Volunteer at CoFarm Cambridge

CoFarm Cambridge is a community farm which grows organic fruit and vegetables to donate to local food projects. CoFarm is welcomes volunteers to help with planting, watering, weeding and harvesting fruit and vegetables. No previous experience needed! There is no need to sign up for a regular volunteering commitment at CoFarm. Instead you just book on volunteering sessions as and when you are free! Each volunteering session is for three hours, and there are options on weekday evenings and at weekends. Upcoming dates are listed on their website. Visit the Co-Farm website to view volunteering sessions and sign up. Volunteering is for adults only. Once you have signed up to volunteer you will be sent an email with details about how to find the site, what to wear and what to bring.

When you arrive at the site ask for Peter or Dominic, who are the lead horticulturalists at CoFarm. They will give you a briefing and then guide you through the different tasks that you’ll be helping with that day. You may be helping plant seedlings, water plants, weeding or harvesting produce. You will need to wear sturdy, enclosed footwear (stout boots with ankle support or wellies) and clothing appropriate for the weather. You should also bring your own pair of gardening gloves if possible. You should bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. Some of the co-farming and horticulture tasks can be very relaxing and meditative but others are quite physically demanding. For the more strenuous tasks it is important to know your limits. There will be regular planned breaks, but you should also feel free to rest whenever you need to, or sit out certain tasks. You can finish the volunteering session whenever you feel like it, as long as you let one of the organisers know when you are leaving.

There is no car parking on the CoFarm site. The nearest parking is at the Sainsbury’s Superstore on Coldhams Lane (around 5 minutes walk away). If you cycle you can bring your bike to the field with you and leave it by the fence.
The site is rough and uneven in places and may not be suitable for those with restricted mobility or certain sensory impairments. CoFarm are planning to secure funding in order to make the site accessible to all visitors in the future.

CoFarm Cambridge was established in 2019. It aims to “bring people together to grow and share nutritious food and help build stronger communities and healthier ecosystems.” Since its first harvest in 2020 the farm has donated over 12 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to people facing food insecurity across Cambridge. Their approach is rooted in agroecology, which is a grassroots movement that works in harmony with nature to create fairer, more local, food systems. Through their work they aim to help combat climate change, protect the environment, tackle health inequalities and build community.