Gardening Volunteer - The Farm Institute

Opportunity Overview:
Once cultivated by Native Americans and European settlers, the 162-acre FARM Institute at Katama Farm is a working farm devoted to sustainable agriculture and farm education. In 2005, the FARM Institute, an island nonprofit devoted to connecting children to agriculture, made it their headquarters and restored the buildings and grounds. The Trustees manage the educational programming at the farm with partner Slough Farm while Morning Glory Farm and Grey Barn hold the agricultural lease. The Trustees and Slough Farm maintain a small flerd (cows, sheep, goats) as well as pigs and poultry for educational purposes on their 23 acre parcel.
 
Currently the farm could use the helpful hands of several gardening assistants. The farm has a large teaching garden, The Friendship Garden, as well as a greenhouse and several perennial beds. If your passion is gardening, and you have a few hours a week to spare, we would enjoy sharing this amazing property with you!  We are looking for creative and dedicated individuals who have a flexible schedule, enjoy working outdoors, and have a basic knowledge of garden skills. Our staff will work with the volunteers to determine gardening tasks and priorities.  Ideal candidates should be equally at home working both independently as well as on a team.
 
Please Note: A background check may be required for this role.

Reports to: Engagement Manager

Covid-19 Volunteer Safety:
The health and safety of Trustees’ volunteers, staff and visitors is our top priority.

• If you are not feeling well, please stay home
• If you have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 or someone displaying symptoms of Covid-19, please stay home
• For our most current Covid-19 updates, please visit our main Trustees site

Responsibilities (may include but are not limited to the following):

• Working with staff to assess gardening needs
• Weeding, watering, planting and transplanting in the vegetable beds
• Mulching and maintaining the herb garden and perennial beds
• Seeding and transplanting in the greenhouse if necessary
• Maintain open communication with staff and other volunteers
• Adhere to The Trustees safety and COVID-19 protocols
• Log volunteer hours weekly

Qualifications:

• An eagerness to participate in maintaining The FARM Institute’s gardens
• Ability to use hand tools
• Ability to follow instructions, work on a team, and work in a busy setting
• Dress in appropriate clothes and footwear
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time and ability to bend
• Ability to walk on a variety of surfaces including grass or uneven surfaces
• Good work ethic and reliable
• Minimum age: 18; under 18 will require parental/adult supervision

Time Commitment Needed
Flexible schedule could be year-round or seasonal, April – October.
  What's in our nature? Resiliency. Community. Discovery. Creativity.
Join The Trustees as a volunteer to help protect and take care of the Commonwealth’s greatest treasures and to make nature and the outdoors accessible for all, forever.
For more information
Contact the Volunteer Services Team at [email protected]

To explore other volunteer opportunities, visit our volunteer page at http://volunteer.thetrustees.org/
 
More about The Trustees
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for more than 125 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 116 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.
 
Inclusive Spaces for All
We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for all. Together, alongside our partners and volunteers we are creating inclusive spaces of community for people of all backgrounds to enjoy and preserving these open spaces for everyone, forever. We are committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, ability, and experience.
 
The Trustees is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, military service, application for military service, veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. The Trustees makes reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.