Volunteer Service
Volunteers contribute to Waltham Fields Community Farm through field work, help with coordination of our hunger relief, education and outreach programs, and office support. We have opportunities for both individual and group volunteering. For more details, check out our Frequently Asked Questions below
Are there opportunities to volunteer at WFCF year-round?
When can I volunteer to do farm work?
How old do I have to be to volunteer at WFCF?
Where do we meet and what time do we arrive?
How do I schedule a volunteer group?
How many people can I bring in a group?
What time of day can groups volunteer?
What is the work like?
What do I need to bring?
What should I wear?
Do we still work when it rains?
If you have any other questions or concerns about volunteer service at Waltham Fields Community Farm feel free to email our .
Are there opportunities to volunteer at WFCF year-round?
- Field volunteering opportunities for individuals are available March through October; field volunteering for groups is available April through October. However, there are times throughout the year when we look for volunteers to help us with specific office tasks, event coordination, or special projects. If you are interested in non-field volunteering please contact our to find out if there is a volunteer project for you.
When can I volunteer to do farm work?
- For individuals, our volunteer drop-in hours are as follows:
Age Group Dates and Times 2012 High School and Adult Tuesday-Friday, 9am-12pm: March 6 - August 24 Saturdays, 9am-12pm: April 7 - October 27 All Ages Saturdays, 9am-12pm: June 2 - October 27 - No matter what day you plan to come all volunteers must arrive promptly at 9am, though you are not required to stay until 12pm.
- Individuals volunteering on weekdays in June, July, or August will be led by members of our Weed Crew and thus will be working on one of the many important weeding projects that our farm relies on to ensure good yields from our crops. We appreciate any generous hands willing to help them out!
- In September and October there may be opportunities to volunteer during the week after you have come to a couple of the Saturday drop-ins. Please inquire with the farmers if you are interested.
- Please refer to our Age Appropriate Activities Chart to find out about all of the other WFCF activities available to people of all ages!
How old do I have to be to volunteer at WFCF?
- Please refer to our Age Appropriate Activities Chart for dates/times available for your own or your child's age group as well as information about the other opportunities available at WFCF.
- If you are interested in group volunteering all participants must be in high school or above.
Where do we meet and what time do we arrive?
- For individual drop-in hours please arrive at 8:50am and wait at our volunteer kiosk where the farmers will come and find you. The kiosk is mounted on a grey building to the left of our washstation. If it is your first time to drop-in hours please fill out one of the Emergency Contact Forms while you wait. These forms can be downloaded here or found in the black binder inside the volunteer kiosk. Note: Emergency Contact Forms for all volunteers under the age of 18 must be signed by a parent or guardian.
- For Group Volunteering please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled start time and gather at the picnic tables on the lawn area in front of our farm fields.
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How do I schedule a volunteer group?
- Group volunteering opportunities are available April-October.
- Check our volunteer calendar below for specific dates and times. Please note that times marked in blue are available for high school and/or adult groups, whereas those in maroon are only available for adult groups. If you find a date that works for you, please fill out our Volunteer Group Form. We will contact you within a week to confirm your date of service.
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How many people can I bring in a group?
- The maximum group size for volunteering at WFCF is 15.
- The minimum group size is 7. If you schedule a group volunteer event, but find that your group is going to be less than 7 please notify us immediately. We will have to cancel your event, but welcome you to reschedule or join us for individual drop-in hours.
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What time of day can groups volunteer?
- We schedule volunteer groups for a 1:30pm-4:00pm timeslot. However, there are times during the year when we are also able to take groups 9:00am-12:00pm. Please refer to our Volunteer Calendar to find out if your desired timeslot is available.
What is the work like?
- We can pretty much guarantee that you will get dirty.
- Volunteer projects vary throughout the season, but may include greenhouse seeding, transplanting, weeding, or field clean-up tasks such as pulling tomato stakes, moving agricultural fabric, etc. Individuals volunteering on weekdays in June, July, or August will be led by members of our Weed Crew and thus will be working on one of the many important weeding projects that our farm relies on to ensure good yields from our crops. We appreciate any generous hands willing to help them out!
- In general, harvesting is a specialized task done only by our Farm Staff though occasionally there may be opportunities to help more directly with our hunger relief work if there is a large amount of produce that must be harvested right away.
What do I need to bring?
- Water bottle, sunscreen, hat, rain gear, or other weather appropriate clothing.
- If you are coming with a group, your group leader should have distributed an Emergency Contact Form to be filled out before your service event. Please bring this form with you. Individuals can either print their form here and bring it along, or fill out a form when they arrive on their first day.
- If you have a medical condition requiring an inhaler or epi-pen, please bring those along and notify your WFCF staff leader of your condition before starting work at the Farm.
What should I wear?
- Because we often work in the extreme heat, cold, or rain it is important that volunteers wear appropriate clothing that keeps them comfortable. We suggest t-shirts, long pants, closed-toe shoes, and rain gear (when appropriate). You may wish to bring a light weight shirt to wear over your t-shirt as added protection from the sun. Shirts must be worn at all times while on the farm. Sorry to you sun worshipers, but we sport the farmer tan here!
Do we still work when it rains?
- The short answer to that questions is YES. We do our work in all kinds of weather and expect volunteers to come prepared with raingear and warm layers. However, there are times when planned work cannot be done due to torrential rain or thunder and lighting so definitely keep an eye on the weather forecast and feel free to call if there is any question about whether or not we will be going forward with your volunteer event.
