Volunteers and Farm Visits
Want to come volunteer? Have questions about bringing your school group? We welcome both volunteers and visitors to our farm in Edmonston.
Volunteering With Us
The best way to get involved and learn about what we are doing is to volunteer with us.
Farm Volunteer Hours: Come spend half a day and help out while we collectively plant, compost, and grow healthy food at our farm. Tasks vary based on the season.
- We have open volunteer hours on the 1st and 3rd Saturday March through November (we are closed December through February). Hours are from 9:00am to 12:30. We encourage all interested in volunteering with us to join us at these times. Please check our volunteer news box on the front page for any schedule changes.
- Folks can come to our farm during these hours and be assured that a staff will be on-site to work with them. You do not need to let us know you are coming unless you are a group of 3 or more people.
- All ages and abilities are welcome, everyone will be able to work at their own pace.
- We will work straight through the time shift, so we ask that all volunteers arrive by 9am and plan to stay until 12:30.
- This is farm work, so please wear clothes that are both comfortable and can get dirty; bring water and a snack, if desired.
- A tour of the farm begins at 12:30 on Saturdays if volunteers are interested in staying.
- We recommend that new volunteers, groups (3 or more individuals), and organizations e-mail us before they come.
- For more information, read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@ecocityfarms.org.
Additional Volunteers Needed: Not a farmer and want to volunteer? Consider volunteering at our office at 6010 Taylor Road in Riverdale, MD 20737. Please contact us about other ways you might help ECO to publicize our activities, secure needed supplies, raise funds, organize events and conferences, and other “indoor” work! Contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@ecocityfarms.org
Farm Visits and Tours
We welcome visitors to our farm to learn more about what we do. There are two ways you can visit the farm:
- Weekly tour: Join us at 12:30 on the first and third Saturdays of the month for one hour farm tour. You do not have to let us know you are coming unless you are a group of 3 or more.
- Pre-arranged group tour: If you are a group of three or more, or a school or civic group, you can arrange for a group farm tour at another time. Please contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@ecocityfarms.org to arrange a scheduled visit. ECO City Farms charges a fee for these large group tours, with the exception of groups from the Port Towns communities.
- Read more information about our tours in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
- Additional team events or work projects may be scheduled, based on ECO’s farm schedule and programming needs and staff availability. Please contact us for further information.
DIRECTIONS:
Our address is: 4913 Crittenden Street, Edmonston, MD 20781.
From NW or NE of the District: Take Rhode Island Avenue East through the District into Maryland (where it becomes Route 1 or Baltimore Avenue). Follow along Rhode Island Avenue through the communities of Mount Rainier, Brentwood and North Brentwood into Hyattsville. Just past “Franklin’s Brewery” (with neon sign) on the right is a turn to a bridge to Alt Route 1. Make that right turn onto the bridge, going up and over some railroad tracks. At the first traffic light, make a left onto Decatur Street. The road will cross a railroad track then dip down. Continue straight on Decatur Street, until you cross a bridge with art work on it. Immediately after the bridge, make a right onto 51st Avenue. Make another right onto Crittenden Street and go to the parking lot at the end of the street. You will see the farm, behind the former tennis courts.
From SE or SW of the District: Take I-295 to DC-295. Take the exit toward US-50 W/New York Avenue. Continue onto MD-201 (Kenilworth Avenue). Turn left onto Decatur Street. Make a left onto 51st Avenue. Make a right onto Crittenden Street and go to the parking lot at the end of the Street. You will see the farm, behind the former tennis courts.
From I-495: Take Exit 23 for MD 201 South (Kenilworth Avenue). Turn right onto Decatur Street. Make a left onto 51st Avenue. Make a right onto Crittenden and go to the parking lot at the end of the Street. You will see the farm, behind the former tennis courts.
Warning: Mapquest is inaccurate, and Crittenden does not intersect with Kenilworth Ave. From Kenilworth Avenue, N or S, you need to enter our neighborhood via Decatur Street to the north or Buchanan Street to the south. Either way, turn on 51 Avenue (R turn from Decatur/ Left from Buchanan) onto Crittenden Street.
