Volunteer and More…
We can’t do everything by ourselves, and we don’t want to! We’re a community organization and find that working together accomplishes more for those we serve and enriches us all. So, if you have a special interest in growing food or just want to give some of yourself to your community we’d love to have you join us!
Together we can make sure healthy food is always part of our great city’s fabric – what makes us Austin!
Participating can take many forms from growing food, to supporting a project or farmer, helping with research, volunteering, and getting friends and family involved. See below for more ways Austin residents are coming together to grow food for the city…
Volunteer
If you would like to volunteer, there are a few different ways that we are able to partner with you. We have a seasonal workshare program called “Work UP an Appetite”, we welcome volunteers for single projects and events, and if you have a special skill, we’d love for you to share it with the farm!
Details, schedules and descriptions of specific volunteer roles and guidelines you need to know before joining us on the farm are listed on our Details, Schedules and Descriptions page.
- Our Work UP an Appetite Seasonal Workshare Commitment (participants are eligible for seasonal shares) is a great way to ensure that our local agriculture truly is “Community Supported”. By committing to a season of help on the farm or in the office, we know our seasonal operations will be stable and consistent for members and neighbors who rely on us for food.
- Occasional Volunteers are an enjoyable and important part of our operations. All of our volunteering days are also workshops and Q&A time for people who want to learn while helping. Many of our volunteers are working with us so they can take that knowledge home to practice in their own gardens.
- School, Church, Civic Projects, University Research and Service Learning projects are all possible through working with UP.
View the events and work day calendar on our Calendar page here and sign up through our online form here: Instant SignUP
Find or Start Your Neighborhood Farm
Our vision is that every neighborhood in Austin has its own farm and weekly farm stand run and supported by neighbors who live within walking/biking distance of where their food is grown.
(If you’re neighborhood is not listed below, please drop us a note through our online contact form here: Instant SignUP to join neighbors across Austin who are working with UP to start their own farm! It all begins with a series of Community Conversations sparked by one or two people. We’ll help!)
Currently we’re helping neighbors in the Violet Crown area (roughly 78757) cultivate food for neighbors in Brentwood, Crestview, Wooten and Allandale.
We’ve just finished a year of “Community Conversations” in Cherrywood (78724) and are helping neighbors start their new Urban Patchwork Cherrywood Farm this August 2011!
If you never thought of yourself as a community organizer, you’d be surprised! It just starts with one questions to a friend or neighbor, “hey, if we grew fresh veggies in the neighborhood, would you eat them?!” You can do it! We’ll help you!
Become an Urban Farmer | Community Cultivator
One vital aspect of UP’s mission is to train and support new farmers through a multi-year Urban Farmer apprenticeship. During the first year of a new neighborhood farm an Apprentice Farm Manager works very closely with UP while their new farm is in planning stages.
Apprentices will participate in an intensive 6- to 12-month work-training program designed to teach technical skills and community organization methods to make them successful leaders in their neighborhood food system. Training is hands-on and Apprentice Farm Managers work side by side with seasoned farmers on all aspects of running an existing UP farm.
Apprentices are also encouraged to spend volunteer and workshare time on other farms and community garden projects in and around Austin to gain a balanced perspective of how food is grown in the region.
Apprentices then work to develop a farm plan that is specific to their community. At the end of the first training year, the new farm manager will have laid the foundation in his/her community to start a working co-op.
In the second year the Apprentice Farm Manager runs the new neighborhood farm with UP’s support and developmental guidance in community building, crop and budget planning, financial sustainability and other needs. After the first two years of apprenticeship, the Farm Manager is now known to the community as an expert in his/her field and will take primary responsibility for the farm, the community network, and funding relationships. UP will continue to provide advice, support and periodic training to each UP neighborhood farm for as long as they wish.
This training program is currently in development and the aim is to create a model that can be used by neighborhood farm projects nationwide.
Contact us through our online contact form here: Instant SignUP to let us know you would like to talk more about what it means to go through our Urban Farmer Apprenticeship program.
Fund or Support a Project
Each one of our neighborhood farms creates jobs of the future, provides a sustainable source of healthy food, provides community education and volunteer opportunities, works with area schools and civic organizations to understand and meet the needs of the community and builds long term community assets that will support generations to come.
By funding new projects, supporting start-up costs and training, or joining with us as a monthly or annual partner, you’re empowering individuals and communities to move from dependence to independence, and stay that way!
You could fund a specific project, share a Holiday Gift Sponsorship, Support an Urban Farm Apprentice or operating costs, create a Partner Fundraising Event, partner with UP annually as a business or individual, or donate materials. Since we are supported by a 501c3 non-profit, your contributions are tax deductible and directly benefit the community. Please write us at donor@urbanpatchwork.org to speak with someone about these opportunities.
