Participate

Volunteers help keep the farm going–join us for a hands-on learning/growing experience! There is something for almost everyone, regardless of age, experience, or interests. However, you must read and agree to honor our Policies and other farm rules and guidelines. To better understand these policies in action, check out our blog, Reports from the Farm – especially entries for the time of year you expect to participate.

Volunteers are rewarded in many ways. One of our mottoes is “feed the workers” – you get fresh vegetables, lamb, and other farm products for your household. Depending on the schedule, you’ll be invited to join meals taken during your work shift. You also get invaluable learning experiences, opportunities for networking, exercise, fresh air, etc. Volunteers who complete the season as planned are honored with an end-of-the-season feast and gifts.

We especially appreciate people with skills and interests in the following areas:

• Gardening (planting, weeding, harvesting, etc.)
• Animal husbandry (caring for sheep, poultry)
• Food service/processing (working with vegetables/sanitation)
• Housekeeping (for the farm–sweeping, dusting, market/vegetable/lamb laundry, market and farm “dishes”)
• Groundskeeping (mowing, pruning, mulching, etc.)
• Construction/repairs (carpentry, wiring, plumbing, painting, fencing, etc.)
• Maintenance (small engine repair, tool sharpening, etc.)
• Marketing and deliveries (strong Lawrence focus: Farmers’ Market and restaurants)
• Recordkeeping and computer skills (crop records, bookkeeping, web maintenance)
• Fiber arts (wool processing, dying, etc.)
• Other skills too numerous to mention!

Interested? Email availability, interests, resume, and references to natalyalowther@hotmail.com.

In addition to informal volunteers, whether one-time, long-term, or somewhere in between, we work with the following external programs/networks:

Growing Growers:
Growing Growers is a Kansas City-area program that provides hands-on and classroom training to new vegetable growers. Pinwheel has hosted volunteer apprentices, who commit to a minimum of 4 hours per week volunteer work time plus Pinwheel Farm training sessions, as well as the series of Growing Growers workshops.

WWOOF-USA (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms):
When accommodations are available, we welcome WWOOF participants to stay, help, and learn at the farm while enjoying the amenities of Lawrence. We’ll provide friendship, housing, food, other basic necessities and a few amenities. You’ll be expected to honor all applicable laws and Pinwheel Farm policies, and to put about 6 hours per day, 6 days per week into the work of the farm. A choice of tasks suited to your abilities and interests will be offered.

After more than a decade of denying us the free exercise of permitted rights, the County has finally acknowledged our right to allow non-permanent mobile homes (RVs/campers/etc.) for housing WWOOFers and other farm volunteers, as long as proper sanitation measures are followed and other codes are met. At this time we don’t have code-compliant electrical or water hookups, so your non-permanent mobile home will be entirely off-grid but you’ll have access to the house to charge batteries, etc. Short-term tent camping is also possible for farm volunteers.