Volunteering at UBC Farm
The Farm is currently closed to the public for the winter. Regular Urban Farmers volunteer sessions will resume mid-April to early-May, depending on weather and field needs.
- A Farm "work party" is tentitively planned for March, check back for dates and times!
Upcoming orientations for new volunteers (meet outside the Farm Centre):
- Volunteer Orientations will begin in Mid-April 2010
Market Crew Trainings (if you'd like to help at our Saturday Markets):
- None scheduled until May 2010. If you'd like to volunteer at the markets, contact Amy & Vanessa directly at ubcfarm.market@gmail.com.
Interested in receiving updates about upcoming volunteer opportunties and events at the farm? Sign up for our volunteer email list.
The great work that happens at the UBC Farm is made possible by the continued support of our dedicated volunteers.
Most volunteering at the farm happens during the main growing season from April to October. A volunteer coordinator assists volunteers with placement, orientation, and training. Regular orientations are not held in the off-season.
UBC Farm recruits volunteers on an ongoing basis; whether you are a student, staff or faculty, or community member you are we'd love to see you at the farm and have you involved in any one of our programs! We encourage new volunteers to attend an orientation session, which we schedule throughout the growing season. Please see above or e-mail Gemma to find out when the next one will be held.
If you have already completed an orientation session, or can't wait, we have regular drop-in volunteer sessions on Fridays as well as opportunities for training if you are willing to make more of a time commitment.
Please note that a brief Volunteer FAQ has been added at the bottom of this page.
A good way to keep up to date on all work parties and volunteer news is to subscribe to our volunteer email list.
Urban Farmers Weekly Volunteer Sessions
Urban Farmers is a drop-in field based volunteer program. This means you do not need to RSVP, just be in the Farm Centre at the beginning of any scheduled shift ready to head out and get dirty. We do not require you to work for an entire day, but try to schedule at least a few hours so that we can get to know each other and you can get to know the Farm. If you are a new volunteer, we recommend attending an orientation session before your first volunteer shift.
What kind of Volunteer Positions are available at the Farm?
- Urban Farmers - Ever wanted to try your hand at organic farming? This diverse position introduces volunteers to all aspects of organic farming, from seeding and weeding, to planting and harvesting. Urban Farmers play an important role in carrying out the day-to-day activities needed to run UBC Farm. Contact: ubcfarm.volunteer@gmail.com
- Market Crew - Like interacting with large groups of people? Join us at our Saturday Markets to sell our fresh farm produce to the public. Market Crew members are in charge of setting up the market stands, selling our produce and generally running our markets throughout the summer. Contact: ubcfarm.market@gmail.com
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Education Team - Like working with elementary school students? We have three main positions for interested education volunteers.
- School Tour Volunteers assist as workshop leaders for small groups of elementary school students who come to the farm during our spring and fall workshop series. For more information contact Jacob or Sandra at ubcfarm.tour@gmail.com
- Landed Learning Farm Friends participate in the Intergenerational Landed Learning Project with elementry aged children on a regular bases during the spring and fall. Volunteers share and cultivate their knowledge about growing and food production through hands on activities in special garden plots at the UBC Farm. For more information contact Stacy Friedman at ycats77@yahoo.com
- Farm Wonders Summer Camp Volunteers are needed on a weekly bases from July till the end of August. Volunteers are asked to commit to an entire week (preferably the whole day, although exceptions can be made). This is a great opportunity for those folks looking to get more experience working with children, while having a great time at the UBC Farm. For more information visit FarmWonders.
- Chicken Friends - Like animals and want to learn more about chickens? Being a chicken friend is a great oppotunity for commited volunteers to get involved with on-site research and animal husbandry. This is a weekly commitment and requires volunteers to be comfortable with collecting and washing eggs, as well as helping with regular house cleanings and general chicken related activities. Unfortunatly spaces are limited and in high demands, thus we will not be able to accomidate all requests to get involved with this program. We are not currently seeking volunteers for this program, but will be filling positions sometime in April, so please check back then for more information.
- Honeybee Keepers - We maintain several hives of European Honeybees on site. Learn how to extract honey, upkeep the hives and teach others about the mysterious world of bees. Contact ubcbees@gmail.com for more information.
- Friends of the UBC Farm- Are you interested in getting involved with a group of people to promote the UBC Farm and organize outreach events? The Friends of the Farm (FoF) is a newly formed group available to both students (as an AMS group) and the wider community. Contact: friendsoftheubcfarm@gmail.com for more information, or to sign up.
- Office, events, and art (ongoing, ask us) - If you have skills that you want to share or learn, whether they be in helping out in the office, working on our computers or website, making signs, or helping to organize events, there is likely a place for you. Just ask, and we'll see how we might be able to work together. farmteam@interchange.ubc.ca
Volunteer FAQ
Can I volunteer if I'm not a UBC student?
Simply put, Yes! We welcome people from all backgrounds and ages, although for younger volunteers (ie. elementary students) we reccomend that they come with an adult.
I am part of a class/group/organization that would like to volunteer at the farm, is this possible?
Yes, we do host group volunteer sessions for both UBC classes and community organizations. If you are interested in bringing a group to the farm to volunteer please contact Gemma for further details.
When is the next orientation session?
We hold orientation sessions regularly during the May-September period (see above), but can't do this during the rest of the year. An updated orientation schedule will be made available in the coming months, so please check back soon.
Do I need to attend an orientation session in order to volunteer?
A volunteer orientation session is definitely useful, however, we only offer these during the growing season (May-September). As a volunteer, we encourage you to read through information on this website to familiarize yourself with the farm's mission and programs. Orientations are usually an hour long and provide useful information about the Farm's history, programs, various volunteer options and a tour of the site. This is a general orientation, most programs (see above) require interested volunteers to attend a separate program specific orientation as well. Often, these sessions will be held by the staff person responsible for that particular program.
What kind of time commitment is required?
It depends on the program you would like to volunteer in! For our 'urban farmers' program, any time commitment is sufficient, whether it is just an hour or if you become a regular, committed super-volunteer: we're happy to have the help, and you still have the opportunity to learn!
Other programs, such as the education program or the market crew, require a more regular time commitment, and you need to sign up for specific work days.
If I want to come to a work party, do I have to stay for the entire session?
If you are visiting to help out during a work party in the garden, it is easier if you come at the beginning of the session so that everybody can be introduced and the work required can be discussed. If you come in the middle of a work party, we will do our best to fit you in to what is going on - but you should be prepared to wait around, and be flexible as we might not be able to find you a job on the spur of the moment. You are not, however, required to stay until the end of the volunteer shift.