We are looking for people passionate about supporting our local food community! Our goal is to connect our community with great local food. It’s more important than ever to support small businesses and sustainable local agriculture.
Volunteers are the backbone of the Withrow Park Farmers’ Market and your hard work and dedication, along with your enthusiastic attitude, will ensure we have an organized, safe and inclusive outdoor farmers’ market.
To ensure the effective operations of the Withrow Park Farmers’ Market we ask that our volunteers be comfortable complying with the following procedures:
Volunteers must comply with:
- Being conscientious and courteous at all times
- Following public health protocols that may be in place (physical distancing, mask, hand washing/sanitizing etc.)
- Being a team player and following guidance from the Volunteer Coordinator and Market Manager
Current Volunteer Opportunities
We have a number of volunteer roles that are listed here and described in more detail below:
- Parking Attendant
- Set-up/Take-down Crew
- Zero Waste Ambassador
- Seed Librarian
- Social Media
- Special Events
Parking Attendant (Shifts: 7am to 9am and/or 12:30pm to 2pm)
Parking attendant shifts are short, but this is one of our most important roles! This role is best suited for someone 18 years of age and older. Bonus if you have experience driving!
- Directing the arrival of our vendors during set-up and/or load-out
- Directing vendors to the appropriate parking and unloading areas and provide them with a parking pass to display in their window
- Setting up pylons and signage
- Allowing only vendors into designated parking spots
- Enforcing parking plans established by our parking permit
Set-up/Take down Crew (Shifts: 7am to 9am for setup and/or 12:30pm to 2pm for take down)
A self-explanatory but essential part of our volunteer team! We couldn’t have a well-organized market without the proper set-up and takedown. Help us transform an empty field into a safe marketplace!
- Distribute and set up the needed tables and tents
- Return tables, tents, and materials to storage at end of market
- Put out and displaying signage and create chalkboards
- Physical ability to move event supplies with a dollie and lift up to 30lbs
Zero Waste Ambassador (8am to 11am and/or 11am to 2pm)
Zero Waste Ambassadors play a vital role in helping the market achieve its goal of reducing waste by overseeing our reusable dishware program, and other zero waste programming based on your own personal interests.
- Learn how the Muuse dishware program works and explain and encourage it’s use to customers
- Distribute and replenish clean dishware to prepared food vendors at the Market
- Maintain a tidy area for used dishes and compost drop off. No dishwashing required!
- If interested, additional at-home projects could include helping to plan and promote swaps and other waste reduction events
Seed Librarian (8am to 11am and/or 11am to 2pm)
Our Seed Library allows the community to give, take and share seeds with each other! While also promoting urban agriculture, pollinator-friendly habitats, biodiversity and more!
- Receive seed donations from community members and assure they are labelled and packaged correctly
- Keep the Seed Library organized and tidy
- Engage in conversations and answer basic questions about seeds and gardening
- Create signage and promotional material to share information
- Some at-home tasks could include updating our seed inventory spreadsheet, creating social media posts, organizing and planning activities/demonstrations/workshops
- A little gardening experience is helpful and an openness and willingness to learn!
Social Media (Live at the market on Saturdays and/or work from home)
Join a small team of social-savvy people to help us create, develop and execute our social media campaigns. Some roles will involve being at the farmers’ market on Saturdays while others can be done from home.
- Familiarity with social media platforms (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
- Have an understanding of the Market’s online brand and tone
- Tweet and/or Instagram live from the farmers’ market on Saturday
- Develop content that fits our goals and campaigns from home
- Create alt texts and descriptions for social media post images
Time commitment:
- Commit to the position for a minimum of 1 month
- From home: Flexible hours, approx. 2-4 hours/week depending on your work pace
- On Saturdays: Approx 1-4 hours between 8:30am to 11:00pm
- At home role: Attend weekly markets for an hour to gather photos/content with rest of work done at home.
Special Events
We’re looking forward to welcoming back some of our special pop-up activities this summer like community swapping events. We’ll need extra helping hands on these particular days!
HOW TO APPLY
Volunteers should be able to commit to a minimum of 3-5 market days between June to August. Volunteer hours for high school students will only be provided to volunteers who have contributed a minimum of 9 hours (approx 3 shifts).
Thank you for helping to make this year’s farmers’ market a success!
