Gibbet Hill Farm seeking two farm assistants

Gibbet Hill Farm (http://www.gibbethillfarm.com/) is a small, diversified farm located in picturesque Groton, MA.  The farm is part of the Webber Restaurant Group, which is an independent, family-owned restaurant group that is committed to furthering the local food movement. The farm is dedicated solely to supplying produce and meat to the 5 chefs within the restaurant group.  Two of the venues, Gibbet Hill Grill and The Barn at Gibbet Hill are on site,  while the other restaurants are located in Harvard at the Fruitlands Museum Café, in Hingham at Scarlet Oak Tavern, and in Burlington, MA at Fireside Catering and The Bancroft.  In combination with the onsite restaurants, 3 farm-to-table dinners are hosted each season along with an annual fall festival. 

We farm two acres of a mix of annual and perennial fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, and raise a small herd of lamb.  This season the farm will be practicing minimal tillage systems for all annual crops.  We donate excess produce to Loaves and Fishes and sponsor an annual Walk for Hunger to help benefit local food pantries.   

Farm Assistants (two positions available)

Description:
The Farm Assistants work with the Farm Manager and Assistant Manager on all aspects of field and greenhouse work; including field preparation, seeding, planting, weeding, and harvesting.   Farm Assistants also make restaurant deliveries and perform the livestock chores.  Farm Assistants will be part of tending to the small garden at the Scarlet Oak Tavern.  Apprentices will also help lead any volunteer or student groups that come to work on the farm.  The Farm Manager firmly believes in learning through doing and aims to provide an intensive working and learning experience. 

Essential Job Functions:
·        Field Work
·        Restaurant Deliveries
·        Livestock Chores
·        Instructing volunteers
·        Greeting and directing visitors to the farm and surrounding trails
·        Acting as a liaison between the farm and customers (chefs) and the general public (attending Farm Dinners, CRAFT meetings, and other community events, working with Groton School)
·        Small construction projects

Qualifications:
·        Farm experience is not a must but is highly encouraged.
·        Must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license. 
·        Must like working in the outdoors, in all weather conditions; hot, cold, rain, wind, high humidity, buggy, etc.
·        Punctuality and having good time management skills are key.
·        Must be good at making observations, following instructions and asking questions. 
·        Must be a cooperative, supportive team player and also be able to work independently. 
·        Self-motivated, time and detail oriented, and the ability to be organized are key. 
·        Must be comfortable working at a face pace and being flexible about changing up tasks depending on weather and other uncontrollable factors. 
·        Must have a desire to learn sustainable farming practices and to help grow the continued success of the farm. 
·        A good sense of humor and patience go along way while working on a farm.
·        You must be able to lift 50 lbs repeatedly.  
·        Must be able to bend repeatedly, stand for long periods of time, work on their knees and complete repetitive work with their hands such as hand weeding and harvesting berries. 
·        Livestock can act in unpredictable ways; must be comfortable working with animals. 

Hours and Compensation:

There are two farm assistant positions available.  Farm Assistant 1 position will run May 1st-October 1st, while Farm Assistant 2 will be June1-August 31st.  These start and end dates are negotiable.

Farm Assistants hours will range from 30-45 hours/week, 5 days a week.  The position pays $11-$12/hour plus overtime for any hours over 40.  Produce from the farm and a free staff meal is served everyday in the restaurant at 3pm.  Discounts are available at all the restaurants.  Free admittance to the farm-to-table dinners is provided.  Farm Assistants will be highly encouraged to attend the biweekly EMass CRAFT meetings to further their learning experience. 

Applying
Interested persons should email a resume and cover letter to Farm Manager, Kayleigh Boyle at kayleigh@gibbethill.com