Volunteer for the Crafton Hills Iris Farm Move
On Saturday August 16, 2025, we’re packing up our rhizomes to embark on an exciting new chapter for Crafton Hills Iris Farm—and we’d love for you to be part of it! We’re moving our cherished iris farm to a new location in Gardnerville, NV to expand our hybridizing program and to ensure these beautiful blooms continue to thrive. We would love the support of enthusiastic volunteers to make it all happen.
Why Your Help Matters
Relocating an iris farm is no small task. It’s a hands-on process of love and care, requiring the effort and dedication of many helping hands. This is a wonderful opportunity to support a good cause, learn something new, and connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts.
How You Can Help
We’ve got a variety of tasks and roles available, so there’s something for everyone. Here’s how you can pitch in on the big day!
- Dividers: Get hands-on by dividing iris rhizomes, sorting and bagging them for their new home. Perfect for anyone who enjoys detailed tasks and a little physical activity.
- Trackers: Help organize and maintain inventory. A great role if you have an eye for details and enjoy keeping things in order.
- Washers: Get the irises ready by cleaning them up with a hose. A fun, hands-on role for those who don’t mind getting a bit wet.
- Bucket Brigade: Facilitate the flow of prepared irises through rinse stations. Ideal for those with energy to spare and a love for teamwork!
The tasks range from delicate work to more physically active roles, so you can choose the activity that suits you best.
Volunteer Perks
We deeply appreciate our volunteers and want to make sure your efforts are rewarded. Here’s what you’ll enjoy when you join us on this meaningful day:
- $100 Compensation for the full day OR the opportunity to take home extra iris rhizomes for your own garden 🌷.
- A complimentary boxed lunch for full day workers and plenty of snacks and bottled water to keep you energized.
- A unique opportunity to learn more about irises, spend time outdoors in mid-August, and be part of a wonderful community effort.
Details
No matter your skill or comfort level, we have a task for you! Here’s what we need help with, and if you can help for only part of the day, let us know—we’ll do our best to match you to a time slot!
Dividers (As many as we can get!):
- Divide pre-dug irises into clumps, remove dirt, record counts, and interpret tag notations
- Must be able to stand on cement and lift bags of rhizomes
- Full Shift: Training: 7:45 AM | Shift: 8 AM – 3 PM (lunch provided)
- Partial Shift: Training on the job | Shift TBD
Tracker (1 needed):
- Track inventory, record clumps, assist with tag interpretation, and move bags of rhizomes
- Must be able to stand and lift bags of rhizomes
- Full Shift: Training: 7:30 AM | Shift: 8 AM – 4:30 PM (lunch provided)
- Partial Shift: Training on the job | Shift TBD
Washers (1–2 needed):
- Hose and clean rhizomes, lift bags of rhizomes, and stand outside with no specific shade
- Bring a hat, sunglasses. Waterproof gloves/boots helpful.
- Full Shift: Training: 9:00 AM | Shift: 9:15 AM – 4 PM (lunch provided)
- Partial Shift: Training on the job | Shift TBD
Bucket Brigade (2–3 needed):
- Move bags through timed bleach and rinse stations, sort by color
- Work with water/bleach (may get wet), stand and bend over tubs
- Bring hat, sunglasses. Gloves waterproof boots, and a timer helpful.
- Full Shift Training: 9:30 AM | Shift: 9:45 AM – 4:45 PM (lunch provided)
- Partial Shift: Training on the job | Shift TBD
How You Can Sign Up
Ready to get involved?
Email us at craftonhillsirisfarm@gmail.com and let us know which job you’d like to sign up for and your availability. We’ll respond with more detailed info!
We are so grateful for your support as we embark on this exciting transition.
Thank you, and we hope to see you on August 16th!
