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(Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) Room to grow By sanne specht Mail Tribune As she cuts stalk after stalk of vivid pink and orange gladioli, Teri White looks up and smiles. Iridescent hummingbirds are performing dazzling aeronautic displays as they feed on towering golden sunflowers. "Look at them go," she says. It is the midst of the growing season at Runnymede Farm which is located on the outskirts of Rogue River. Every creature is hard at work — even the birds and bees. White's hands remain in motion as she discusses life on the small organic farm. In addition to the flowers, there are fresh eggs, fruits, vegetables and honey to be harvested for the weekly local farmers markets. "I like going to the farmers markets," says White. "I enjoy educating people about food. You should know where your food comes from." Advertisement In the fields behind the White's 130-year-old farmhouse, other hands are helping White and her husband, Art, by picking beans, harvesting potatoes and building a cement platform for the outdoor shower. The Whites are helping the workers by offering an intensive internship in organic, sustainable farming. Ryan Reeves and Karen Martens are learning how to be farmers thanks to the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). The goal of the effort is to link organic farmers with willing volunteers interested in learning about sustainable organic agrarian culture, says White. Workers in the fast-growing international organization are known as "woofers," she says. The symbiotic relationship helps to keep small farmers on their land and helps pass down knowledge to the next generation of organic farmers. Before signing on, farmers and woofers work out an agreement about the length of stay and the working conditions. The woofers earn room, board and sometimes a small stipend. Their real payment comes in experience, say Reeves and Martens. Reeves, 25, is from Texas. Martens, 22, is from Illinois. They learn about composting soil, cultivating and harvesting crops, and raising and tending animals. Organic farmers need woofers to survive, says Martens. And the world needs organic farmers, she says. "I think more young people should be doing this," she says. "Big farms rob soil of nutrients and apply chemicals. This is what needs to be going on to fix that." This is Martens' second summer with the Whites. "I hope to have a farm some day," says Martens. "Somewhere where there's water and a long growing season." After her two months are done at Runnymede, Martens may head for Hawaii to work on another ranch, she says. "The coolest thing about this is that you can go anywhere in the world," says Martens. Working in tandem in the potato patch, Reeves uses a sturdy pitchfork to loosen the red fingerling potatoes in the rich soil so Martens can harvest them. The work is hard and the rows are long. But the duo are grinning as they toil in the warm sun. "Whoa! Jackpot!," shouts Martens, pulling up several perfect Red Thumb potatoes. Earlier that morning the crew helped the Whites milk Cisco and Daisy Mae (the two dairy cows), collect eggs from dozens of clucking chickens, and a host of other chores. "We hand-weed, hand-pick and hand-harvest everything," says Teri White. "Our biggest problem on an organic farm is weeds." When Teri White, 44 and her husband Art White, 60, bought the 10-acre property eight years ago, they hadn't planned on trying to make a living by farming. Just a nice life for the couple and their two teen sons. The boys were an integral part of deciding to buy the farm seven years ago, says Art White. Now grown and gone, their sons are trying their hands at different work, he says. "It's the natural course of things," Art White says. "I'm happy they're out doing their thing." Meanwhile, the Whites have new "kids" in the form of woofers. "They're like our parents," says Martens. "Only without the controlling part," adds Reeves, grinning. There is no age limit on becoming a woofer, says Teri White. But inquiries they got from older members didn't pan out, she says. "They just never showed up," she says. This is Art White's second foray in organic gardening. Losing his first farm in Auburn, Calif., in a divorce, he was hesitant to enlist again in a lifestyle that requires intense physical labor and little financial reward. "I bugged him," says Teri White. "He finally gave in." After several years of hard work, the farm is grossing about $30,000, he said. "That's gross income," says Art White, adding he will be paying off a recent $13,000 hospital surgery bill "forever." Teri White doesn't regret leaving her job as a customer service representative with its steady income and health insurance plan. This life, she says, has its own rewards. "We're poor," says Teri White. "But we eat well. It's nice to sit down to a meal and know we grew everything we eat." Although there is not enough money to cover expenses and upkeep at the farm — and pay for two full-time farm hands, Art White says he's happy back on the farm. "I'm real happy with it," he says. "Teri and I are home together all the time." And both are grateful for woofers, they say. "The blessing for us is we discovered the woofer program," Art White says. "Young people come out with an unbelievable amount of energy, or the economic realities would be even bleaker. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Advertisement s Advertisement