Historic Garden Volunteer

Come join our team at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site! We preserve the legacy of the poet and Lincoln biographer, Carl Sandburg as well as the property and dairy goat farm, Connemara, on which he and his family thrived. We are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic gardeners ready to dig into all aspects of maintaining our historic seasonal vegetable garden, from preparing the site for planting, planting seedlings and direct sowing seeds, watering, weeding, harvesting produce and winterizing the garden beds and tools. The plantings include varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers typical to the late 1950’s to mid-1960’s.

Work may include, walking short distances, frequent bending and reaching, lifting up to 25 pounds and use of typical tools such as rakes, shovels, hand shears and wheelbarrows. Exposure to ambient weather conditions is to be expected from chilly mornings to sunny, humid afternoons. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided.

The garden is located in one of the most heavily visited and scenic districts in the park, across from the goat barn and the main access to our trail system. Garden volunteers will interact with visitors and provide answers to a myriad of questions. After initial training and orientation, gardeners will be expected to work independently with limited supervision. Coordination with fellow gardeners for weekly scheduling will be necessary. A time commitment of at least four hours per week would be appreciated but not strictly adhered to.