Jobs at The Neighborhood Farm

The Neighborhood Farm is a collection of market gardens. In 2008 we planted gardens in five Needham back yards, because we couldn’t find available farm land in the Boston area. Homeowners lent us a portion of their yards and we grew vegetables, herbs and flowers – all without synthetic inputs of any kind. The number of sites and the logistics made us decide against pursuing organic certification.

Since then we’ve grown substantially, adding and subtracting gardens from year to year as circumstances changed. We also began leasing a field from The Trustees Of Reservations in Medfield. We now grow on about six and half acres and sell our produce at four local farmers’ markets, to restaurants, and through our Farmers’ Market CSA. For the 2015 growing season, we will be based at Powisset Farm in Dover where we rent barn space. We will be working at garden sites in Needham and Dedham, at the field in Medfield, and at our rented greenhouse space in Sharon. Despite the number of sites we use, more than 90% of our time will be spent at the field or at the barn, which are both on the Dover/Medfield line, less than 2 miles apart.

As a family owned small business, we are committed to helping others prepare to start their own farming and gardening operations. We love to work with people who are exploring the possibilities of starting their own enterprises, and with people who are just looking for more experience in farming and gardening.

This year we are seeking people to fill the following positions. If you are interested, please email kate@theneighborhoodfarm.com and we will send you more information.

1. Weekend Crew Leader

The weekend crew leader position is seasonal (May, June, July and August), 3 days per week (Friday, Saturday, and Monday). Weekend crew members will have Sunday greenhouse duties approximately once a month. Candidates should have at least 1 season of farming experience. The weekend crew leader will be responsible for helping with harvest and general field work on Friday, and coordinating the crew on Saturdays and Mondays based on instructions received from the farm managers. This person needs to be able to manage others successfully, motivate them, instruct them in safe and efficient work methods, and supervise the whole crew's activities while working alongside them. The work will encompass various aspects of vegetable, herb and flower production and harvesting. These tasks will include, but are not limited to, record keeping, planting, weeding, irrigation, harvest, washing and packing. Previous tractor experience is a plus.

We are looking for someone who is flexible, productive, easy to work with, open minded, and responsible, with excellent communication skills and a good sense of humor to see them through the challenges of farming. The work can be physically challenging as we do the vast majority of our work by hand. Candidates should be able to lift 50 lbs, be ready to work outdoors in all kinds of weather, have reliable transportation and a clean driving record.

The position runs from May 1st through August 31st, 2015. A commitment for the entirety of the period is required. The hours will vary but will average about 25 hours/week. There is a possibility this position could be extended into the fall. Compensation: $12/hour, and vegetables from the farm. Unfortunately, we cannot provide housing.

2. Crew Members

We are seeking crew members who are interested in working and learning on a small family farm operation. Crew members will work with the Farm Managers/Owners and Crew Leaders on all aspects of vegetable, herb and flower production and harvesting. These tasks will include, but are not limited to, planting, weeding, irrigation, greenhouse work, harvest, washing, packing and selling at farmers' markets.

We are looking for crew members who are flexible, productive, easy to work with, open minded, and responsible, with a good sense of humor to see them through the challenges of farming. Crew members must also have reliable transportation and a clean driving record. Previous farming or gardening experience is preferred, but not required.

The work can be physically challenging as we do the vast majority of our work by hand. Candidates should be able to lift 50 lbs, repeatedly. We will be working outside in all weather conditions. The hours will vary by season, but can be long (between 35 and 50 hr/week). Crew members will work either a Monday through Friday schedule or a Tuesday through Saturday schedule with weekend greenhouse duties once a month. Some schedule changes are possible, but in general the schedule will be set.

We have crew member positions beginning April 1st, May 1st, May 15th, and June 1st, all running through Thanksgiving. Crew members must commit for the entire season. There may be a possibility of some winter work if desired.

Compensation: $10/hour, and vegetables from the farm. Unfortunately, we cannot provide housing.

3. Weekend Crew Members

The weekend crew member position is seasonal (June, July and August), 3 days per week (Friday, Saturday, and Monday). Weekend crew members will have Sunday greenhouse duties approximately once a month. This position is intended for someone who is interested in working and learning on a small family farm operation. Crew members will work with the Farm Managers/Owners and Crew Leaders on all aspects of vegetable, herb and flower production and harvesting. These tasks will include, but are not limited to, planting, weeding, irrigation, greenhouse work, harvest, washing and packing.

We are looking for crew members who are flexible, productive, easy to work with, open minded, and responsible, with a good sense of humor to see them through the challenges of farming. Crew members must also have reliable transportation and a clean driving record. Candidates should be able to lift 50 lbs, repeatedly.

The work can be physically challenging as we do the vast majority of our work by hand. We will be working outside in all weather conditions. The hours will vary but will average 25 hours/week. Weekend crew members must commit to the entire summer season, June through August.

Compensation: $10/hour and vegetables from the farm. Unfortunately, we cannot provide housing.

4. Farmers Market Staffers

We are seeking farmers' market staff for the 2015 season. Ideally, market staffers should have experience in customer service. An interest in cooking and/or a background in farming or gardening is a plus. A friendly personality and strong basic math skills are a must.

Market staffers will help with all aspects of the market from setup to breakdown and will be responsible for selling produce during the hours the market is open. The work is physically challenging as we have to move hundreds of pounds of vegetables in and out of the truck. Candidates should be able to lift 50 lbs repeatedly, be ready to work outdoors in all kinds of weather, and have reliable transportation and a clean driving record.

• Saturday Market Staffers: We need market staffers to work on Saturdays in either JP or Roslindale from 7am to 3pm. This position runs from June 6th through November 21st, every Saturday. There is a possibility this position could extend through the winter.
• Sunday Market Staffer: We need 1 market staffer to work on Sundays in Needham/Dover from 9 am to 5:30 pm. This position runs from May 24th through November 22nd every Sunday.

Compensation: $10/hour and vegetables from the farm.

If you are interested, please email kate@theneighborhoodfarm.com and we will send you more information.