Volunteer
Volunteer extraordinaire, Sara Raskie cooking up a giant pot of soup for soup night!
Volunteer with Sierra Harvest Today!
Our volunteers play a vital role in all of our programs and provide the foundation of our efforts. Do you have special skills to share? Or enthusiasm for educating children? Or do you enjoy teaching cooking? Or did you want to make new friends? Be a part of our growing organization utilizing your skills and passion to support our mission to educate, inspire, and connect Nevada County families to fresh, local, seasonal food. We thank the 310 volunteers who donated more than 3,815 volunteer hours this past year to support Sierra Harvest’s programs. Because of their dedication of time and talent, our programs are thriving, our community is healthier and we have exciting goals for the coming year.
Please review below the list of volunteer opportunities and then complete the online volunteer application. Miriam Limov, Engagement Manager, will be in touch within a week to find out how YOU want to get involved and make a difference in Sierra Harvest!
For more information about volunteering Miriam can be reached at Miriam@sierraharvest.org.
.Volunteer Opportunities Available Now
Volunteers helping with a Sierra Garden build
1. Sierra Gardens Building Volunteers (On-going opportunity) – Click here for more info about how YOU can help families grow their own garden by helping them install the garden beds, the fencing, irrigation and support the families year-round. Do you have light building skills and a strong back? Also seeking one core volunteer to assist Edy Cassell, Sierra Garden Coordinator weekly from April 15 – June 15, 2017. More info here.
2. Tasting Week Chef – Click here for the full job description. Sierra Harvest seeks local chefs to cook with students and provide tastings in western Nevada County elementary schools during the week of October 9-13th, 2017. This program is part of
our Farm to School Program and will be offered to more than 2,600 students at 21 elementary schools. Volunteer chefs teach four 30-minute lessons in a row at one school. You are given the funds to purchase the produce for the tasting. These chefs will demonstrate preparation and cooking techniques using healthy recipes and involve students in preparation of a dish using seasonal fruits and vegetables from local farms at schools containing at least 50% seasonal specialty crops by weight.
3. Integrated School Farm Program Educator – Click here for the full job description. Share your enthusiasm and skills with Nevada County youth educating them about farming and eating healthy by leading a station on a farm field trip at a school. Training is provided. Dates range from September through May!
1st Grader at Clear Creek School showing her fresh spring roll creation – 2016
Volunteer with Sierra Harvest and Earn Discounts at the BriarPatch Co-op Market!
Owner Volunteers may earn a discount at BriarPatch by doing volunteer work at affiliated nonprofit organizations. Just as with our other volunteer “jobs,” these volunteer hours will earn a 10% discount for working six hours per month (3 hours for seniors) per each adult in the household.
Following a model established by La Montanita Co-op in New Mexico, the new program is another way for BriarPatch to embody the seventh International Cooperative Principle, “Concern for the Community.” In order to receive Owner Volunteer credit at BriarPatch, volunteers must be new to Sierra Harvest as a volunteer (i.e., must not have previously volunteered with Sierra Harvest), and must be referred in advance by BriarPatch staff.
More info here about this remarkable program – thank you BriarPatch Co-op Market for such profound support of numerous local non-profits creating a more vibrant and wonderful community.
