Time out of the office in a FareShare kitchen garden is a fantastic investment in culture, relationships and team-building.

Book a corporate volunteering session today

For information and bookings about corporate volunteering in the kitchen garden, please contact Rosemary Kelly at rosemary.kelly@fareshare.net.au or ring 03 9428 0044.

Help us grow food with your colleagues or clients

FareShare offers a unique and meaningful corporate volunteering experience for businesses and other organisations wanting to spend time together making a difference in an outdoor environment.

Twice a month we offer corporate volunteering opportunities at our Abbotsford kitchen garden where we grow nutritious vegetables for our kitchen.

Under the instruction of our garden manager, volunteers will engage in a variety of tasks such as weeding, mulching, fertilizing, harvesting, composting, propagating and pest management.

Our garden shifts are on every Friday morning from 9am to 12pm, ideally for a group of 12. 

Garden volunteers need to be physically active and mobile to complete a range of gardening activities. They also need to cope with the vagaries of our weather although if temperatures are forecast to exceed 34 degrees or when there is a 70 per cent chance of rain, we cancel shifts. 

After three hours in the kitchen garden, volunteers feel more connected and experience a sense of achievement knowing they have helped grow food for people in need. They may also pick up some useful  gardening tips to take home.

Frequently Asked Questions

The FareShare kitchen garden offers a unique opportunity for employees to interact with each other in a convenient, outdoor location. It can also be a great way to build relationships with clients. No special skills are required. This is a rewarding experience for anyone prepared to roll up their sleeves and participate.
Each group of around 12 corporate volunteers will finish their shift having engaged in a range of gardening tasks directly related to growing vegetables for people in need. Everything grown and harvested in the garden is taken to our kitchen to be cooked into nutritious meals.
Teams undertake a variety of gardening activities which may include weeding, mulching, planting, fertilizing, harvesting, propagation, and pest management.
Volunteering in the FareShare kitchen garden is an all-weather activity. However, we will take into consideration the weather forecast before a shift is confirmed.
Shifts run for three hours including a short tea break.
Our garden shifts operate from 9am-12pm on Friday mornings.
Ideally each crew will consist of 12. However, if you have a smaller or larger group, please contact us and we will try to accommodate you.
Our Abbotsford kitchen garden is conveniently located on Lulie St between Victoria Park railway station and oval.
We recommend public transport wherever possible. The garden is directly adjacent to Victoria Park railway station.
There is four-hour car parking on Lulie Street although spaces can’t be guaranteed.
The financial contribution for a morning experience in the kitchen garden is $750 (plus GST).
FareShare does on occasion accept in kind payment for corporate shifts, usually in the form of food, other goods or services, or the provision of skilled volunteers and general expertise. If you feel your organisation has something to offer in this respect, please let us know.
If you have to cancel your shift within 3 weeks of your booking date, we apply a 50% cancellation fee. The reason for this is that it is hard to find another group to take your booking at short notice, and we will therefore drop production if you are unable to come in and support us on the date you booked.
Sun hat – for all year UV protection – and sunscreen. Sturdy, flat covered footwear such as work boots, gumboots or tough runners. A water bottle. FareShare can supply gardening gloves which are recommended for protection.
All activities are led by our horticultural supervisor.
Our garden shifts are usually booked out a couple of months in advance. It is best to book early to secure your preferred dates.

Book a corporate volunteering session today

For information and bookings about corporate volunteering in the kitchen garden, please contact Rosemary Kelly at rosemary.kelly@fareshare.net.au or ring 03 9428 0044.