Endless exits all the same and connecting to my inner hick

I arrived at my first WWOOFING (world wide opportunities on organic farms.org) farm in northern Florida during unseasonably warm weather. I was surprised at how desolate northern Florida seemed to be. Once I turned off of I95, the views were mostly wooded and free of the cookie cutter exits that had populated my 13 plus hour drive down from Maryland. During the drive, I actually found myself wondering if it would be possible to drive across the country and never have a sense of place--to eat and sleep only in corporate chain businesses. I imagined someone from a foreign country coming here only to see endless exits of Country Kitchens, Kentucky Fried Chickens, and Quality Inns punctuating every 10 miles of roadway, never experiencing anything authentic. I decided that is is possible, and got a little depressed about it. Thus, Florida's I-10 was a happy relief.

The farm itself was a happy relief too. The drive from the interstate confirmed what I knew, I would be isolated-- dinners out would not be happening. Once I found the correct sandy road into the property, I was cheerfully greeted by chickens, dogs, and humans. The farm, Serenity Acres Goat and Dairy Farm, specializes in milk goats, but their love of animals clearly extends to many. There are 9 dogs, 2 cats, 3 horses, a noisy family of ducks, a few hundred chickens and more than 75 goats. While there is a small garden, animal husbandry is the thing. A full- time occupation and our complete focus.

Wayne and Julia, our fearless leaders, fell into goat farming because of their love of animals. After essentially rescuing nearly a dozen goats, they quickly found themselves farming and yielding more raw goat's milk than they could consume. They tried their hand at selling some "value added products" at the local farmer's market and had an overwhelming response. The farm has grown rapidly since then and they produce an impressive array of goat cheeses and soaps. The eggs are also extremely popular and are all pre- ordered, despite their pricey $4.50 per dozen.

Wayne was upfront about their small business: they are not yet making money and hope to be a year from now plus. I love that he was upfront about it (and not surprised), but I also think it serves a selfish purpose. We, the wwoofers, and 2 farm managers, are asked to work obscene hours--far more than the 25 hours per week wwoofers are traditionally asked to work. Knowing that we are contributing to a greater cause might help that fact go down. I personally am fine with the arrangement. I appreciate their clear commitment to excellence, obvious in every task execution, from first rate care of the animals, to compulsive attention to sanitation. But what impresses me most is their willingness to invest in their farm. The equipment, gates, fences, irrigation systems, kitchens, and pens are well designed and well maintained. While I am sure efficiency could be improved, I find myself pleased to be a cog in a well oiled machine.

Our accommodations are fairly deluxe as far as WWOOFING standards go. 6 of us share a 3 bedroom house, complete with a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, a fireplace, big screen TV, washer, and a large front porch, perfect for connecting to your inner hick. I have to admit that the house looks pretty scary from the outside, like a double-wide from a horror film, but inside its quite decent and tidy, and is far more comfortable than I ever expected.