WWOOFing at Domaine Les Gonies

After travelling by train through the sunflower field countryside, we arrived at Mauroux, in the Lot region of France. Waiting on the small platform was Ton; for the next 24 days, he and his wife Mirella, would be our hosts and introduce us to WWOOFing. As first time WWOOFers, we had no idea what to expect when we agreed to exchange our labor to provide assistance to an organic farm in exchange for food and lodging.
Our excitement peaked as our car curved down the winding roads like a rollercoaster. Waiting for us, at Domaine Les Gonies was a rustic French farmstead beyond anything we could expect. The main house, built with traditional stone architecture, stood solid in the center, mirroring the endurance of the old chest

nut's  tree in the yard next to it. Little did we know that this yard would be a common ground for memories that will last a lifetime.
The initial tour of Domaine Les Gonies revealed a spectacular organic farm, deep with knowledge of permaculture and skilled animal husbandry, as well as a thriving farm to table restaurant, bed and breakfast, and glamping campground for those interested in visiting the French countryside. After a week harvesting the garden and cooking in the kitchen with fellow WWOOFers Sandrine, Remi, and Océane, and learning the daily routines of Ton and Mirella, we have come know a lifestyle that we once could have only dreamed of.
Many moments have already been amazing; dancing during sunset at the local night market, laughing with each other as we fail in our attempt to learn French and our friends gain fluency in English, or viewing a day-old lamb nursing, but by far our favorite memory was the barbecue Ton and Mirella throw for their guests every Sunday night.
A full crowd was expected at the barbecue to be held in the yard under the old walnut tree. Our team had been prepping all day; cooking vegetables that we harvested that morning, filling carafes of wine from a local vineyard, preparing sausages for the grill that came from their own pork and lamb, and setting up a family style table so guests and workers could all sit and eat together as the hot summer air began to cool. Unlike most restaurants, as the first guests arrived our pace slowed. We joined them in the yard for an aperitif before dinner and took shifts breaking bread at the table. We learned about the lives of a group of people from the Netherlands and Belgium, and they were eager to hear about our travels as well.  Although we may be half a world away, it was interesting to see how similar our lives were, and it was comforting to have so many genuinely caring faces around us as we started our tour in this foreign country.
After dessert was only a lingering sweetness on our tastebuds, we continued to chat over coffee and tea as music from a live guitar played in the background. The only thing to bring the giggling children in from playing hide-and-go-seek at the end of the night was a grand finale fire dance offered by one of the other WWOOFers. It was a fantastic evening of entertainment, food, the outdoors, and friends that we would have never been able to experience without Domaine Les Gonies or WWOOF. With three weeks left, we hope to have many more memories to come.

Please continue to check our blog for more information about permaculture and things we'll learn about sustainable agriculture while we are on our trip.