There are many ways to be a part of our work at Dig In. We believe that everyone has something to give and something to receive.
The best way to learn about our regular and special volunteer opportunities is to join our monthly volunteer newsletter.
Volunteer in the Garden
Work Together Days
Join us in the Dig In gardens where we grow and learn together. During our Work Together Days, volunteers tend the garden, learn new skills, and connect with neighbors and new friends. Every age, ability, and skill level are welcome!
We host Work Together Days that are open to everyone at our garden on Blankenship Creek Road weekly on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings. Sign up below.
Special Work Times
Vegetable Harvesting Crew
In the summer, we harvest, wash, and pack produce weekly for distribution at our Harvest Tables. We meet Tuesdays from 9-12. Opportunities are available to harvest in the field or only wash and pack produce in the shady shed. To learn more or RSVP for this crew, contact krista@diginyancey.org.
Flower Harvesting Crew
Flowers are a huge part of the garden and our mission: our flowers feed the spirit while our produce feeds the body. Join us to weed the flower gardens and harvest bouquets for distribution. Opportunities are available mornings and evenings throughout the week– contact krista@diginyancey.org for more information.
Big Push Crew
Finally, we sometimes find ourselves in need of a few extra hands for large projects that fall outside of our regular volunteer schedules. If you would like to be notified for out of the ordinary or last-minute opportunities like building raised beds, gleaning pears, or preserving produce, join our Come Together volunteer list.
Groups
Does your school, church, business, or community group want to volunteer in a beautiful setting and make a direct impact from your service? We would love to host your group to work and learn in the garden together. Contact us to learn more about opportunities for groups at Dig In!
Kids’ Garden & 4-H Garden Club
In 2025 we started a Kids’ Garden at our Blankenship farm to specifically support children engaging with agriculture. Our executive director Kavita led children through each step of the garden’s establishment, building the fence, making beds, laying mulch, choosing crops, and planting seeds– with lots of child-centered fun along the way!
Dig In is partnering with Cooperative Extension to turn our Kids’ Garden program into a 4-H Gardening Club. The Dig In/4-H Garden Club will meet from 3-5 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, April 22 through the end of October at Dig In’s Blankenship Garden.
We will facilitate the children tending the garden, harvesting, making snacks, and simply enjoying the space. We may also use 4-H curriculum to engage in some more dedicated explorations around bugs, plant parts, or wherever the kids’ curiosity takes us!
All ages are welcome. Registering for 4-H is encouraged but not required. Parents are required to stay if their child is not enrolled in 4H. To enroll in the club, please contact kavita@diginyancey.org.
Community Of Gardens
Our Community Of Gardens program exists to support 6 smaller community gardens in our county. Dig In helps them with gardening advice, tool loaning, and financial support to build their infrastructure. Some of these gardens gather around the mission to share food with those in our community who need it, and others grow food for themselves as a neighborhood. Both strategies support Dig In’s mission of growing food security from the ground up so that everyone in our county may eat well.
Two of the Community of Gardens sites welcome volunteers weekly!
- The Seeds of Hope Community Garden is an extension of the ministry at First Baptist Church to grow food to share with those in need. They have open volunteer days on Tuesday mornings from 10am-12pm at 2003 Avery Street in downtown Burnsville.
- The St. Thomas Episcopal Church Garden is a project of St. Thomas to grow food to give away to neighboring seniors. They usually meet Thursday mornings from 9am-12pm, though they ask that you please RSVP to their coordinator marthatreethomas@gmail.com to confirm that it’s on. All are welcome. They are located at 372 Reservoir Rd. in Burnsville.
Harvest Share
At Harvest Share, we host weekly events during the growing season to share the the best of what we grow to ensure that there is fresh food for all. In partnership with TRACTOR Food and Farms and Reconciliation House, we offer produce and eggs sourced from our gardens, home gardens throughout the county, and over 30 local farms. The food is shared and received without exchanging money.
What happens at Harvest Share is very simple:
- take what you need, and leave enough for your neighbor
- share what you can, there is enough for everybody
We rely on volunteers to help us distribute the food each week, from setting up, assisting participants with their bags, cleaning up, suggesting recipes to accompany the produce, and offering cooking demonstrations. Harvest Share will begin June 2, 2026, and volunteer sign ups will be released a couple weeks prior.
Gardeners and farmers are invited to share the abundance from their fields, as well. If you wish to share what you’ve grown, please be in touch.
Finally, we know how hard it is to grow food! Harvest Share events do not take the place of vegetable stands and farmer’s markets. We encourage everyone, whenever possible, to invest in the hard work of those in our community who grow food for their living.
Community Gatherings
We bring people together in the work and joy of growing, sharing, and eating food. From shelling beans to celebrating summer’s harvest, there’s always a reason to host a party at Dig In! Our annual Empty Bowls Supper in October is a community favorite, especially when we can gather together to share delicious soups, breads, and desserts from local cooks and attendees take home bowls crafted by local potters.
In 2026 we are offering an event series called Resilience in the Garden. These Saturdays include workshops, social events, and work parties that are open to all ages and mostly free of charge. Learn more about Resilience in the Garden here!
Support Dig In!
Everyone has a part to play in growing and sharing from the garden so that everyone has fresh, delicious food in our community. Here are just a few ways you can pitch in:
- Connect: with us in the garden, where we share food with our community, and at our community gatherings.
- Amplify: boost our work by sharing our website, Facebook and Instagram pages, newsletters, and events in your networks.
- Offer: Have extra produce to offer? Or land? Want to join our Community of Gardens? Contact us!
- Donate: financially support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation.
