germany and studied Agricultural Sciences and Economics at the University of Kiel and the University of Reading in England, where he graduated with a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics. For his doctoral studies he studied in...
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Tim Fink is the Vice President of Policy at the American Farmland Trust. Tim develops the American Farmland Trust’s overall policy direction and strategies and coordinates federal and relevant state policy work in close collaboration with American Farmland Trust national initiative leaders, regional directors, and partners. Before joining AFT, Tim was the director of research and policy analysis at the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation, where he advocated for increases in USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, fundraised for the National Academies'...
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Chloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager at Federation of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Organisations. Chloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager for the Federation of WWOOF Organisations (FoWO). Her journey with WWOOF began in 2021 as a WWOOFer. After transformative experiences on organic farms in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US, Chloe was inspired to share the WWOOF experience with others. She started sharing about her experience on social media, which led to a connection with the WWOOF Canada team and an opportunity to become more involved...
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Arthur Haines is a Senior Research Botanist at The Native Plant Trust. Arthur is a plant biologist specializing in the taxonomy and identification of New England tracheophytes. He is the senior research botanist for Native Plant Trust and author of Flora Novae Angliae published by New England Wild Flower Society and Yale University Press, and several other books, including Flora of Maine, A New Path, and Ancestral Plants (a two-volume set on edible, medicinal, and useful plants). In addition to his work studying advancement in plant systematics, Arthur is an administrator for the Go...
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Kate Mendenhall is the Executive Director of the Organic Farmers Association. Kate Mendenhall has served as the Executive Director of Organic Farmers Association since it was founded in 2016. Before OFA, she built a career working with organic farmer organizations from California (CUESA & PAN), New York (NOFA-NY), and Iowa (IOA) getting to know what organic farmers need to be successful in different regions and markets. She now lives in her hometown of Okoboji, Iowa where she balances running a small diversified organic livestock farm, raising two kids, and leading OFA. Her...
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Sally McGee is the Director of Climate and Strategic Initiatives at the Nature Conservancy and Leader of the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition. Sally McGee works for the Nature Conservancy where she is the Director of Climate and Strategic Initiatives for the Global Aquaculture Program. Her areas of focus include the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, Sustaining Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR), and projects focused on seaweed cultivation. Sally also developed, owned, and operated an oyster farm, Sixpenny Oysters, in Noank, Connecticut. Previously, Sally was TNC’s...
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Abby Barrows is the Owner and Operator of Deer Isle Oyster Company and microplastics research scientist. Abby Barrows grew up and currently lives on an island off the coast of Maine. The ocean has been her passion driving her personal and professional path. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Philosophy in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic. Directing microplastics research since 2012, she initiated the first baseline data map of microplastic pollution distribution in Maine. She concluded her work as the Principal Investigator...
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Michael Mazourek, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding and Genetics, and Horticulture. Michael Mazourek, PhD, is the Calvin Knoyes Keeney Associate Professor of Vegetable Breeding at Cornell University. Michael is a breeder of peas, beans, squash, cucumbers and peppers and has released numerous cultivars and breeding materials that are shared by small, regional seed companies and incorporated into breeding program of the world’s largest seed companies. Michael’s specialty is biochemical genetics in vegetables; he explores the...
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Karen Mapusua is the President of IFOAM Organics International. Founded in 1972, IFOAM Organics International is a membership-based organization working to bring true sustainability to agriculture across the globe. The mission of IFOAM Organics International is to lead change, organically. Its goal is the broad adoption of truly sustainable agriculture, value chains and consumption in line with the principles of organic agriculture. Through its work, it builds capacity to facilitate the transition of farmers to organic agriculture, raises awareness of the need for sustainable...
info_outlineChloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager at Federation of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Organisations.
Chloe Sullivan is the PR and Communications Manager for the Federation of WWOOF Organisations (FoWO). Her journey with WWOOF began in 2021 as a WWOOFer. After transformative experiences on organic farms in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US, Chloe was inspired to share the WWOOF experience with others. She started sharing about her experience on social media, which led to a connection with the WWOOF Canada team and an opportunity to become more involved with Federation of WWOOF Organisations. Eventually, Chloe took on the role of PR Manager for WWOOF, where she continues to be inspired by the transformative impact WWOOF has on people’s lives and the incredible community it fosters.
TOPICS EXPLORED
0:00 – 1:42 – Introduction
1:42 – 2:16 – What is WWOOF and what type of work does it do?
2:16 – 3:37 – How did you become interested in helping people have opportunities on organic farms?
3:37 – 5:41 – What is the history of WWOOF and how did it start?
5:41 – 6:50 – How are organic farms that are part of the WWOOF network selected?
6:50 – 8:39 – How does WWOOF work?
8:39 – 9:15 – What are some of the countries where people can have opportunities on organic farms?
9:15 – 10:03 – Can you share some examples of organic farms people have worked on?
10:03 – 12:00 – What could a day be like for someone who is having an opportunity on an organic farm?
12:00 – 14:21 – Farming can be hard work. What happens if someone isn’t enjoying their organic farm opportunity?
14:21 – 17:19 – How do WWOOF opportunities help prepare people if they would like to one day own or operate an organic farm?
17:19 – 19:45 – What are some of the facts and figures related to people who WWOOF going on to own or operate their own organic farm?
19:45 – 22:00 – Can you share some testimonials you’ve heard from people who have participated in WWOOF?
22:00 – 2:40 – Things to share and wrap up
WORLD WIDE OPPORTUNITIES ON ORGANIC FARMS (WWOOF) INFORMATION
https://wwoof.net/
RESOURCES
How WWOOF Works: https://wwoof.net/howitworks/
Choose Your WWOOF Destination: https://wwoof.net/#destination
WWOOF USA Future Farmer Program: https://info.wwoofusa.org/blog/2025/01/04/futurefarmerprogram/
WWOOF USA Impact 2024 Report: https://impact.wwoofusa.org/
WWOOF App: https://wwoof.net/news/introducing-the-first-ever-wwoof-app/
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TAGS
Food
Environment
Health
Podcast
Sustainability
Organic
Organic Farms
Organic Farming
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
WWOOF