Upon arriving in this country I had a hard time to eat healthy. Almost every single processed food item in the supermarket has high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient, meat is stuffed with hormones and produce are sprayed with chemicals. To make it worse organic food is almost twice the prices of regular food (in the Netherlands 10 to 50% is more the norm). And with a third of the American population obese, I started worrying. My rescue was called a good salary, Trader Joe's, a bread machine and a yogurt maker. Hence my curiosity was piqued about the origin of organic food. Why is it so expensive?
Thinking of Texas, you think of republicans with cowboy heads. Its true. You think of large trucks with guns in the back. Its true. You think of Texas BBQ and big cattle ranches. Its true. Yet, I was thinking Wwoof. The WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farm organisation which links volunteers to organic farms. And so I get in contact with J from the -W Ranch (pronounced as "bar W ranch" and used to brand cattle for identification) for 2 weeks of wwoofing. Working for a bed and food while learning all there is to know about organic farming. Six miles down a dirt road from a small countryside town I become a Texan peasant.
The -W Ranch is home to 4 chicken, 3 sheep, 1 dog and a herd of Texas longhorn cattle. And with 120 hectares of land to roam around on, they have a good life. 
There are 2 hectares of cultivated land (the garden) and a greenhouse, which becomes my home. I love it. Its nice and warm and the little baby plants and I settle into a nice exchange of CO2 + H2O for O2. The only down side is that I wake up every morning with a soaking wet sleeping bag.
I also meet the other wwoofers. There are the punkers, J and J from Canada, on a road trip along organic farms and gifted with the joy for life. 
And there is the talented artist K, who just received a degree in Biology and is taking a break from the expected life line. On the day the others are on the farmers market, we kayak a canoe down the creek along the property boundary.
Besides the wwoofers there are H and W, who live in a cottage/shed in the garden. 
W is the all round handy man and never stops working.
H is the organic person I was looking for. And when there is the nasty task of making tomato cages, we both volunteer so we can hang out together and talk. There are enough subjects to kill the time and forget the work we are doing. We talk about organic food, men, fright train hopping, freak shows, the people in Austin we both know, the feel of belonging, traveling, group dynamics, and mostly about cooking. 
We bake bread together and several nights we cook together, because apparently being on an organic farm, doesn't necessarily embrace an organic lifestyle. It bothers me a lot, while my payment is in food and volunteering for a corporate organisation is not my style. But the food I am eating is way below the standard I have for myself. I need a break to think things over and I meet R for a day of climbing. After climbing together the sport routes on the overhanging limestone of the downtown Austin Green Belt, now its time for trad on Enchanted Rock granite domes.
Also after a day of climbing, healthy food is overrated. We are beyond any doubt in Texas and then you have to eat Texas BBQ. Organic? For sure not, but o-sooo good!
With the fortunate break, a shift to more organic food on the ranch and with some advice from friends, I can handle a couple more days on the ranch. Still the main reason I stay hasn't been mentioned yet. J, the proud owner of the garden. Twenty five years young, sparkling eyes, an ever lasting smile and a love for plants. I am always intrigued by people who love what they are doing and I can watch him for hours wondering along and caring for his plants. 
Every day I am learning from him. About potting mix, seeding, greenhouse management, thinning, weeding, cover crops, transplanting, row covers, harvesting, spring fed water ponds, gravitational irrigation systems. And every day I love the work I am doing and realize how much hand work goes into gardening. It becomes really obvious why organic food is so expensive. Its simply a lot of work.After a day of hard work, the group is a bit to much for me....I feel older. I seek the solitude, a sun set, some crackers with cheese, a bottle of wine.
Its very different from what I had expected, but I am glad for the experience and that I stayed. J, I am very impressed what you have managed so far, keep going because the world needs organic farmers like you. Thanks. 
Dag,
Iris (Mullin, 34499 miles)
