guidelines for farm volunteers: what to expect

Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering at Three Sisters! We are excited to host you. 

join us! reach out to set up a time to volunteer

  • We WELCOME volunteers but require everyone to fill out our waiver AND schedule ahead of time - we are not able to accept drop-in or unscheduled volunteers.

  • Reach directly out to Anna who manages our volunteers to schedule your session.

  • Fill out the volunteer waiver - this waiver is required for all farm volunteers.

What to Bring & wear 

  • Your own water bottle & a snack if you need it

  • Sunscreen and/or a hat

  • Bug spray

  • Clothes you’re comfortable moving in and can get dirty, and close-toed shoes

What to Expect the Day of Your Visit 

Parking: 

  • Our driveway is one way! Please enter at the south entrance (the first entrance if you’re coming from town, the second entrance if you’re coming from Great Neck). 

  • Our driveway and parking lot are shared with the Cuvilly Arts and Earth Center and parking is limited - please carpool if possible.

  • The Cuvilly Arts and Earth Center is a nature-based preschool, so please drive slowly and keep an eye out for little ones. 

Arrival & Restrooms:

  • A crew member will meet you in front of the red barn at your scheduled time. Please wash your hands upon arrival - we have a handwash sink at the front of our greenhouse.

  • We have an indoor restroom near our parking lot and a portable toilet up in our fields - a crew member will direct you to either. 

Weather:

 

  • We will contact you if we need to cancel due to weather, though this is unlikely: we work in all weather conditions as long as it’s safe so be prepared for anything! 

  • Examples of unsafe conditions include lightning, extreme heat, or extreme cold - we will never ask volunteers to work in these types of conditions.

Activities:

  • Farming is physical and can be tiring. Please be prepared to stand, bend, and lift. Please also take breaks whenever you need to and let the crew know if a task doesn’t feel good to your body. You know your body best and we will try to find a task that works for you. 

  • Farming changes day-to-day and so we might not know exactly what task you will be doing until the day of - we appreciate your flexibility! That said, if we do have a specific task in mind for you, we will let you know.

After Your Visit

Schedule another visit! We greatly appreciate returning volunteers, since your impact increases exponentially as you become familiar with the tasks and systems of our organization. 

Give us feedback! We want to hear from you about what your volunteer experience was like:

  • If you had a great time, consider writing a volunteer testimonial that we could use in our newsletter or on our website.

  • If there are things we can improve, please let Anna know so that we can make the volunteer experience better in the future.