Volunteer
We can’t do everything by ourselves, and we don’t want to! We’re a community organization and find that many hands really do make light work. Working together also accomplishes more for those we serve and enriches us all.
So, if you’re looking for some interesting projects or just want to give some time to your community we’d love to have you join us! Class and community service credit is also available for all of our volunteering opportunities.
Don’t have time for long term volunteering? Check out our events calendar for times we’ll be at the farm when you can just drop in!
Volunteer Coordinator
Commitment: +/-5hrs per week. 3 months. Renewable. Sometimes may be done from home.
Are you awesome at motivating people and coordinating attendance at events and work days? Do you love to see people fulfilled and enriched after spending a day helping their community farm? We’d love to work with you!
Chicken Whisperer
Commitment: +/-5hrs per week. 3 months. Renewable. It is recommended that you live near 78757.
Do you love animals? We’ve got chickens! Lots of them at different sites! They benefit from daily company, sometimes just sitting with them and watching how they’re doing and if they are really enjoying life (trust me…this will most often not seem like a job…I don’t need a TV when I’m in charge of chickens. They’re such a delight!).
Yurt and Structure Building
Commitment: Open most weekdays through August. Please be able to spend a minimum of 2 hours each time you come. The work schedule will be posted online or email us for current availability.
Right now we’re putting the finishing touches on a yurt at our demonstration site, an outdoor bathroom and outdoor kitchen and pavilion. Please join us if you’re interested in building/constructing, working with wood, tools, etc. All levels of expertise welcome.
Chicken Coop Building
Commitment: Open most weekdays through August. Please be able to spend a minimum of 2 hours each time you come. The work schedule will be posted online or email us for current availability.
We’re starting construction on several chicken coop yurts. Yep! I said “chicken coop yurt”. We need several and would love friends to come help with the construction!
Weekly Office Organization
Commitment: 2-5hrs per week. 3 months. Renewable. Sometimes may be done from home.
Can’t stand disorder? We need you to come tackle some of our email organization, office and library organization, etc. Some of the computer work can be done from home, and hours are flexible for onsite work.
Weekly Weeding and Planting
Commitment: 2-5hrs per week. 3 months. Renewable.
Plants love company and hate weeds. We want to care for and nurture our plants so they provide the most abundance to the community. Are you looking to get outdoors for a couple hours a week but don’t have space or a garden of your own? Come help make some healthy food for your neighbors in our gardens!
During harvest season we offer seasonal programs and regularly need special skills for unique projects. Read below for our seasonal internships and programs. We also encourage students to partner with us on research projects. So if you’ve got a great idea for a farm/community related project, drop us a line and let’s talk about getting it off the ground!
Work UP! an Appetite Workshare Program
This is the most important volunteer position that we offer. It is a chance to work side by side with us here at UP for a season and gain real knowledge of and experience with farming. It requires a greater commitment from you, the workshare volunteer, than the other volunteer opportunities. This commitment will be matched with a share of the harvest, as it is available and according to time dedicated to the farm (most likely in the form of vouchers redeemable at our farm stand). What we desire from the workshare volunteers who partner with us is a commitment to help out for a season. Each season runs 3-4 months at a time depending on the time of year. At the beginning of each season we will host two training days to orient each workshare with the goals and mission, as well as the people, of UP. The trainings will also include a wide variety of topics meant to prepare and equip our volunteers for the type of work that we all will be doing for the season. The training will brief you on all the things that you need to know and how you need to act to be safe on the farm, it will teach you how to utilize tools properly to most effectively and efficiently complete the tasks at hand, it will teach you about the vegetables and animals you will be working with during the season, and it will introduce you to the staff of UP and the volunteers with whom you will be working side by side through the season. If you are interested in collaborating with us as a work-share, please contact us and let us know.
Volunteer a Special Skill
If you have a special skill that would be valuable to the UP community and farm, please do not hesitate to let us know! We would be happy to work with you. A “special skill” includes carpentry, fundraising, data management, web design, tai chi, culinary arts, mechanical skills, and much more. If you have one of these skills, or if you have a skill that is not on this list, and would like to offer it to the UP community farm, please contact us and let us know. We will be happy to partner with you.
Volunteer for a Single Event or Project
From time to time UP will have special projects and events that will require many hands and feet to accomplish. This includes chicken coop building days, greenhouse building days, pond digging days, large potlucks and fundraising activities, and more. Keep an eye on our calendar (coming soon!) and the website to stay up to date on our calls and need for single event/project voluteers.
