Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
work for good measure and keep it on file for your records. It is also a good idea to have an adult related
to the volunteering organization on site to provide students with supervision and direction. Often paper-
work is required as proof of service-learning hours, so, in addition to supervision, having a helper from
the providing organization present during the work is a good practice. It will be helpful to you at the
end of a busy day when you want to wrap things up and lots of papers need to be signed. The supervisor
can do this, freeing you for other tasks.
A safe worksite is essential at all times—and clearly necessary during the building of the garden's
physical structures. Volunteers helping to construct, for example, raised beds, will most likely be en-
gaged with power tools, sharp instruments, electricity, and other materials that my cause hazards. Make
sure all volunteers have the proper skills to handle the tools they're working with, and that proper safety
gear is used. If you're borrowing power from a neighbor, or using a generator to power drills, make
sure extension cords do not get wet or sit in water. Even the simple task of raking wood chips can have
hazardous consequences, so instruct volunteers to not leave tools on the ground. We've all seen that old
cartoon: someone steps on a rake, the handle whizzes up into the person's face, and clobber stars burst
out, spinning around the victim's head. This is only funny in cartoons and can cause serious injury. If
this happens to you—as it has to me one too many times—there will be nothing funny about the pain
you experience.
Drinking water is crucial! Especially on hot days. Have plenty of water available for your volun-
teers. It is extra nice to provide lunch, but that's optional, depending on the length of the workday. Dur-
ing sign-up, you can ask people to bring their own beverages but, inevitably, not everyone will remem-
ber, so be prepared. Don't be discouraged about these issues, just think ahead.
STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT: GENERATING AND
MAINTAINING INTEREST
This may be stating the obvious, but the height of enthusiasm and volunteerism for your garden will be
as you're building it, or in the spring, or both.
For example, my garden hometown, Chicago, is in USDA zone 6a. Our growing season is relatively
short (and hot), while the winters are long, bone-chillingly cold, and trying. By the time spring comes
around, people are manic to get outside and move. Because our program builds large gardens each
spring, when it comes to recruiting volunteers, the Chicago winter is one of our greatest allies! If you
live in another part of the country, the best time for garden planting and building might not be so easily
defined; winter weather may, or may not, be a significant ally in motivating your volunteers. Fall is also
a great time to build a garden. With a lot of harvest and cleanup chores to do, and, at least in Chicago,
bad weather pending, people are often excited to help wrap up the garden season for the year and get
their last burst of outdoor activity.
Meaningful work is essential for a good volunteer program. From my experience, meaningful work
usually involves short-term or one-time projects such as building, planting, or harvesting. Routine main-
tenance projects, weeding in particular, aren't as popular but are essential. Once the frenzy of building
and planting is over, gardeners settle into the routines of garden maintenance, watering, and weeding
their plots. If your garden is a shared garden, rather than an allotment where individuals maintain their
own little slice of paradise, you'll need to set up collective watering and weeding schedules to make
sure your garden thrives.
