SEASONAL FARM CREW
We are looking to fill one part time position (3-4 days a week, 24-30 hours)
We are also looking to fill one full time position (5 days a week, 40 hours)
There will be some seasonal variation in our work day, but we typically start at 8 and shift to 7-7:30 in summer to beat the heat; end times will adjust based on starting time; we work standard 8 hour days with a half hour lunch.
This is a seasonal position, beginning in early April & ending in late November
$16/hour DOE
Veggies galore
ABOUT YOU
Our ideal candidate is looking to work on a small-scale vegetable farm with an eye toward farming as a career or potential career. We are looking for serious and passionate people who want to learn by getting their hands dirty in the field with a team of fellow farmers. The ideal candidate is passionate about growing amazing food, working hard, and finding meaning and enjoyment while doing it. You must be in good physical health, have grit, and be willing and able to work full days on your feet while using your body. Farming is extremely physical work that we do in all weathers–be it sun, heat, rain, or cold. Repetitive tasks cannot drive you crazy. To be successful on our farm, you must work quickly and efficiently, be detail oriented, communicate well, and take pride in providing quality local food to the community. You must be able to listen, follow directions, learn, & receive and apply feedback. We want our team to see the beauty and importance of the work we are doing, and also be able to approach the hard parts with a sense of humor. Farming is never easy, but it is frequently fun, often beautiful, and always gratifying.
Description
As a member of our seasonal crew, you will be an integral part of our farm team during the growing season.
The majority of your work will be harvesting vegetables. This includes picking, washing, and packing a shifting array of seasonal veggies every week. We have high standards for quality, cleanliness, and uniformity in our veggies–you will be a crucial part of maintaining those standards every day. We work fast, use sharp knives, and pick a lot of veggies in a day. It’s fun and satisfying work and also a skill that you will learn over time.
In addition to harvest, you will help with field work on the farm–things like planting, weeding, and crop maintenance. There will be more field work in early/late season, and mid season is largely focused on harvest.
Duties include:
Harvest. We harvest 2-4 days a week. It is a large percentage of the work on our farm, and you will spend a lot of time picking, washing, and packing beautiful veggies for sale! That will include harvest for all of our outlets including a weekly Farmers Market, our veggie cooler at Mac Market, and twice-weekly chef deliveries. Harvest includes all of the associated tasks: wash station cleaning & prep, harvesting of vegetables, washing & packing vegetables, maintaining quality and food safety standards, and cleaning up at the end of the day.
Field work. In addition to harvest, you will be involved in the wide range of other farming tasks that happen week to week. This will include primarily planting, crop maintenance (trellising, weeding etc), and other field chores like spreading compost or pulling old crops. Typically we have one focused day of field work per week, and the rest are more mixed or focused on harvest.
Other duties. There are some regular chores we will do weekly, including filling seed trays and washing totes/bins.
Qualifications:
Our ideal candidate will have farming experience or experience with physical labor, competitive athletics, or in a restaurant kitchen. Farming is physical work and requires the ability to repeatedly bend and lift 50# safely off the ground, and to be on your feet all day. The nature of harvesting vegetables means there is a lot of bending and kneeling to reach crops, and lots of moving around & carrying heavy totes and harvest bags. We pick 50 weeks a year to fulfill our obligations to our chef clients plus our market and cooler customers. A willingness to work in all weather while maintaining a positive attitude is crucial.
Attention to detail, ability to take direction, asking good questions, and being receptive to feedback are required qualities for this position. Farm work is a skill and it will take time to master each task; approaching the work with a learning mindset and an intention toward mastery will get you far. There is a lot of precision and repetition in the work. You need to be able to stay focused and engaged while doing one task for a period of time.
An overall ability to focus and work with a sense of urgency is key as our lists are long and the days are short. Being game for any task and able to have a sense of humor when things are hard will make you successful on the farm. Bring your hustle, focus & enthusiasm with you!
You must have reliable transportation to and from the farm.