Volunteers sought for Bayside Park Farm program

The city of Arcata Environmental Services Department is seeking community members with interest in small-scale organic farming to participate in Bayside Park Farm’s Volunteer Program.

Bayside Park Farm is a three-acre vegetable farm located in the city of Arcata’s Bayside Park, which is dedicated to cultivating connections between the community and sustainable agriculture. The Bayside Park Farm share program was the first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in Arcata and has provided the community with local, organic produce for 28 years.

In order to participate in Bayside Park Farm’s Volunteer Program, volunteers make a 2.5-month commitment to working six hours a week in exchange for fresh vegetables and hands-on training in organic farming.

In addition to general planting, pruning and harvesting skills, volunteers will learn other useful skills including sowing seeds in a propagation house, mending and preparing beds for planting, transplanting crops, growing crops from seed, growing and pruning tomato crops, and irrigation techniques.

For the health and safety of city staff, volunteers and farm share participants, COVID-19 protocols must be followed when visiting Bayside Park Farm. Face coverings, physical distancing and other health and safety measures are required.

Volunteer applications for the program’s spring session are due Friday. Summer session applications are due June 15 and applications for the fall season are due Aug. 15. For more information on Bayside Park Farm’s Volunteer Program, visit cityofarcata. org, email eservices@cityofarcata.org or call 707-8228184.