Volunteering at Soule Homestead

Volunteers are the engine that powers Soule Homestead!  We integrate volunteers into almost every aspect of our operation.  We have some volunteers that help as little as one event per year and others that are here weekly.

Are you a company looking to participate in some community service at Soule? Please feel free to email us at director@soulehomestead.org.

We are rolling out a new way for volunteers to sign up to help out at Soule Homestead.  If you’re a new or a returning volunteer we are asking you to please take 3 minutes to fill out our Volunteer Sign Up Form below. This should make it easier for Volunteer Coordinator to reach out to volunteers for various opportunities around the farm. We always make every effort to keep our employees and volunteers safe, however, by volunteering at Soule you recognize that you are helping at a working farm, and take on the potential liabilities and risks that doing such involves. 

Click here for the: Annual Ruth Knapp Volunteer of the Year Award

To ensure best practices at SHEC, we conduct background checks for core volunteers, residents, staff, and anyone who spends an extended period of time around the farm – this check is at our discretion and done in an effort to keep our visitors and community safe. If asked to do a background check you will need to bring your state ID with you and fill out a form. These checks are done annually or upon the assignment of volunteer work, whichever comes first. The information given on the form will be kept in a confidential manner. We appreciate your cooperation. Please contact director@soulehomestead.org with any questions.

The form lists a variety of ways to help out around the farm. Pick as many or as few that interest you. We appreciate all that you do to help us be successful at Soule. We couldn’t do it without you.

Some general areas where we’re looking for help:

• Event support like parking, welcoming visitors or food booth.
• Helping with animal feeding
• Cleaning stalls
• Posting fliers around the community
• Keeping wheelbarrows and other tools maintained (as needed)
• Sweeping the barn, cleaning the classroom, raking
• Garden maintenance (as needed)
• Fence maintenance (as needed)
• Preparation of program material
• Helping to teach children’s programs
• Helping with Summer Concert Series
• Teaching a workshop
• Committee members needed for Volunteer, Fundraising, Farm Operations, Special Events, and Harvest Fair Committees. Training will be provided if needed.

Teen Volunteers at Soule!

Teen volunteers are always welcome at the farm and we are always excited to teach them new skills in leadership and working with the community. Volunteers over the age of 13 can volunteer for any of the jobs listed above (with the exception of parking).  Teen volunteers help us all around the farm in a number of capacities both during events and in preparation for them. We are looking for eager helpers who jump in and can lend a hand. We will never put your teen in a situation that makes them uncomfortable, but ask that they be flexible if the need for job assignment shifts based on need.

All employees and leading volunteers have been Cori-ed and Sori-ed. We take your child’s safety seriously. (We will also welcome volunteers under age 12 during the school year with an adult.) If you’re looking for volunteer hours for graduation requirements please use the form above. You will then be sent a follow up link. Anyone under the age of 18 who are being dropped off at the farm must fill out emergency contact forms so we have them on file. We always do our utmost to keep all of our visitor’s safe, this is truly in case of emergencies only. 

If a parent volunteers along with their parent we typically do not schedule them in the same spot unless requested. We encourage teens to learn how to work in new environments and situations and find this helps them to work more independently and with new people.  

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