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This job expired on April 22, 2019

Farm Crew Leaders | Farmers' Mkt Lead Sogn Valley Farm

  • Date Posted February 21, 2019
  • Location Cannon Falls, MN
  • Category Agriculture
  • Job type Full-Time
Company description Sogn Valley Farm is a 20-acre certified organic farm and plant nursery located between Cannon Falls and Northfield, MN, about 40 miles south of St. Paul. We produce 12 acres of vegetables along with native plants for pollinator habitat. Our products are sold at the downtown St. Paul Farmers' Market, through an on-farm market, and to regional distributors and wholesale customers. Job description We have three open positions for the 2019 crew:
  • Field Crew Leader
  • Packing Shed Crew Leader
  • Farmers' Market Lead 
Our website has full position descriptions. Start dates are flexible - April or May.
 

Field Crew Leader (FCL) responsibilities include:

  • Conducting pre-harvest walks of each crop on the harvest list to determine the optimal portion of the planting to harvest first, identify potential quality or food safety concerns, and otherwise prepare an approach to most efficiently harvest the crop.

  • Leading the farm crew on harvest days. This means setting high standards for quality control, harvest technique, and work pace, while also overseeing fellow crew members to assure they are working to the same standards.

  • Always think several steps in advance to ensure the appropriate harvest tools and containers are loaded onto the truck to allow seamless flow from one crop to the next without needing to pause harvest activities to return to the pack shed get additional items.

  • Providing initial training to crew members when a crop is harvested for the first time, and providing subsequent “tune-up” training, as needed.

  • In coordination with the Packing Shed Crew Leader (PSCL), ensuring all harvest and food safety records are properly kept.

  • Recording yield and other data for on-farm research plots, as specified by project proposals.

  • Along with PSCL, maintaining cleanliness and organization of harvest tools and containers.

  • Participating in other farm activities, including, but not limited to, greenhouse seeding, transplanting, field maintenance (trellising, pruning, mulching, row cover application/removal, weeding, etc.), and packing shed/post-harvest work.

Packing Shed Crew Leader (PSCL) responsibilities include:

  • Participating in harvest when needed.

  • Leading farm staff in the packing shed. This requires a big picture understanding of the crops that need to be washed and packed, and how to best schedule postharvest activities for the most efficient workflow.

  • Providing initial training to crew members when a crop is washed and packed for the first time, and providing subsequent “tune-up” training, as needed.

  • In coordination with the Field Crew Leader, ensuring all harvest and food safety records are properly kept.

  • Along with Field Crew Leader, maintaining cleanliness and organization of harvest tools and containers.

  • Making/revising wholesale invoices and case labels, and ensuring both contain the appropriate lot numbers.

  • Providing produce inventory updates (quality issues, crops in abundance, etc.) to the Farm Manager, as needed.

  • Participating in other farm activities, including, but not limited to, greenhouse seeding, transplanting, field maintenance (trellising, pruning, mulching, row cover application/removal, weeding, etc.) and harvest.

Expectations and qualifications for Crew Leaders:

All farm staff should be physically fit (able to lift 50 lbs, bend over or crouch to weed and harvest), detail-oriented, self-motivated, and open to constructive feedback. Farming is incredibly rewarding, but not always glorious. We work in all weather conditions, and although we try to mix up work activities to keep things interesting, some days will be monotonous. Our crew is a team, and the ability to work collaboratively with others is essential. We work quickly and efficiently, and expect our employees to do the same. We seek an individual who is always looking for a faster and more effective way to complete a task. But above all, we strive to create an open, positive, and fun work environment.
 

Crew leaders should have a minimum of one full season of work experience on a vegetable farm. This person should have demonstrated leadership capability, good interpersonal skills, and an aptitude for maintaining crew morale when days get long and weather gets harsh.

 

The Farmers' Market Lead can be a FT Thursday-Sunday position, or a PT Sat/Sun position. The Farmers' Market Lead is responsible for the following activities: 

  • Optional: Thursdays and Fridays, working with the farm crew to harvest, wash, and pack produce for market.

  • Setting up market display in an organized, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing manner.

  • Re-stocking to maintain a full and fresh display of vegetables.

  • Providing friendly service to market customers, answering questions to the best of his/her ability regarding farming practices and cooking techniques.

  • Mentally adding up purchase totals and carrying out cash transactions.

  • Leading and supervising assistant market staff.

  • At the end of the Sunday market, driving back to the farm and completing a post-market inventory.

Expectations and qualifications for Farmers' Market Lead 
Prior experience staffing a farmers’ market stall strongly preferred. Experience in retail, catering, or another hospitality industry is also of value. Experience with harvesting, washing, and packing vegetables is preferable, but not required. We're looking for someone with a friendly demeanor, good customer service skills, and the ability to add up items in one's head and handle cash. The ability to safely drive a 16’ refrigerated truck to bring produce to market is also necessary. This requires use of side-view rather than rear-view mirrors, backing into parking spots, and use of a wide turning radius to safely navigate streets - we will provide training.

This position also requires waking up very early, particularly on Saturday mornings. The ideal candidate would be a morning person, or at a minimum have a reliable alarm and no history of sleeping through said alarm ;-) Compensation this position is : hourly, varies DOE, $13.00 - $16.00 Application instructions
This job expired on April 22, 2019
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