So after a break up my heart was hurting and had a lot of questions about my future and life and my solution to that was to run off the the greenest place on earth and get away from everything. Kara Vincent my beautiful funny friend from America's next top model cycle 13 had told me about wwofing and every since I knew I would do it one day. I just didn't know when I was scared to go alone but after the break up I was in need of an adventure and on fire so I put my fears aside and booked a ticket to Ireland.
You can wwoof in 100 different counteries but I chose Ireland because my heritage and I thought it was good starting point since they spoke english and a safe place for women. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. The WWOOF organazation is a links people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help. WWOOFers are n return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.
So after a 8 hour flight and 1 hour bus ride I showed up at a stop that my host would pick me up at. They then brought me here, there home and farm. I soon figured out my host where 2 gay men, both my dad and I was very happy and relived because my worries of being murdered and raped was no longer an issue. Hoping on a plane and going to live with strange men in the middle of no where is often a bit intimidating. Altho most the WWOOFers I talked to has never really had any creepy experienced and I even told my host my fear and they laughed and we talked about how american parents are good at installing fear in to there kids. Yes bad things happen but they happen everywhere, but it shouldn't stop you from seeing the world and experiencing culture. So now Im happy and safe in my temporary Irish home free from being murdered. I arrived mid day and my host told me I could go nap but I thought it was better to just jump right in and get use to the time. So my Host Olly took me to met my new roommate, Susanna a tall blue eyes creamy skinned German girl. She was very quite and seem grumpy all the time, But fortunately for her Im loud and not shy. We quickly became good friends we worked side by side every day and making sarcastic jokes and picked on each other all day, I later learned the Irish call this type of joke with a friend "slaging". My first meal in Ireland was amazing I also had never consumed so much meat but Im not complaining! This is when I tried pigs blood for the frsrt time. All my meals in Ireland was amazing my host where passionate about food and cooking another reason they where a perfect fit for me they both taught me alot Although one thing I never picked up on was metric system Im just to dyslexic. lol The majority of food we ate was fresh off the farm. cooking and cooking what I grow is my passion and I love modeling but its become a career and cooking and growing has become my escape and passion.
every morning and evening I milked the cow named Cara she was a Dexter cow. Thats luke the cat trying to sneak some milk. After milking we would chop wood. Susanna was way better at chopping wood then me but it was important cause thats what we used to keep warm and to dry our clothing. Since it rains all the time we was always wet. I loved Ireland but the one thing I hated was the RAIN!!!! I thought I might go crazy I never stopped feeling soggy. Olly told me Susanna could chop wood with one arm although I never saw it but I believe him she's one hell of a women. She would chop as fast as I could bring her a wheel barrel full
Every day I milked Cara in the AM and PM, checked for chicken eggs and feed them, feed the 2 dogs Stella, Harry, the cat Luke and the sheep then let the goats out. In the evening I would milk the cow and goat, feed the pigs, gesse, put the goat back in there home goats feed and them.
This egg was tiny it was a new chickens first egg ever.
I had worked with chickens and and cows but I never worked with goats and a green house or pigs and I was overly excited for all them. Almost all the food we ate we grew meaning we ate seasonal and what we had at the time. The greenhouse help have veggies for a longer period of time. Olly also taught me a lot about bee's. Im really stunned how complex the bee system is yet its very easy work, you just got to do your research. I wish I had the guts to have my own bee's but I guess I have watched documentaries National Geographic shows about killer bee's hahahah
Olly loved strawberries and im glad because that means he planted alot !!! we had lots of jelly to add in the Yogurt we also made.
Meet Thelma and Louise ! I learned pigs are very smart and fast. because there so fat I thought they would be slow and lethargic NOT THE CASE AT ALL. Did you know pigs are some of the very few animals that make and designated area where they use the bathroom!
I hated the geese they where ass holes! but I still feed them...... thats all I got to say about them HA
BUT ........ THE GOATS, OMG THE GOATS!!!! Hands down my favorite I miss them and have seriously been thinking about geting a baby goat!!! They do such funny things and are so soft. these 2 are the baby twins that where born 5 weeks before I got there, from mama Darcy. I only milk Darcy in the evening because the kids suck her at night then in the morning I put her out in the pasture where she eats and makes more milk that I take in the evening but her supper mommy skill's allow her to still hold some back for the kids. You will milk her and think she's dry but no! I put her in the pen with her babies and I see her udder fill back up and the kids go to town, its not alot of milk so I feed her so she will make more for them.
this is Archy and Jarjar in the background she's the tallest goat. Archy is their pet he will never be anything but a pet and you can tell he's spoiled you can guarantee he will do something funny once a day. They where a handful but worth it! Goats are a herd animals so they always like to be together so if I separate them for just one second they freak out. Someday's if I was tired or sore from my chores the day before
So with the cows milk from Cara and goats milk from Darcy My host taught me to make cheese and yogurt! Really the whole reason I chose this farm. Something I have worked hard to learn and want to really get good at. growing and producing my own food is a true passion of mine.
We also had sheep and I watched them be sheared then Olly's friend taught me to spin wool it was a neat experience! the wool was from a "jacob" sheep.
This women was awesome so kind and smart and very talented. to the right of me is a piece she made from wood she sheared, dyed, and worked herself. She showed me you could do more than just knit hats and sweaters, Although she was killer at making sweaters and hats as well.
My stay in Ireland was amazing I learnt so much and it was a therapeutic experience. I met all kinds of different people and tries all kinds of Irish beer. one thing I can truly say is that Olly and Chris love there farm and care about there animals. Their passionate about producing organic foods and care what they put in there body's and how it effects the environment. My only regret is not asking more questions these are 2 people you can learn an endless amount from!
find Olly's farm here -> http://www.ollysfarm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ollysfarm/timeline