Volunteer
Be a BBFG volunteer and discover the many rewarding opportunities available weekdays and weekends. The volunteers work as a team with BBFG staff to promote the interests and development of BBFG. We will match your interests, abilities and availability with BBFG's current volunteer needs.
The BBFG applies the volunteer best practices of Volunteer Canada to ensure volunteers feel fulfilled and valued. Please join our team and complete the application form!
- Youth opportunities
- Attain volunteer hours for credit
- Silviculturist/Arborist to assist/teach fruit tree pruning, specifically the Ripley Apple. Demonstrate to garden crew how to properly prune and maintain fruit trees and shrubs.
- Student interested in Tourism programs to do detailed tour of rare food gardens, June to September.
- Student interested in Teaching program to assist with our children's programs during the season starting with Jr Agricultural Stewardship Program, including assisting the executive director with design of the program, preparing program materials, presenting program to youth, engaging new youth participants.
- Social networkers to assist with Tweeting, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Instagram postings throughout the year to share news of what the BBFG is planning and presenting during the season, e.g., what is currently available, what might be an activity 'bomb' happening within a few moments of the posting, etc.
- Students interested in culinary programs to assist with our Greenhorn Gourmet cooking lessons for beginners, July/August/September, including helping the executive director develop cooking agenda for classes, assisting participants during activity, helping to advocate for the program and bringing new participants into the group.
- Harvesters: helping us harvest and dry our herbs and teas, packaging, labelling, and possibly distributing of products to outlets.
- People interested in constructing off grid electrical and mechanical devices during the food garden's season by helping to research, build, and showcase projects like ram pumps, solar heaters, etc.
- Experienced builder interested in project specific construction to assist with small but important builds on the site to increase our efficiency. Such projects might include stone masonry, straw bale building, pallet construction, or projects using reclaimed materials.
- Chief waterer: monitor moisture levels in the soil and water when/if necessary.
- Walkway weeders: concentrate only on the weeds in the walkways using boiling water/epsom salt and vinegar to kill weeds under direction of the executive director.
- Flower arranger: we have many plants that make for gorgeous floral arrangements. This talent would make it possible to sell arrangements to people who would like to give a simple but beautiful 'edible' arrangement to a friend or relative.
- Musicians: bring your music/instrument to the garden to play (softly) to enhance a visit.
- Artists: bring your easels or other artistic endeavours to the garden and work while visitors have the opportunity to watch.
- Birders: lead a tour of the garden with an eye to the variety of birds that are in the area
- Other Volunteer Opportunities
o Adopt a plot
o General help with planting and harvesting
o Run a workshop – do you have a speciality?
o Conduct tours
o Research plants (when to plant, with what companion, colour, size, texture, when they flower, when they are harvested, etc.)