Where You’ll Be:
You’ll be volunteering at the Village Farm at Stanley, an urban farm located next to Stanley Marketplace in northwest Aurora. This 1.5-acre farm is run by Village Exchange Center, a community-based nonprofit that supports and trains people from many cultural backgrounds.
The farm is both a working food production space and a learning environment. It is designed to grow culturally significant foods that reflect the traditions and needs of the families the Village Exchange Center serves.
What You’ll Do:
Support the farm get off to a successful growing season! Volunteers will help with some of the following projects:
- Establishing new in-ground beds,
- Building raised beds and planting a hedge row (a row of trees or shrubs that will form a living border/fence),
- Establishing bed infrastructure such as irrigation and trellises,
- Cutting down cover crop (a crop used to hold down and add nutrients to the soil between growing seasons),
- Planting seeds and seedlings.
This work helps lay the foundation for everything the farm will produce and teach in the months ahead.
Why It Matters:
About half of the food grown at the Village Farm is shared through the Village Exchange Center’s weekly food pantry, located just a few minutes away. This fresh produce supports community members experiencing food insecurity who may not otherwise have access to culturally familiar foods.
The farm also plays a key role in the Village Exchange Center’s vocational training program. Each growing season, participants learn hands-on horticulture skills that can support future job opportunities and long-term food access.
The seedlings planted during this project have been intentionally selected to reflect the cultural backgrounds of the families who will receive the harvest.
Eligibility Requirements:
Ages 15+
Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.
Project Difficulty:
This project is considered easy. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.
General physical considerations for participating in this project (Some or all may apply): kneeling, bending, working close to the ground for extended periods, lifting or carrying soil, mulch, or plants, and exposure to insects (bees, wasps).
Access Factors:
Vehicle Access: Street and lot parking is available. Volunteers will need to walk approximately 1/4 mile from their parking to the farm entrance. Volunteers can also bike along the regional trail to get there!
Other Notes: The worksite is exposed and most days gets very sunny.
