Work hard. Learn. Serve. Be part of the farm.
Volunteer Farm Hours give community members an opportunity to directly support Hidden Pastures through meaningful hands-on work.
Hidden Pastures is a real working farm, and caring for the animals, property, programs, and events takes consistent effort.
Volunteers help with the work that keeps the farm functioning and ready to serve the community.
Real Work That Matters
Volunteer tasks vary depending on the needs of the farm.
Volunteers may assist with:
- Animal care
- Feeding and watering
- Cleaning animal areas
- Property maintenance
- Gardening
- Organization
- Special projects
- Program preparation
- Event preparation
- Seasonal farm work
- Facility or project support
Not every volunteer session includes every type of task. Work is assigned based on current farm needs.
Come Prepared to Work
Volunteer Farm Hours are active working sessions.
Volunteers should arrive prepared for:
- Physical outdoor work
- Heat, cold, mud, dust, and changing weather
- Lifting, carrying, bending, walking, and standing
- Working around animals and farm equipment
- Following directions and established safety procedures
- Completing assigned responsibilities before recreational animal interaction
Participation should be appropriate to each volunteer’s ability to safely complete the work required.
Animals Are Part of the Work
Animal interaction naturally happens while caring for the farm, but volunteering is not designed primarily as recreational animal time.
Depending on the day’s responsibilities, volunteers may work around horses, goats, sheep, pigs, poultry, or other Hidden Pastures animals.
The priority is completing the work needed to care for the animals and property.
Your Work Has a Direct Impact
Cleaning a pen, carrying feed, filling water, preparing a program area, repairing a fence, organizing supplies, helping in the garden, or getting ready for an event may not always be glamorous.
But these are the tasks that make everything else at Hidden Pastures possible.
Volunteer work directly supports:
- Animal care
- Farm operations
- Programs
- Events
- Property maintenance
- The broader Hidden Pastures mission
Your work matters here. You are welcome to be part of the farm, and being part of the farm means helping care for it.
Are Volunteer Farm Hours a Good Fit for You?
Volunteer Farm Hours may be a good fit for people who:
- Want to contribute through hands-on work
- Enjoy being outdoors
- Are comfortable with physical tasks
- Can follow directions
- Are willing to do the work that is actually needed
- Want service hours
- Want to support animal care and farm operations
- Are interested in agriculture, animals, gardening, maintenance, or community service
More Than Daily Animal Care
Some of the most important work at Hidden Pastures happens through larger projects around the farm.
Volunteer Farm Hours may include helping with:
- Fence and facility projects
- Gardening and property maintenance
- Building or repair projects
- Cleanup and organization
- Event preparation
- Seasonal farm projects
- Program preparation
- Other needs that help keep the farm safe, functional, and ready for the people and animals who depend on it
The work changes depending on what the farm needs that day.
Volunteers should come prepared to contribute where they are most useful rather than expecting a specific animal or activity.
Need Service Hours?
Volunteer Farm Hours may be used to complete service-hour requirements for a variety of schools, organizations, programs, and other approved needs.
We have worked with volunteers completing hours for:
- National Honor Society and other school organizations
- School-required community service
- College and university service requirements
- Court-ordered community service
- Clubs, youth organizations, and leadership programs
- Other documented service-hour needs
Volunteers are expected to participate fully in the work assigned during their scheduled time. Service hours reflect actual completed volunteer work, not recreational time at the farm.
If you need hours for a specific school, court, college, or organization, please let Hidden Pastures know in advance so we can confirm whether the opportunity is appropriate and what documentation may be required.
Service-hour verification can be provided for approved volunteer participation.
Looking for Time With the Animals?
Volunteer Farm Hours are for people who want to contribute to the work of Hidden Pastures.
If your primary goal is to spend time with animals, learn about the farm, or enjoy a guided farm experience, another Hidden Pastures offering may be a better fit.
Ready to Be Part of the Work?
If you are ready to contribute through meaningful hands-on work, learn more about current Volunteer Farm Hours and available opportunities.