Have you ever wondered what it's really like to volunteer on farms around the world through WWOOF? In this episode, Lindsay and Scott share stories from their own WWOOFing adventures across France and Italy, the lessons they learned through cultural exchange, and how those experiences shaped the way they now welcome WWOOFers to their Vermont homestead.

From blueberry farms in the French Basque countryside to permaculture communities in Italy, they reflect on the people, food, farming practices, and unexpected moments that made the journey unforgettable. They also share heartfelt stories about the WWOOFers who have become part of their own homestead community over the years and the lasting impact these connections have had on their lives.

Whether you're curious about WWOOFing, dreaming of traveling through sustainable agriculture, or simply love hearing stories about homesteading and community, this episode offers inspiration, laughter, and practical insight.

In This Episode

• What WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is and why Lindsay and Scott chose it
• Their experience working on a blueberry farm in the Basque region of France
• Learning hugelkultur-inspired gardening techniques
• Navigating language barriers and embracing local culture
• Life at an Italian permaculture community and commune
• Seed balls, vineyards, and creative farm projects
• Memorable meals, family traditions, and slow living in Italy
• Working in olive groves and Mediterranean gardens
• The friendships formed while traveling through WWOOF
• Stories of hosting WWOOFers on their Vermont homestead
• How WWOOF creates meaningful cultural exchange and lifelong relationships
• Why opening your home and farm can be just as transformative as traveling

Learn more about WWOOFING: https://wwoof.net/

Connect with Lindsay & Scott:

To learn more about our retreats: www.homesteadandheal.net

Connected with Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycourcelle/

Connect with Scott: https://www.instagram.com/alchemygardens/

If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who dreams of homesteading, regenerative agriculture, sustainable travel, or building deeper community through farming.

When we first discovered WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), we had no idea how much those experiences would shape our lives.

In this episode, we're taking you back to our very first WWOOFing journey across the United States. From California and New Mexico to Georgia and North Carolina, we share stories from the farms we stayed on, the unforgettable people we met, and the experiences that have stayed with us for nearly two decades.

Today, we've come full circle. After years of WWOOFing ourselves, we now welcome WWOOFers to our own homestead. As we reflect on these early adventures, we're reminded of the generosity, hospitality, and unexpected connections that made each experience so meaningful.

In this episode, we share:

• Stories from our first WWOOFing experiences across the United States
• The unforgettable people and farms that left a lasting impression
• What it's been like to experience WWOOF from both sides—as volunteers and now as hosts
• How WWOOFing influenced our homesteading journey
• Why opening ourselves to new people and experiences has enriched our lives

If you've ever been curious about WWOOFing, volunteering on organic farms, or hearing the stories that helped shape our path to homesteading, we hope you enjoy this conversation.

Learn more about WWOOFING: https://wwoof.net/

Connect with Lindsay & Scott:

To learn more about our retreats: www.homesteadandheal.net

Connected with Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycourcelle/

Connect with Scott: https://www.instagram.com/alchemygardens/

Don't forget to subscribe, and leave us a review/ rating!

What does it mean to be truly wild? Not reckless. Not unhinged. But deeply, unapologetically yourself.

In this episode, we sit down with their dear friend Jen Wyatt, founder of Wander Free Wellness, retreat leader, ritual guide, and creator of transformational experiences for women rooted in freedom, wildness, truth, and aliveness.

Together, they explore what it means to return to our authentic nature and how so many of us spend years navigating the expectations, conditioning, and beliefs that pull us away from who we truly are.

Jen shares her journey from growing up in the forests of New Hampshire, to teaching in Boston Public Schools, to experiencing a health crisis that ultimately led her into the world of holistic healing, yoga, ritual, and women's work. She reflects on the role that grief, self-trust, nature, and embodied healing have played in helping her reconnect with herself and build a life aligned with what makes her feel most alive.

In this conversation, we explore:

• What "wildness" really means and why it's often misunderstood
• The influence of Women Who Run With the Wolves on Jen's work
• Freedom, authenticity, and shedding the layers of conditioning
• Nature as refuge, teacher, and guide
• Ritual, myth, archetypes, and the power of storytelling
• Why being fully alive includes grief, rage, longing, joy, and pleasure
• Women's conditioning around self-expression and truth
• Jen's health journey and the turning point that changed her life
• The connection between self-trust and personal freedom
• Retreats, transformation, and creating spaces for women to remember who they are
• Ancestors, family stories, and the people who shape our path
• The advice Jen wishes she had received sooner: trust yourself and follow what makes you feel alive

This conversation is rich with stories, wisdom, laughter, and reflections on what it means to live in deeper relationship with ourselves, the natural world, and the life that is calling us forward.

About Jen Wyatt

Jen Wyatt is the founder of Wander Free Wellness and a guide for women on the path of wild remembrance. Through ritual, retreats, seasonal circles, movement practices, and immersive experiences, she creates sacred spaces for women to reconnect with their freedom, wildness, truth, and aliveness. Drawing from backgrounds in psychology, education, yoga, nature-based spirituality, and feminine wisdom traditions, Jen blends myth, archetype, embodiment, and creative expression to guide women home to themselves.

Connect with Jen:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderfreewellness

Website: www.wanderfreewellness.com

Awaken Your Aliveness Retreat: www.wanderfreewellness.com/costarica2026

Connect with Lindsay & Scott:

To learn more about our retreats: www.homesteadandheal.net

Connected with Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycourcelle/

Connect with Scott: https://www.instagram.com/alchemygardens/

Don't forget to subscribe, and leave us a review/ rating!