Volunteer Positions

Duties 

Actors 

Step into the past and help bring Dudley Farm’s history to life through acting and reenactment. Volunteers in period clothing portray daily life on an 1800s Florida farm, demonstrate traditional activities, and perform scripted scenes for visitors. Whether you are an experienced actor or simply eager to try something new, we invite you to become a farm participant, take on a historic role, and help visitors experience the stories, work, and community spirit of the 1800s.

Farmhouse Flower Garden

The flower garden in front of the farmhouse features roses, camellias, lilies, and other plants whose history at Dudley Farm reaches back more than 100 years. We invite volunteers of all experience levels to help weed, prune, water, plant, and care for this treasured landscape. By lending your time and willing hands, you can help preserve the garden’s heritage and keep it beautiful for visitors and future generations.

Commissary Clerk 

We are looking for friendly volunteers to serve as Commissary workers. This is a wonderful way to welcome visitors, share information about Dudley Farm, assist with sales, and help support the handmade goods and local products offered in the shop. If you can volunteer for a 4-hour shift one day a week, Wednesday through Sunday, we would be grateful for your help. Please consider joining our Commissary team and becoming part of the warm welcome every visitor receives at Dudley Farm.

Farm Maintenance 

There is always something to repair, build, clean, or maintain at Dudley Farm, especially with 18 historic buildings that are more than 100 years old. We invite volunteers with skills in carpentry, painting, masonry, electrical work, plumbing, landscaping, cleaning, or general maintenance to lend a hand. Whether you are a skilled tradesperson or an experienced do-it-yourselfer, your time and talents can help preserve the farm and keep it safe and welcoming for future generations.

Vegetable Gardening 

The family kitchen garden was a vital part of life on an 1800s Florida farm. Using heritage seeds and traditional growing methods, Dudley Farm helps visitors discover how families planted, tended, harvested, and saved seed in Florida’s challenging climate. If you enjoy gardening, have knowledge to share, or simply have a strong back and willing hands, we invite you to help keep this living history garden growing.

Musicians 

Music was an important part of the feeling of farm life in the 1800s. Long before radio or recorded music, families and neighbors gathered to play instruments, sing, dance, and enjoy one another’s company. The sound of music helped make work lighter, celebrations brighter, and community life stronger. Help us recreate that feeling at Dudley Farm by sharing old-time music and song with our visitors. If you play an instrument, sing, or would like to join with other musicians, we invite you to be part of bringing the joy and spirit of music back to the farm.

Docent 

You will get involved and learn more about life on the farm by becoming a docent at Dudley Farm. Docents are among our most important volunteers because they welcome visitors, share the story of the Dudley family, and help bring the farm’s history and early pioneer living to life. Training is provided in the history of the family, the farm, the park, and traditional skills. These volunteers guide school age children as well as others on tours as well as host station stops during special events.  

Crafts & Domestic Skills 

Do you have a skill, craft, or hobby you would like to share with others? Or would you like to learn a heritage domestic skill used in the 1800s? We invite you to join us—teach what you know, discover something new, and help keep these traditions alive for future generations.  A group of avid volunteers meet most Wednesdays in the Visitor's Center from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to carry on traditional crafts and skills.

Publicity

We are seeking an enthusiastic volunteer to help actively promote Dudley Farm and share the park’s special character with the wider community. This person would publicize events and attractions through social media, flyers, newspapers, community calendars, and other outreach opportunities. If you enjoy communication, marketing, or connecting people with meaningful places, we invite you to help more visitors discover all that Dudley Farm has to offer. 

Journal writer/photographer

The Dudley Farm Journal is published every other month, and we need volunteer writers and photographers to help capture the many stories, events, people, and projects that make the farm special. If you enjoy writing, interviewing, or photography, we invite you to submit articles and pictures for consideration. Your contributions can help preserve the farm’s story, celebrate its community, and share moments that might otherwise go unrecorded.