Irish farms offering holidaymakers free staycation - but there's a catch
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Irish farms offering holidaymakers free staycation - but there's a catch

A NUMBER of Irish farms are offering would-be holidaymakers the chance to spend a free vacation with them, but there's a small catch.

In exchange for the free accommodation and free food, you'll be asked to get your hands a little dirty, and pitch in with a little farm work.

The World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) have set up the initiative for Irish residents to encourage them to holiday domestically this summer in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

They're offering volunteers the chance not just to relax and enjoy the delightful Irish countryside, but also to learn about sustainable living and organic farming through hands on experience, such as sowing seeds, planting crops and caring for animal, and will get "a breath of fresh country air for the weekend into the bargain."

WWOOF has been operating in the country for 40 years but is now focusing on working with volunteers in Ireland rather than those from abroad due to Covid-19.

Volunteers will have the freedom to stay for just a weekend or to extend their working holiday at home throughout the summer.

The organisation is hoping that staycationers will "get out of the city" for the summer and learn more about cultivating a productive garden, bringing what they have learnt back with them upon their return.

They've got sites up and down the country in all manner of beautiful locations, and any interested staycationers can visit WWOOF’s website to get their working holiday started.