When Jandi, the coordinator of WWOOF Sweden, crossed paths with Federico’s story, he couldn’t help but notice that, even if in different ways, the encounter with WWOOF changed their lives for both: from his desire to know more about Federico’s experiences an interview was born.

Becoming a WWOOFer

At the age of 24, the life of Federico Fringuelli, a young man from Senigallia who has made his passion for photography a profession by becoming a filmmaker and movie editor, is turned upside down like everyone’s by the arrival of Covid. Federico felt imprisoned, tired of life in big cities, and felt it is time for a change and to travel to discover countries, people, and stories. After hearing from a friend about the possibility of traveling from farm to farm, he googled “travel and organic farms,” and found WWOOF that way. He immediately liked the idea of contributing to a more sustainable world and doing outdoor activities while working with animals; it didn’t take him long to decide that was the right thing for him at that moment.

“I filled my backpack with some clothes, computer and cameras and bought a one-way ticket to Sweden. Already at the first place I visited, I found a second family, who showed me the most authentic and hospitable Sweden-I was supposed to stay for a few days, I ended up staying with them for a whole month, and the WWOOFing relationship with My, my first host, soon turned into a sincere friendship.”

There is excitement in Federico’s story about his first tasks with the animals, horses, ponies, pigs, and sheep: he learned a lot about wool processing and small construction and ornamental work on the farm, but most of all it was great to share the host’s life in the country for a while and meet other interesting people and many woofers.

Federico had by then fallen in love with Sweden and began to think about the option of staying there instead of continuing to backpack.

He heard from a WWOOFer that there were job opportunities in Uppsala, and he approached the city through his second WWOOFing experience: here the routine was totally different as in addition to helping with the management of the 50 Alpacas he began taking photographs, making videos, and documenting life on the farm. The multicultural atmosphere made the stay more than enjoyable: besides Federico there was a German, an Argentinean and a Finnish WWOOFer, and soon he was able to find small jobs in Uppsala to continue his Swedish dream.

“Why do you recommend WWOOFing in Sweden?”

To Jandi’s last question, Federico’s answer is a warm one: to get away from stress, and spend a period of tranquility and peace with the Swedish hosts who are so welcoming. The same answer Jandi might have given when he discovered WWOOF in Italy in 2004.
That’s why he decided, when he returned home, to found WWOOF Sweden to enable people like Federico to have the same kind of experience and forge solid life relationships. Federico smiles as he closes the interview with Jandi: ” So you are the reason I live in Sweden now, thank you!”

Photo credit to Federico who took most of the photos in this article, exept the photo of the red farm house which is taken from the profile on the WWOOF Sweden website.