Weston, MA: Land's Sake Farm hiring Assistant Growers

2014 ASSISTANT GROWER JOB DESCRIPTION

For the 2014 season, Land’s Sake Farm in Weston, MA, is looking for three positive, dependable, hard-working, and pleasant people to join our farm team as Assistant Growers. One of these positions will run from April 2 through mid to late November. The other two will begin April 2 and end between late September to late October, depending on your availability and our needs. 

Hours will vary, but typically you will work 35 to 40 hours per week in earlier and later parts of the season, and 40-50 in the height of summer. Our work week is Tuesday to Saturday. During the summer the work day normally starts at 7:00 AM sharp and ends about 4:30 or 5:00 PM with an hour (unpaid) break for lunch. There may be occasional exceptions to end times when we need to complete work before a weather event, and there may be times when we cancel work due to inclement weather. We prefer that applicants be available to work for the entire season, though we do have flexibility to schedule a week of unpaid vacation time.

Assistant Growers will work closely with the Management team, as well as the Field Crew and Weeding Crew, to operate a busy and complex community farm operation. We grow for a good sized CSA program, a very busy farm stand, and a donations contract with the town of Weston. We also work with our education program to create opportunities for volunteers and young community members to have experiences on the farm. We strive to make Land’s Sake a welcoming, community-centered farm for all involved, including customers, shareholders, campers, and staff.

As an Assistant Grower, you will assist in many aspects of running the farm including seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, vegetable processing and washing, tomato staking and tying, laying mulch, and preparing CSA distributions. Depending on ability and experience, and our needs, Assistant Growers may also take on more advanced tasks like tractor work, project management, and crew leadership. Applicants should be enthusiastic about learning, communication, having fun and working hard, and must be able to work independently as well as with a team. You can expect to work long hours in all weather conditions, and a can-do attitude is a must.

We want to stress that while we see these positions as offering many opportunities for learning, growth and ownership, this position is not an apprenticeship and will not be treated as such.

Assistant Growers will receive as compensation:

• $10-12/hr, depending on experience and ability to take on additional management responsibilities.
• worker's compensation.
• free produce from farm and discounts on other goods sold at the farm stand.

Qualifications:

• A sincere interest in vegetable production
• Minimum of one season experience working on a farm, preferably a vegetable farm
• A driver’s license and a clean driving record
• The ability to lift 50 lbs repeatedly and work for long periods of time in all weather conditions
• Reliable transportation to get yourself to work
• Good attitude and strong communication skills

To apply, please send a thoughtful letter of interest, your resume, and three relevant references to farmmanager@landssake.org.

Positions open until filled.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions!