Horn Farm Community Crew
Become a Part of the Horn Farm Center Ecosystem!
From the landscape to the classroom, there is no shortage of opportunities to have a meaningful impact at the Horn Farm Center. That’s why we’re bringing together our core values of community connection and education through a dedicated volunteer program offering more ways to engage with nature, regenerative land stewardship, and ecological learning across the year.
Take root in our growing ecosystem of land stewards and nature healers. After participating in a comprehensive training day, Community Crew members gain access to a specialized calendar with service-learning workdays led by Horn Farm staff and other volunteer leaders. As a member of our Crew, you can support routine management needs around the farm, take part in seasonal plantings and harvests, assist with classes and events, and more.
While enriching our ability to regenerate the land and educate the community, Community Crew members gain resources and experiences to connect with nature on a deeper level. Members benefit from “learning while doing” in the field, spending time with the Horn Farm’s staff, and becoming part of a network of like-minded community members who share space, resources, ideas, and the muscle to grow our culture of confident, empathetic caretakers for the Earth.
So, whether you’re looking to meet your neighbors, gain transferrable skills, or make a lasting impact in our ecosystem and beyond, consider joining the Community Crew volunteer program at the Horn Farm Center!
What does the Community Crew Do?
Land Stewardship:
The core of Community Crew volunteering takes place on the land. Crew members support staff with tasks ranging from routine maintenance to seasonal harvests. Example activities include:
- Tending spaces for foraging and ecological education by pruning, weeding, monitoring trails, and bolstering sites with new plants.
- Participating in annual harvests, like elderberry, American hazelnut, black walnut, sunchoke, and basketry willows.
- Monitoring and tending plantings in our riparian buffers.
- Seasonal weeding in the perennial fields.
- Collecting and dispersing seeds.
Community Outreach:
Alongside supporting our land stewardship efforts, Community Crew members have the ability to support outreach and community engagement efforts by:
- Participating in tabling events.
- Assisting instructors with classes by helping with set-up, clean-up, and providing attendees with an overview of the Horn Farm Center.
- Gathering photo, video, and testimonial content during classes.
- Supporting or leading custom programs–like tours or volunteer workdays–with visiting groups.
- Serving as volunteer “leaders” during the Horn Farm’s annual signature event: Wild & Uncommon Weekend.
- Completing office projects like research, targeted outreach, archive assortment, data entry, and digitization.
Let’s Get Started!
To join the Horn Farm Community Crew, volunteers MUST attend at least one (1) on-site training day.
Training days will cover basics like: the Horn Farm’s mission, vision, and land ethic; land management approaches; beginner plant identification; tools and safety; volunteer program coordination and team building.
Sign up for one of our upcoming training days below:
After participating in a training day, you will receive a Google Drive and webpage link to gain exclusive access to Community Crew resources. Both platforms contain an active calendar of upcoming workdays, a self-reporting form for logging your hours, casual and educational readings, and general Horn Farm information.
Program Perks
Log volunteer hours to redeem special benefits!
For every workday attended, volunteers submit their hours through an online form. Hours can be tracked to redeem special perks throughout the program:
Starting Perks
- Volunteer t-shirt
- Free training involving hands-on land stewardship education
After First 25 Hours
- Discount code for free attendance to three classes taught by Horn Farm Center staff
- Discount consideration for Horn Farm training programs
- Special invitations to community events and social gatherings
Annual Membership “Renewal”
- After completing the initial 25 hours of volunteering, members will be able to “renew” their membership with at least 20 hours of service logged annually.
- Continued service will unlock additional discounts and perks.
Physical Activity Note & Waiver:
For land stewardship workdays, it’s necessary for us to flag that some activities will be physically demanding. Volunteers will never be asked to work beyond their comfort area, but some tasks will require a range of bodily exertions including bending, pulling, lifting, using hand tools, and walking on uneven, sometimes muddy terrain. We recommend that volunteers looking to partake in our land stewardship workdays be in good health and prepared for a variety of outdoor conditions.
ALL VOLUNTEERS must read and sign the Horn Farm Center’s liability waiver and media release form in order to participate in the Community Crew. Forms will be provided for signing on training days.
