The Veggie Co-op is a volunteer-run program managed by the Pierce Conservation District (PCD) through its program Harvest Pierce County that coordinates individuals to come together as a community to grow food on a farm scale on land provided by the Franklin Pierce School District on E 96th and Waller Road in Tacoma, WA. Volunteers attend weekly work parties where they work, grow, and learn as a group, instead of stewarding rows individually as typical in most community gardens. The produce is divided 50/50 among emergency food sites and volunteers. Veggie Co-op is a free program and is open to all participants.
Volunteers ages 15 and under should be accompanied by a parent. The minimum requirement is 3 hours per week. Work parties are 3 hours long and offered several times a week. Typically the work parties happen in the morning hours to avoid working the hottest part of the day. Contact the Program Coordinator for the current work party times. Veggie Co-op runs from February-November annually, and volunteers are expected to commit to the season but are welcome to take up to 5 weeks off. Volunteer groups are allowed, but request no more than 15 per group. The registration period for Veggie Co-op is December 15th through January 31st, and then there will be volunteer orientations in February. Once someone registers they will be contacted about the dates of these orientation sessions if they would like to attend weekly work parties. If a group would like to volunteer with us for a one off event, then they will be trained by staff on site. More information: http://piercecd.org/276/Veggie-Co-op
