Sign up is open for Spring 2026 Work Trade
Sign up now!
Shifts are open from March 30th - April 21st! Here's how to join the program.
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Learn about Spring Work Trade roles and compensation below
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​Enter your name on our sign up sheet
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Tell us your contact info on our registration form. The form will give you a link to where you can choose the tubers you'll take home with you
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Place your order for tubers at this link (you'll get the password when you fill out the registration form)
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Join us for your shift at the farm, have fun, work hard, learn lots - and take home your tubers!
How to sign up for a shift
and claim your tubers
Trade your time for tubers while you learn about the world's most beautiful hobby
We have our roots as a community garden and teaching farm, and for years we've been hosting workshops and events that give our local dahlia lovers a chance to drop into the adventure of the farm for a few hours at a time.
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We have three work trade programs throughout the season: fulfillment, planting, and harvest.
Participants have a blast and make new friends while learning all about what goes into caring for these unique plants. And of course, everyone gets to take home tubers for your own gardens!​
How it works
Whether you're joining us for fulfillment, planting or harvest, here's the process.
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Join the interest list
We finalize details and release shift sign ups a month or two ahead of the program. Please drop us your email below to be notified when sign-ups are open!
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Sign up for a shift
When sign-ups are open, we'll send you an email with a link to claim your shifts and (if applicable) place your pre-order for the dahlia tubers you'll take home as your compensation.​
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Join us at the farm
We train everyone together at the start of your shift, then we spend the day working together. Bring your dahlia questions so you can pick our brains about all things dahlias, and don't forget to pack a lunch if you're staying all day.
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Get tubers!
Compensation rates vary depending on the point in the season you're joining us for, so please check each section (fulfillment, planting or harvest) to see how many tubers you'll take home after your shift :)
The Work Trade Contract
Us, you, & 2,000 gardeners
​While it is lots of fun, our Work-Trade Program is not a free community event.
It is an exchange of our valuable skills training, our farm products, and our expert knowledge for your valuable time, attention to detail, and good faith effort -- all in the service of our customers around the country.
Our promise to you
We promise to give you top quality tubers, hands on skills practice, and quality education.
Your promise to us
In return, we ask for your best efforts, timeliness, and concern for our customers.
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Our commitment to our customers
We will only get to work together because of our wonderful customers! Over 2,000 people trust us each year by allowing us to be a part of their flower garden, which is something very precious to them. In order to honor that trust, we must uphold the highest quality standards.
You are a valuable part of our farm business
Whether for one shift or ten, you will become a valuable part of of our farm business. Provided the pace and quality of your work is good, you can work as many shifts with us as you like, until the process is finished.
We may ask you to switch roles
However, if your skills or motivation are not a good fit for a particular role, we will politely ask you to switch roles, not to return in a particular role, or not to return at all if there is no suitable role available.
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We have had to redirect some people to a task more suited to their ability and interest. If this happens to you, don't worry, we don't hate you, and we still want to enjoy the day working together.
While we're all having fun, we must do what's best for everyone, but most especially our customers.
Sign up now for Fulfillment Work Trade
March 30th - April 22 2026
How to Sign up for Spring Work Trade
Sign up is open for fulfillment shifts from March 30th - April 21st! Here's how to join the program.
​​
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Learn about Spring Work Trade Roles and compensation below
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​Enter your name on our sign up sheet
-
Tell us your contact info on our registration form. The form will give you a link to where you can choose the tubers you'll take home with you
-
Place your order for tubers at this link (you'll get the password when you fill out the registration form)
-
Join us for your shift at the farm, have fun, work hard, learn lots - and take home your tubers!
​
Compensation
8 tubers per 3.5 hour shift. Click here to see what varieties are available as work trade compensation this season.
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Roles
Participants can sign up to help with two general tasks:
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Checking dahlia tubers
We go through our entire stock to see if each individual tuber has three things: A healthy body, an intact neck, and a swollen eye or a sprout.
​This is a sit-down job. If you've got good eyesight (with glasses is fine) and you know your way around a dahlia tuber, come hang out with the crew as we do our quality control together!
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Picking and packing customer orders
Pick out the tubers we'll be sending to our customers! You'll get an order form and go shopping in our shipping room for each customer.
You'll need to pay close attention to detail to make sure you are choosing the right tubers for each order. You'll be indoors in a cool environment, so please bring layered clothing and comfortable shoes, since you'll also be on your feet for your entire shift.
Help us plant 10,000 dahlias!
We'll be planting our field in two days with the help of a team of fellow dahlia lovers - maybe you! You're welcome to sign up for one shift, or several.
The email for shift sign ups will go out in early-mid April. Please join our work trade interest list to be notified :)
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Saturday, May 16, 2026
(Planting in our ground cover mats)
Morning shift: 9.00-12:30
Afternoon shift: 1:30-5:00
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Tuesday, May 18th, 2026
(Planting in our trenched field)
Morning shift: 9.00-12:30
Afternoon shift: 1:30-5:00
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Work Trade Participant Roles
Folks will be under the direction of a manager planting dahlia tubers in our ground cover mats (see photos) or in our trenches. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about all things dahlias while we work together.
This is a fun process, but it is a strenuous one. Your shift will involve being in full sun, bending, and working on hands and knees for several hours. If that doesn't sound like something you're interested in, please pass on this event! We'll have less strenuous work trade opportunities again in the Fall.
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​​Compensation
Planting shifts get to take home a box of 10 pre-sprouted tubers to plant in your own gardens! Specific varieties are determined by our available stock in early May.
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This event is weather dependent
Conditions must be just right for successful planting. If we get rained out, we'll let you know via text and email if we have to reschedule.
Harvest
(Fall 2026)
Bring in the tuber harvest
Other than the height of cut flower season, the harvest is always one of the most exciting times at our farm.
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Participants have a great time learning about the different stages of the harvest process, from field prep, digging, washing, dividing, and stamping. And of course, you'll take home lots of tubers for your own gardens!​
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2026 Harvest Work Trade: Dates TBA - Early November
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Roles
DIGGERS: Digging clumps in the field
WASHERS: Washing clumps
DIVIDERS: Dividing clumps (by application only)***
STAMPERS: Stamping tubers
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Words from past participants
"Thank you SO much for this garden changing opportunity!! I legit cannot tell you how excited I am, how much I learned working on your farm, and how much joy it’s already brought me. I really appreciate all your time, kindness, and knowledge sharing!"
Jamie S, 2024
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"It was so much fun being around your family and learning so much!"
Jennifer T, 2024
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"It was a great experience for me as well 😎"
Ken B, 2024
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"My sister and I so enjoyed our time at the farm and will be back definitely! Thank you so much!"
Jennifer B, 2024
