Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Keeping volunteers and gardeners excited about routine maintenance can be managed with a few
simple tactics early in the season.
There will be times of the year, depending on your weather and seasons, when people are just tired.
As much as they may love their gardens, life gets busy with holidays, vacations, kids going back to
school. Sometimes just as the plants are making their final push to produce food, there is a natural wind-
down of enthusiasm for the garden. This doesn't mean people have lost interest; it just means they need
a little break. Luckily for all of us, hope springs eternal, a new garden season will come again, and that
enthusiasm will be back in full force.
ON-SITE VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT
Here's a handy list of basic materials to have during a volunteer workday.
Clipboard, notepad, and pens
Sign-in sheet: you want to keep track of your volunteers so you can thank them later or add them to a
newsletter or other form of communication
List of expected participants who have signed hold harmless waivers
Hold harmless waivers for drop-ins
Water: either in plastic bottles or a big container (don't forget the cups)
Work gloves: get a range of sizes (bulk packages are sold at hardware and building stores)
Safety goggles (for build days, when power tools are involved)
Sunscreen
Insect repellant
Materials about your program: if passersby see a lot of action happening, they'll stop by and ask
what's up. Be sure to have materials to share about your garden program so you don't have to repeat
yourself numerous times and can focus on managing the volunteer project.
MAKING WORKDAYS ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE
1. Set up regularly scheduled workdays
throughout the season and communicate them early and of-
ten. Post them in the garden, talk about them in your newsletter, send e-mails about them. However
you communicate with your gardeners, train them to understand that regularly scheduled workdays
are a time when the community is together, tending the garden. Also emphasize that these general
maintenance tasks (such as weeding and trash pickup) are part of their duty to help keep the garden
looking its best.
2. Make workdays fun and social.
This can be a good way to get local businesses or stores involved.
Ask neighboring businesses or partners to sponsor a workday with either supplies (if the partner is a
hardware store, for example) or treats (if the partner is a restaurant or ice cream parlor). You can
even ask local businesses to provide a coupon or free samples to hand out as a thank-you. It doesn't
really matter what you do; the effort is what matters to people.
