Volunteering at FARM

If you have general questions about volunteering at the conference itself, please send an email to volunteer@farmfolk.org.

For questions about volunteering throughout the year, or more general questions about FARM, please use the info@farmfolk.org.

FARM is grateful for the generosity of all those who give of their time to make FARM happen!

 

PLEASE READ EVERY TAB BELOW before completing the Volunteer application!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of FARM! We use over 200 hours of volunteer time just during the conference itself, not to mention all the hours people put in planning and leading up to the conference. Volunteers are used from 8 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. on most days of the conference, and they help with almost every event scheduled, in one capacity or another. Truly, without volunteers, FARM couldn’t happen.

There are two levels of volunteering at the conference itself: part-time (total of 4 hours spent volunteering) or full-time (total of 8 hours spent volunteering). The actual shifts vary in length, from 1 to 6 hours, depending on the task. You may be assigned more than one shift in order to reach your total time commitment as a volunteer. For example, a part-time volunteer might have a single 4-hour shift, or two 2-hour shifts, or a 1-hour and a 3-hour shift.

STEP 1. Fill out the application form. This will give us the information we need to contact you, as well as the hours you are available to potentially be scheduled during the conference. The more flexibility you can give us, the easier it is for us to match you to our needs. You can list your top 3 preferences as to tasks (see the list tab for an idea of what they entail), or if you have no preference, let us know that too. Most tasks happen in the area near events, so you won’t be too far from the action.

STEP 2. Within 2 weeks, you’ll receive an acknowledgement that we have your form, and we’ll ask any further questions.  In July-ish we’ll start letting people know they’ve been accepted as a volunteer, and at what level.  We’ll then discuss whether or not you want a discount on your registration in exchange for your time, or if you want to donate your hours. Note – we love you and appreciate your generous time either way!

NOTE: You will get your actual assignment(s) closer to the conference, probably early October, as other pieces need to be in place (Performance Lane, workshops, etc.) in order for us to know who we can use at various times.  If you are a musician, we will work around any showcase performances you line up.

After you are accepted, if you need to withdraw from volunteering altogether, or make changes to your availability, please send that information to volunteer@farmfolk.org, with a subject line of “FARM volunteer changes for [your name here]” to help your email stand out in the queue.

Many people donate their time as true volunteers.  Woot!!  Others volunteer in order to earn a discount on their registration costs.  We love all of you!  In exchange for your volunteer help, we will offer to reduce your registration cost (this requires a code, which is sent after an application is submitted & accepted). A part-time volunteer will earn a $60 credit toward their conference registration fee at the time they register; a full-time volunteer will earn a $120 credit toward their conference registration fee at the time they register.  You don’t have to wait to register, if you want the discount, it is easy for us to generate a refund.

First time volunteers are only eligible to work at the part-time (4 hour) level. More experienced volunteers may apply for either the part-time or full-time (8 hour) level.

We may not be able to accommodate all requests to volunteer. There are a very limited number of full-time spots available during the conference, with a greater number of part-time slots to be filled. Sometimes a person’s availability and preferences preclude our being able to use them as a volunteer, since our needs are quite time and task specific.

List of Volunteer Tasks

(these are the major ones; others may arise)

  1. Prep/set up (only available on Wednesday evening and Thurs morning, very limited availability): immediately prior to the conference, help with any and all tasks related to set up, including putting out signage, stuffing tote bags, preparing name badges, setting up the registration and merch areas, setting up instrument check, hanging banners, etc.
  2. Registration (prior experience strongly preferred): staff the registration/merchandise tables; check-in pre-registered and walk-in attendees; sell Taste of FARM tickets; sell merchandise; answer questions; be the welcoming face of FARM. This position requires some additional training (which may include reading procedures in advance of the conference and an on-site meeting).
  3. CD sales: during the evening Official and DJ Showcases on Thurs/Fri/Sat, staffing the CD table where the performers will have merchandise for sale. This position required some additional training on-site.
  4. Instrument check: staff the table in the instrument check room, where people can leave their instruments and/or gear during the conference. This room is only unlocked when there is a volunteer to monitor it.
  5. Workshop host: sit at the door of the workshop room; pass out any handouts the presenter has; keep a rough tally of attendance; hand out evaluation forms to everyone who comes; let moderators know when time is almost up, support any videography happening in the room.
  6. Door monitor: check credentials to be sure that only registered folks are at whatever event is occurring in this space (meals, special events, etc.). Direct people without credentials to the registration area to get credentials for the conference.
  7. Greenroom/stage gofer: monitor the green room during the evening performances, watching over the belongings/instruments of performers; assist the sound folks as asked, and assist in corralling performers.
  8. Hall monitor (for Private Showcase floor and Performance Lane): keep an ear on the noise level, and shush people as necessary; as the end of the private showcase time nears, remind people that music must stop in that area of the hotel soon; direct them to the all night jamming areas that are available elsewhere in the hotel if they want to continue playing.  NOTE!  The Private Showcase monitor job is LATE NIGHT.  10pm to 2:30 am.
  9. Clean up (only available on Sunday, very limited availability): help to take down banners, box up supplies, collect various recycling; be generally helpful to Conference Director and her agents as we clean up the place
  10. Info Table.  This is an assignment for people that have been to several, or many, FARM conferences, and know their way around.  People come to YOU to solve problems, find people, find rooms, sign in for volunteer assignments, etc.  It’s FUN (you get to talk to everyone) but challenging and requires a fairly deep knowledge of the workings of the conference.

Please contact us (info@farmfolk.org) if you have skills you believe might be helpful to our organization.

The more of us who put our energy and ideas into the organization, the more useful FARM will be to folk music and dance in the Midwest and those of us that perform and manage. Much of the organizational process of FARM is accomplished over the internet between the Annual FARM Conferences.

We also have a great need for help with our Virtual Connections team.  Tasks are varied, and generally easy (or easy to learn).

If you can you answer these questions, it will help us immensely.  Just email us with the answers at info@Farmfolk.org:

Is there a venue in your area that should know about Folk Alliance and FARM?

Is there a conference hotel in your area that would be a good location for a future gathering?

Would you like to help plan future Gatherings?

Is there a workshop you would love to see?

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