Welcome! Our goal is to provide a safe and fun environment for volunteers and staff alike. Please review carefully before signing up for a volunteer shift:
Please arrive on time for your volunteer shift. Allow extra time for traffic and parking. We can’t emphasize enough the importance (to the farmers) of starting volunteer sessions on time.
Location
Most volunteers are scheduled for tasks on Gaining Ground’s main farm property located at 341 Virginia Road, Concord, MA. Occasionally, corporate teams work at our satellite fields at 955 Lexington Road, Concord, MA. Please check with your group leader or email volunteer@gainingground.org to confirm your team’s volunteering location.
Clothing
Farm work is in the dirt. Wear clothes and closed-toed shoes or boots that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring your own gloves if you prefer (we do have some to lend). Please note that even during excessive heat, clothing must be worn at all times on the farm. We work rain or shine (except during lightning and thunder). Wear a hat and bring sunblock for sun protection or jackets for colder days. If rain is forecasted, bring rain gear and boots for walking in the mud.
Food/Drink
Reusable water bottles are encouraged. Gaining Ground provides drinking water and cups on site, but we strongly recommend arriving well hydrated during hot summer weather. Drink plenty of water during the 24 hours prior to your volunteer session. If you start feeling more thirsty, slightly dizzy, lightheaded, or have a headache, this may be a sign of dehydration. Please slow down, rest, and take breaks — you know your body’s limits best! You may bring snack food if desired.
Restrooms
We request that volunteers use the designated volunteer bathroom (port-a-potty) and outdoor hand-washing station on the right side of the main driveway. Volunteers may not enter the barn.
Rubbish
A trash can is provided for volunteers near the port-a-potty and hand-washing station, to the right of the driveway.
Safety:
Our goal is to provide a safe and fun environment for volunteers and staff alike. When you volunteer at Gaining Ground, you are involved in the operations of a working farm. There are inherent risks, though every reasonable effort will be made to emphasize safe working habits.
As an individual, you are responsible for your own health and safety in terms of allergies, heat and hydration, poison ivy, insects, etc. All volunteers must sign our updated Release & Waiver of Liability which acknowledges the inherent risks posed by volunteering on a working farm. In the event of an emergency, seek out a chaperone or the Farm Manager.
Group leaders and chaperones: A working farm requires your full attention when accompanying group volunteers, especially children and young adults. You are responsible for your group’s health and safety in terms of individual release forms, allergies, heat and hydration, poison ivy, insects, etc. It is your job to encourage full participation, help with logistics, and handle any disciplinary issues. Please accompany anyone who must leave the group and let other leaders know of your departure.
Walk only on farm roads or on the paths between the crop beds. Do not climb on farm equipment.
Leave valuables in a safe place and just bring essentials such as water, hat, rain coat, snack, allergy medications, etc.
Excessive Heat
On especially hot days, be sure to take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water before, during, and after your volunteer session, wear sunscreen and a hat, and work slowly and with care in order to minimize the risk of heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Generally, if the weather forecast calls for daytime temperatures of 85℉+, we email volunteers a warning ahead of time and offer you the chance to cancel or reschedule your session for a later date. If temperatures at or above 90℉ are predicted, we will cancel volunteer sessions for the health and safety of all. We will do our best to reschedule your session for another mutually agreeable day and time. We strictly enforce shade and water breaks every 30 minutes if temperatures rise above 85℉. Electrolyte drinks and sunscreen are always available to volunteers – please ask a staff member and they will gladly assist you.
Ticks and Lyme
Gaining Ground is surrounded by bushy, woody areas—a common habitat for deer ticks carrying diseases such as Lyme disease. To reduce your chances of tick bites:
Wear a long-sleeved shirt and light-colored trousers tucked into socks or shoes.
Follow instructions for using a repellant with DEET or permethrin. Permethrin is not intended for skin contact, but is used on shoes, clothing, hats, etc.
Thoroughly examine your clothes and body for ticks after your visit.
Gaining Ground keeps honey bees on the Virginia Road farm. Most bees will not sting if left alone. However, bee and wasp stings can cause a medical emergency if someone is allergic to them. Volunteers and group leaders should be aware of anyone who is allergic, and be prepared to respond appropriately by bringing your own bee sting kits/EpiPens. Farm staff are not legally permitted to administer medication on site.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus
Gaining Ground’s staff members carefully monitor the status of mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, occasionally detected in parts of Massachusetts during the warmer months. We encourage all volunteers to apply a DEET-containing insect repellent and/or to wear long sleeves, pants, and socks when EEE is active locally. For more information on EEE and protective measures to consider, please click here and here.
Motorized Farm Equipment
Only Gaining Ground staff are allowed to operate motorized farm equipment. For your safety, we ask all volunteers to stay away from all equipment and within clear sight of any equipment operators.
Volunteer Behavior:
Gaining Ground’s volunteer sessions are a time to connect with the land, work together as a community, and support our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. To ensure that the farm remains a welcoming and respectful space for everyone, we ask that volunteers refrain from any form of proselytizing, political or religious advocacy, bigotry, or intolerant behavior. Volunteers who do not uphold these standards may be asked to leave the farm.
Cancellations
If you need to cancel, please notify us immediately. Farmers plan the work for a certain number of volunteers, so any changes have an impact.
Smoking
Gaining Ground is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for employees and visitors alike. In alignment with our mission of health and well-being, we are a tobacco and smoke-free workplace. Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the farm.
Most volunteers are scheduled for tasks on Gaining Ground’s main farm property located at 341 Virginia Road, Concord, MA. Occasionally, corporate teams work at our satellite fields at 955 Lexington Road, Concord, MA. Please check with your group leader or email volunteer@gainingground.org to confirm your team’s volunteering location.
From the east, south or north: From I-95, exit onto Rte. 2A west (exit 46B) and follow signs to Hanscom Field. After 1.5 miles, turn right at the blinking light onto Hanscom Drive. After .5 miles, bear left at the fork and through one stop sign. Turn left onto Old Bedford Road that turns into Virginia Road (Do not go straight into Hanscom Airport or right into Hanscom Airbase). Gaining Ground is on the right after 1.5 miles. Just past Thoreau Farm House at 341 Virginia Road, turn into the parking lot for Gaining Ground. Park nose-in (perpendicular, with the small wooden shed on your right) and walk through the gate out to the sign-in station and then gather at the volunteer pavilion.
From the west: Take Rte. 2 east and bear right onto the exit ramp for Rte 2A/Lincoln/Concord just before the overpass. Turn left on Mary’s Way at the light to go under the overpass. Take a right onto Rte 2A (gas station will be on your left). On Rte 2A, go about .6 mile, then take a sharp left onto Old Lexington Road (through Minuteman National Park). After .9 mile, turn right onto Old Bedford Road. After .5 miles, turn right onto Virginia Road. Gaining Ground’s parking lot is on the left after .7 mile, just before Thoreau Farm House at 341 Virginia Road. Turn into the parking lot, park (nose-in, perpendicular to wooden shed on your right) and walk through the gate out to the volunteer sign-in box and then gather at the volunteer pavilion.
Transportation Assistance
We want to ensure that all have access to transportation to the farm. If transportation is a logistical or financial barrier for you, we may be able to offer an Uber voucher to sponsor the trip to and from Concord. Please send an email to volunteer@gainingground.org for more information about our voucher program.
Parking
Parking is limited; please carpool when you can. Gaining Ground’s parking entrance is marked by the green “Gaining Ground” sign on Virginia Road. If you pull into the driveway marked with the Thoreau Birthplace Farm sign, continue around the U-shaped driveway and park just past the sugar house (a wooden shed used for boiling maple sap) on your right. Park nose-in, perpendicular with the shed on your right, and as tightly as possible as our parking space is limited. You may not park in the Thoreau Farm parking lot nor beside the red farm house stone wall. After parking, walk through the large gate to the volunteer pavilion where you will meet the farm team and get started!
Scheduling begins in early February for the farm volunteer sessions running April through late October.
Individual or Family Volunteer Hours (April – late October)
THURSDAY
9:45am–12pm
FRIDAY
9:45am-12pm or 1:00-3:15pm
SATURDAY
9:45am–12pm
Guidelines and Scheduling
For individuals or families (children up to age 15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
After signing up, you will immediately receive a confirmation email.
Please Notify Us If You Have to Cancel
If you must cancel, please use the link in your confirmation email as soon as possible. Contact us at volunteer@gainingground.org if you cannot locate your original confirmation email.
When volunteers don’t arrive on time as scheduled, it’s difficult for our farm staff to plan and execute the day’s work. Kindly arrive promptly for your volunteer session.
Teenagers (14-17 years old)
If you are an individual in high school, please sign up online as an individual and have your parent or guardian sign the digital release form.
If you are younger than high school age, you must be accompanied by an adult during your volunteer visit.
If you’d like to volunteer along with other high school students on a regularbasis during the summer, please see the High School Farm Team page.
Volunteering at Gaining Ground has many benefits for your team.
Strengthen bonds between coworkers and build community in your workplace
Enjoy the fresh air and peaceful beauty of the farm
Learn about sustainable farming through hands-on activities
Make a tangible difference in the health and wellbeing of neighbors experiencing food insecurity
We depend on your generosity to further our mission. Gaining Ground requests donations from corporate and for-profit groups to support this important work and help cover the operational and logistical costs of the volunteer experience.
Donations are requested per session based on group size and are fully tax-deductible.
Please note:This donation is nonrefundable. Your date/session will be considered confirmed once your donation has been received.
Dates fill up quickly. We encourage interested groups to schedule their volunteer day as soon as possible.
Your Group’s Impact
Caring for a community takes a community.
By volunteering at Gaining Ground, you are helping to nourish thousands of neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Your participation helps grow 50+ varieties of healthy, nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, and herbs for people of all ages who do not have enough to eat, in an environmentally sustainable way.
Thank you!
Scheduling begins in early February for corporate volunteer sessions running mid-April through late October.
Volunteer Hours for Corporate Groups (April – late October)
Volunteer dates must be scheduled in advance. Please request your preferred date and time and you will receive a written confirmation within 2-3 business days.
If we cannot accommodate your initial preferences, you will receive an email to reschedule for an alternate session.
Please update us if your group numbers change.
Kindly arrive promptly for your scheduled session. When volunteers don’t arrive as scheduled, it’s difficult for our farm staff to plan and execute the day’s work.
Please Notify Us If You Have to Cancel
If you must cancel, please use the link in your confirmation email to notify us as soon as possible. Email volunteer@gainingground.org for assistance.
Scheduling begins in early February for the farm volunteer sessions running early April through late October.
Volunteer Hours for Group with Children or Group with Special Needs (April–October)
WEDNESDAY
9:45 am–11:30 am
THURSDAY
9:45 am–11:30 am
FRIDAY
9:45 am–11:30 am, 1:00–2:45pm
SATURDAY
9:45 am–11:30 am, 1:00–2:45pm
Guidelines
We offer shorter volunteer sessions for groups with children ages 5-14 or groups with special needs.
We expect a ratio of 1 adult for every 4 – 6 children, depending on age and ability. We expect a higher ratio of adults for special needs groups, depending on abilities and needs.
The maximum group size is 20 people (including adults and children). Contact us to discuss large group options.
Scheduling
As a group leader, please request at least one date and time no less than 7 days in advance. Using our online form, you can also tell us about your group, your preferences and importantly, any special considerations or special needs.
If we cannot accommodate your initial preferences, you will receive an email to reschedule for an alternate session.
Please Notify Us If You Have to Cancel
If you must cancel, please use the link in your confirmation email to notify us as soon as possible. Email volunteer@gainingground.org for assistance.
Please arrive on time! When volunteers don’t arrive as scheduled, it’s difficult for our farm staff to plan and execute the day’s work.
