As much as the relationship between host and WWOOFer remains at the heart of our association, from the beginning WWOOF Italy has also considered the relationships that are forged between host and host to be fundamental. It is the farmers themselves who emphasize that thickening the network of contacts at the local level is vital, in the kind of natural and small-scale agriculture that is proposed, in order to give continuity to their projects.

There are many coordinators who, every year, seize this need and organize local meetings between WWOOF hosts, and it is always a pleasure to see the series of exchanges of information, products, and ideas that were woven together at the end of these days.

So Maria Pia, our coordinator in the province of Asti, with a good deal of energy and time and the help of the staff thought of organizing at her Tenuta Antica estate in Cessole a meeting that would bring together hosts from the provinces of Asti, Alessandria, Cuneo, Genoa, and Savona. The hosts contacted numbered more than a hundred, and in the end, gathered in a circle in the exposed stone hall with the vaulted ceiling, there were almost thirty of us: a nice way to bring ideas and proposals from the suburbs to the annual meeting, which would be held a few days later at the end of February.

In the morning, after a round of introductions the main interest was just related to WWOOFing relationships: doubts, clarifications, comments and feelings, from hosting underage WWOOFers and families to safety at work, from how to behave in case of a visit from the labor inspectorate to the latest news (such as the launch of the WWOOF APP), from the most pleasant moments experienced with the volunteers to the problems that sometimes arose with some of them. The presence of people who have been living WWOOF for many years (from Maria Pia herself to Fabrizio who is on staff and board, to Isa and Filippo who are coordinators from neighboring provinces) made sure that there were answers for everyone.

Then, the shared lunch. Needless to stress the quality: when farmers set the table, it is hardly lacking. More than anything else, it became clear that they had achieved their goal when, between plates, several notes with contacts and phone numbers were seen being passed around: the face of the network, about which we hear so much, was becoming concrete.

In the afternoon, there was time for those who welcomed us to tell us the story of that place, which has also been their story for 20 years: in Mauro’s words; the expertise and passion for wine, rewarded by a truly high quality product. In those of Maria Pia, the labors and satisfactions of this large slice of life dedicated to the land, to the care of hospitality, to a balanced growth of the business, of the family, of beauty. To them goes our thanks for these moments spent together, seeds that we hope will germinate into many more encounters.