Microfarm Website
When can I volunteer?
For the Fall/Spring semester, Individual and Group Volunteering Sessions are offered every Sunday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
For summer volunteers please check our Instagram for updated times. Before coming to the farm you must sign up on our GivePulse page using beforehand using your UT EID.
How do I (or groups of 5 or less) sign up?
Individual volunteers and groups of 5 or fewer do not need to sign up. Simply show up at the farm during any session! Please arrive at or before 10:30 am; it throws a wrench in things if people show up late after projects have been started.
How do groups of 5 or more sign up?
During the Fall and Spring semesters, student orgs and other groups of 5+ people can register to volunteer for Sunday semester workdays by emailing microfarm@utenvironment.org.
Note: These group volunteer spots are usually released a couple weeks before the semester starts and fill up quickly. Spots are on a first come, first serve basis and are open to ~15 people in each group
How do I get there? Where can I park?
The farm is located behind the UT Tennis Courts at 287 W 51st Street within the Whitaker Intramural Fields. Parking in the parking lots is limited to those with a UT Parking Pass (of any kind). However, there is plenty of free street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. There is also a quick bus route that goes from campus to the IM Fields. To find the farm, walk through the Tennis Hut and scan your UT ID.
What will we be doing?
A lot goes into maintaining a farm, even a microfarm. Volunteers can expect to help with a range of tasks, including planting, harvesting, composting, weeding, mulching, beautifying, and more. Volunteer work at the farm helps support our mission of being an educational community resource. Sessions are about 75% volunteer work and 25% education and discussion. In addition to farm work, we’ll spend some time showing you and your group around the farm and discussing issues relating to the quality, justice, and biology of food.
What do we need to bring?
- A reusable water bottle (there is a water fountain in the tennis building)
- Closed-toed shoes (socks that cover ankles recommended, stops mosquito bites)
- Your student ID (required to enter!)
- An open mind!
We provide tools, gloves, and gardening instructions.
What about weather and cancellations?
Check our Instagram Page if the weather looks questionable. We post all scheduling changes/updates there. If you need to cancel a group reservation, please email microfarm@utenvironment.org no less than a week in advance.