Volunteering

One of Cultivate’s aims is to get as many people as possible involved with the hands-on business of growing and selling food in our community. Here are a few ways to be part of what’s going on:

1. Occasional volunteering

We minimise the environmental footprint of our growing by replacing artificial inputs with more labour-intensive alternatives, so we can often do with an extra pair of hands! Be warned, it’s hard work in all weathers… but it’s a good way to get in touch with your inner farmer.

It’s best to come out for a whole day - get in touch to arrange. We can’t always accomodate volunteers, depending on what’s going on up at the farm, but we are also putting on more formal monthly volunteer work parties at weekends, which are listed on the events page.

2. Workshare volunteering & membership

Workshare volunteers support Cultivate by committing to work at least 1/2 day every month, in the process becoming members of the co-operative. Workshare volunteers can help out on the land or on the VegVan, seeing the business evolve and the seasons change over the period that they work. See Membership page for more info on this.

If you’re a workshare member and want to sign up for volunteer shifts, email Emma for a link to the list of upcoming days.

3. Regular volunteering

Regular volunteering is designed for people who would like to work with Cultivate for 2 or more days a week over a period of time, for a change of scenery, to serve their community or maybe to learn more about what’s involved with growing food at larger scales and running a community food enterprise. Contact us to talk it through, or if you’ve already volunteered with us and know when you might like to help out, ask for for the link to the list of upcoming volunteer days.

4. Skillshare

Support Cultivate by using your knowledge and skills. Cultivate members and supporters have already made us videos, taken us through a learning and reflection process, started developing a web app for VegVan locations and times, advised on our waste management and compost system, built us a style, and planted an experimental agroforestry strip in the field margins. Wow!