Part-time orchard work in Lincoln

The Kanner Family Orchard occupies about 3 acres in north Lincoln and surrounds our home. We have about 140 trees, of which about 80 are various apples and a few pears (old open center, newer M26 or M7 and B9) and the remainder are a wide variety of very tasty stone fruit. In a good year we produce about 2000# peaches and other stone fruit, about 600# pears, and over 10,000# apples.

We sell the fruit commercially, currently to two CSAs but also to local farm stands. We produce high-quality fruit that we box and label for sale.

We are looking for a person preferably with orchard experience, but at least with agricultural experience, who can assist in all aspects of orchard maintenance and who will have primary responsibility for harvesting the stone fruit in the summer months and a major role in the apple harvest from late August through the end of October. The person needs to have interest and enthusiasm for working in an orchard and a good work ethic. We certainly are prepared to train the worker, but we want to have at least a good knowledge base to start with.

We expect the weekly time commitment to be 10-12 hours per week In April through June, then to increase to about 15 hours weekly in July and August, and then to 20 hours weekly in September and October. In April through June the weekly hours can be split on two days, but from July onward we need the worker’s presence M-W-F in order to run an orderly harvest and coordinate with other workers especially in apple harvest. The exact days and timing of the work can be negotiated.

Overall I expect the person will work 400-425 hours for the season through end of October. (It might be possible to increase the weekly hours to 15 in April-June by adding some general gardening on the property if that were crucial to the right applicant.). We expect to pay $15-16/hr. Weekly paychecks. 1099s given. Workers comp coverage by KFO.

Please send brief cover letter and resume to: srkannermd@post.harvard.edu.