(5) Volunteers, Farmstayers, and WWOOFERs!
We accept people year round but there are limited gardening things to do in the winter!
Limited Accomodations are available for volunteers, however there is plenty of room for tents. We ask for 6 hrs of work in exchange for room and meals.
Room 1 is a private room located in the main house with internet access.Room 2 is a sometimes semi private room located in the support building. The support building has a kitchen without stove and bathroom with shower. It also has high speed internet but no phone.
Room 3 overflow floor in support building.
Tent space and Camper space is available.
The support building is homebase to 4 cats and 2 dogs, that generally stay outside.
We've had volunteers pass through staying only a few days, and we've also had WWOOFers stay for up a year!
2008 SEASON: DESPERATELY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS!
By late summer, the Organic Farm seems like a Botanical Garden, with the various plots and gardens growing a dozen different kind of lettuce with various shades of green and reds and greens, asparagus, rhubarb and every other kind of vegetable and herb you can imagine. The path edges are over flowing with colourful, edible flowers. The local preschool children drop by to see how their garden is growing and as weather permits, workers and volunteers sit at picnic tables near the pond or in the woods for breaks and lunches. If you are seeking a way to step outside your present life style into another world, we invite you to contact us, come for a visit and make plans to volunteer. The pay off over the season will include fresh, healthy, organic vegetables and herbs.
What do volunteers do early in the season?
In April and May, volunteers help transplant seedlings into grow pots, organize sheds, inventory supplies and plant the greenhouses. Later, when the weather cooperates, they help re-establish the herb and mint beds, spread soil and mulch, plant lettuce and edible flowers and cover the fields with vegetable row cover to protect the plants from cold. There may also be an opportunity to “work in the woods” and build a cabin. By August, volunteers help pick gooseberries and beans, harvest potatoes, leeks and carrots and other wonderful vegetables. And, there is always weeding until Jack Frost drops by around mid-October. We ask that volunteers make arrangements to come on a regular basis for three hours a week or more, i.e. Sunday afternoons, Wednesdays after 5 o’clock. This arrangement ensures we do not have too many people at one time and helps us assign a farm partner to “work” with you.
How do I get vegetables and herbs?
In April and May, volunteers will be able to take home a bit of this or that, “whatever is on the go.” Later on, we keep a supply of vegetables, with a sign which reads, “Take me.” These are fresh, vegetables and herbs, which are seconds/ the same type we use in the farm kitchen. Examples are: an ugly turnip, twisted and two legged carrots, “holey” chard, dwarf garlic scapes, and herb ends trimmed so herb bunches will fit into clam shell packaging. Some things will always be more plentiful than others, such as rhubarb, lettuce and later on items such as tomatoes, gooseberries and maybe winter squash. In late October, if we have enough, we try to give the volunteers who stick it out for the season an organic pumpkin to eat, not carve.
How can I get to the farm?
The farm is located about 20 minutes outside downtown St. John’s, in Portugal Cove. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide transportation. Occasionally, we may know of someone who is coming from the city and can suggest a ride/ or we might be able to match you up with a volunteer who drives out on regular basis. It is worth an inquiry.
Can I Volunteer for Membership in the Veggie Coop?
A limited of four memberships in the Veggie Coop are available through bartering. Last season, one of our present employees began her relationship with the farm, volunteering one day a week, on Veggie Coop day to pay for her Veggie Coop Membership. Later, when a worker resigned in mid-season, she stepped into the role full time because she knew the farm and farm folks. This worked out well and she is returning this season. .
How Do I Get Started?
An e-mail or a phone call will get your started. The first time you visit the farm, you will have an orientation and fill out the volunteer information sheet, which includes emergency contact information. Each time they come to the farm, volunteers sign in and out and log the task they completed in the Volunteer Log Book.
If you have any questions or wish to schedule a visit, a walk about with the possibility of becoming a volunteer this season, please contact e-mail: organicfarm@nl.rogers.com
Attention: Melba Rabinowitz
re: 2008: volunteering