When you think about volunteering at JFS Altius Farms, do visions of being outside, working in the dirt, and leisurely checking the plants come to mind? If so, you’d be wrong. Let us explain. 

At JFS Altius Farms, we grow more than 35,000 pounds of fresh produce yearly in our 7,300 sq. ft. rooftop greenhouse, which houses 345 Tower Gardens™. So, let’s go back to the first sentence, and replace: 

• “Being outside” with “in our greenhouse.” 

• “Working in the dirt” with “working with aeroponic farming growing towers.” 

• “Leisurely checking plants” with “actively assisting staff with seeding, transplanting, and general cleaning activities.” 

Once tweaked, the sentence reads, “When you think about volunteering at JFS Altius Farms, do visions of being in a greenhouse, working with aeroponic farming growing towers, and actively assisting staff with seeding, transplanting, and general cleaning activities come to mind?” And if that sounds intriguing, we have just the opportunity for you! 

What you bring to the table, . . . err, farm: 

• You’re over 18. 

• You approach the opportunity with energy, hard work, and enthusiasm. 

• You like to exercise your muscles with long periods of standing, bending, reaching, and periodic lifting and your brain when weighing packaging on a scale and using math. 

• You love being in a fast-paced environment with some distractions. 

• You don’t mind working in temperatures ranging from 50 to 90+ degrees, depending on the season. 

• You can commit to volunteering weekly or every other week on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday from 9 a.m. to noon or noon to 3 p.m. 

Benefits and perks: 

• On-the-job training that includes food safety compliance and general training on plant and tower health. 

• Learning from a committed, professional, and collaborative Operations team. 

• If you’re lucky (based on harvest and timing), you’ll take home leafy greens. 

• Ending each shift knowing you’re helping to provide healthy, locally and sustainably grown chemical pesticide-free produce for restaurants, local grocers, the community, and the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry for our clients. 

“I volunteer not only because I believe in lifelong learning, and I find tower gardens fascinating, but also because working at JFS Altius Farms puts me in a very Zen state of mind when many other parts of my life feel chaotic! I also fully support the mission of JFS to care for our global community, and food security is among the most critical issues many in our community face. I am proud to be a small part of the effort to address this critical issue,” shared Dana, one of our JFS Altius Farms volunteers. 

Join Dana and the remarkable JFS Altius Farms crew and make a difference in our community. Learn more and sign up.