posted 11 years ago
My suggestion is to remember that almost everyone likes to make themselves sound wonderful and their farms/ranches/whatever truly exciting. So whenever you read a host profile remain slightly skeptical. In my experience what most places really want is a lot of grunt work doing the stinky messy tasks that nobody else wants to do. Some of that is to be expected, naturally, as you participate in life on a working farm. But if they say they're doing all sorts of other stuff, just be aware that it might merely be that they want to be doing it...someday, and might not look anything like what it sounds like.
Be sure you know what kind of living quarters you will be in, what the meals will be like (do they provide it all, do you help with some or all of the cooking, etc.), and how much time they expect from you.
Some will have references on site, but I recommend asking them to forward your contact information to some of their previous helpers so you can get more information. One place we spent considerable time had many people come through, but nobody left references, including us. Some was good, but it's hard to know how to say something negative in a nice way, kwim?
So remember that in writing your own personal helper profile as well. Be honest about your skills and interests. It's okay to say nice things about yourself, but don't overdo it.