Trade Your Time for Dahlias
Sign up now for Fall Work Trade
Hop on a crew today
Sign ups for Harvest Work Trade are open now! Shifts for Fall Shipping Work Trade will open soon.
Click the links below to learn more and join a crew:
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Harvest Work Trade. (October 14th - October 30th, 2026)
Trade your time for dahlias 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.
We have four work trade programs throughout the season: fulfillment, planting, cut flowers, 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 or dahlias, depending on the season!
How it works
Whether you're joining us for fulfillment, planting, cut flowers, or harvest, here's the process.
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!
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.
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.
Get tubers or dahlias!
Compensation rates vary depending on the point in the season you're joining us for, so please check each section (fulfillment, planting, cut flowers or harvest) to see what is available for you to 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.
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.
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.
Join the Interest List
Fulfillment Work Trade
Fall 2026 & Spring 2027
How to Sign up for Fulfillment Work Trade
Sign up on the interest list for updates about the upcoming fulfillment work trade!
Compensation
Participants will trade their time for tubers!
Roles
Participants can sign up to help with two general tasks:
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!
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.
Planting the Field
Help us plant our field of dahlias!
We plant our field in a few days with the help of a team of fellow dahlia lovers - maybe you! You're welcome to sign up for one shift, or several.
Date TBA: May 2027
Work Trade Participant Roles
Folks will be under the direction of a manager planting dahlia tubers in our fields. 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.
Compensation
You'll receive tubers from some of our most prolific varities in exchange for your help. Exact details TBA.
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.
Field Care Work Trade
Weeding day is August 29th
Our last big group weeding day is August 29th this year. Join us for an evening in our fields, then take home fresh flowers for your labors.
Group weeding day
August 29th, 9:00 - 10:30 am
Work Trade Participant Roles
We'll be hand weeding our dahlias together. Bring your favorite pair of knee pads, gloves, and if you have one, any favorite weeding tool you like to use (make sure it's got your name on it!)
Compensation
When we're done weeding, we'll show you how to properly harvest flowers, and you'll get to cut two bouquets of your favorite blooms to take home with you and enjoy all week.
Cut Flowers Work Trade
Help us cut flowers!
Help cut dahlias and zinnias to stock our famous flower stands!
If you can commit to at least four shifts, attend the group training day, and demonstrate proper cutting technique after training - you are welcome to join the program.
Program dates
August 15th thru October 3rd, 2026
Required training day
Saturday, August 15th
8:00-9:30 am
Work Trade Participant Roles
Participants commit to cutting dahlias and zinnias to stock one flower stand per shift (about 18 bouquets), in exchange for two bouquets to take home with you.
You'll be signed up to have flowers ready in the cool room of our barn by 8:30 am on a specific day, but you can harvest the morning of that day, or the evening before, whichever you prefer.
Each shift should take no more than 60 to 90 minutes, though you're welcome to hang out longer, as long as the bouquets are ready by 8:30 am. No delivery to the stands or driving is required (except to get here!).
After training day, you'll be working unsupervised. At the moment, we are signing up just one person per shift this summer, but that may change as we get more flower stand locations set up.
Compensation
You'll get to take home two bouquets of fresh cut flowers every shift!
Dahlia Tuber Harvest
Oct. 14th-30th, 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.
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 tubers for your own gardens!
2026 Harvest Work Trade: October 14th - 30th, 2026
General Roles
FIELD CLEAN UP: Cut down plants and prep for digging
LABELMAKERS: Write out labels that will be used to tag crates
DIGGERS: Digging clumps in the field
WASHERS: Washing clumps
STAMPERS: Stamping tubers
Specialty roles
DIVIDERS: Dividing clumps ***
Compensation
GENERAL SHIFTS: Box of 10 tubers of our choice, in 10 different varieties ($130 value)
DIVIDERS: $100 voucher to use on this selection of 110 varieties in our store
How to sign up for general shifts
Click here to enter your name on an open shift.
Then, fill out our contact form so we can notify you about rain dates or any other changes to the schedule.
How to sign up for dividing shifts
*** Dividers: This is a skilled position, so folks will need to pass a brief skills demonstration to participate as a divider. If you're confident in your skills, we'd love to have you join the dividing crew!
Here's how it works:
1.Sign up for a shift at this link.
2. Arrive at the farm the day of your shift.
3A- If you pass the skills test, you'll join the rest of the crew dividing clumps, and we'll give you a $100 voucher at the end of your shift.
3B - if dividing isn't for you, that doesn't mean we don't like you!! You're welcome to stay and help us wash clumps, stamp tubers, or count tubers, whatever we most need that day, and you'll get to take home 10 tubers of our choice.
Flexible, paid employment opportunities are also available for skilled dividers who can commit at least 21 hours during the week of October 19th - 24th. Please reach out to contact@sunsetviewfarm.com if interested.
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
"It was so much fun being around your family and learning so much!"
Jennifer T, 2024
"It was a great experience for me as well 😎"
Ken B, 2024
"My sister and I so enjoyed our time at the farm and will be back definitely! Thank you so much!"
Jennifer B, 2024
