Volunteer With Us

Would you like to gain experience in the garden while also helping your community? Or help us sort and pack produce to be distributed to local schools and senior communities? Become a Beardsley Volunteer! We welcome volunteers of all skill levels to get involved. Beardsley also offers opportunities for internships and Workshare CSAs.

What to Bring

Volunteers should bring a water bottle. Be sure to wear closed-toed shoes (no sandals) and clothes that allow you to move and get dirty. Dress for the weather and don’t forget your sunscreen.

Note: volunteer hours change seasonally and are weather-dependent. If you’re unsure, please call the farm or email us.

WEEKLY FARM SHIFTS

Spring: February 23rd - May 8th

Mon 1pm- 3pm, Wed 9am-12pm & 1pm-3pm, Fri: 9am - 12pm

Summer: May 11th - September 25th

Weekday Mornings 8:30am - 12pm

Fall: September 28th - November 13th

Mon, Wed, Thurs: 9am - 12pm & Wed, Thurs: 1pm - 3pm

Winter: by appointment only

PRODUCE SORTING AND PACKING

Each month, Beardsley Farm donates fresh produce to local schools and senior living households. This produce is sourced from Second Harvest and a secondary local farm, and averages between 2,000 and 4,000 lbs of food for each distribution. As a fruit and veggie sorter, you will help our Produce Specialist pick out any produce that does not meet our standards, and assist in sorting and organizing the produce according to each donation location.

The ideal volunteer for this role is someone who isn't afraid of team-lifting heavy boxes of produce and finding the occasional squishy carrot or orange in the bottom of a box!

SATURDAY WORKDAYS

We host a few Saturday volunteer opportunities throughout the year. These are great ways for large groups, families, or local organizations to visit and help on the farm! For large groups of five or more volunteers, please email at least a week in advance to schedule. We welcome youth and adult groups from schools, colleges, religious organizations, local businesses, and more.

If you’re interested in scheduling a volunteer group with us, please email us at Beardsley.Farm@knoxcac.org.

“Our partnership with Beardsley allows us to be active in the community and impact tremendous amounts of people while learning sustainable farming techniques, thus impacting the environment as well.”

—US Bank/Elavon

Adopt a garden

Sign up your group to manage a specific section or raised bed on the farm. The hours are flexible and there’s room for creativity! Email us to learn more!

Contact Us

WorkShare CSA

WorkShare program has limited capacity. Please email us or submit an application to be put on our wait list. We hope to be gardening with you soon!

Earn food by volunteering at the farm! No previous gardening experience is required but CSA (community supported agriculture) members should be willing to help out around the farm in a variety of ways. CSA member duties might include harvesting, washing produce, watering, packaging produce for donations/CSA boxes, weeding, transplanting, pest prevention, etc.

WorkShare Hours

Spring and Fall -

Tues, Wed, Thurs: 9am - 12pm & 1pm - 3pm

Summer -

Weekday Mornings 8:30am - 12pm

Winter - N/A

4 volunteer hours = 1 box of food (share)

Earn a share weekly or monthly, depending on how many hours per week worked.

CSA members must be 18 or older and volunteer a minimum of four hours per month.

Apply!

Sign up starts in early spring and the program lasts from May through November. Limit one application per household; all household members may contribute volunteer hours towards the share. For more information, call us at 865.546.8446 or email us.

Internships

Beardsley Farm offers spring, summer, and fall internships for high school and college students, young adults, and anyone with extra time on their hands. Interns work at least 10 hours per week on the farm or in the office. These hours can count towards a community service quota, training hours, or class credit at your college (with your school’s approval).

Our internships are self-directed, allowing you to take on projects that forward your personal and professional goals. We will work with you to ensure both you and the farm get the most out of your time. Overall, you will gain a deeper understanding of how to run a farm AND you’ll get a weekly share of produce. Email us to learn more!