Little Hat Creek Farm is a successful diversified ecological vegetable farm and wood-fired bakery. Our beautiful five-acre property is nestled in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, close to the thriving “Brew Ridge Trail”, and abundant outdoor activities including Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. We are about one hour from Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Staunton.

2019 will be our sixth season; we have grown 30-40% every year selling at three fast-paced farmer’s markets and delivering our 20-member CSA. Our goal is to drive change in our regional food system by forging one-on-one relationships with our community of eaters, providing them with bread and vegetables that are directly linked to the land.

In our fields, we use ecological farming practices on about one acre of annual vegetables. We grow dozens of varieties of vegetables, focusing on building soil health and producing nutrient-dense food for our community; we avoid chemicals. In our bakery, we specialize in using regional flours to produce naturally-leavened breads, croissants, and other pastries.

Our passion for regional grain motivated us to help found the Common Grain Alliance, a new non-profit that seeks to revitalize the grain economy in the Mid-Atlantic. Many of our pastries use the eggs, vegetables and fruit grown on our farm, and everything is baked in a 5’x7′ wood-fired oven that is housed in a 1000 sq-ft climate-controlled bakery building on the farm. This year we will be adding on-farm events, including monthly pizza nights and workshops, that are intended to deepen our engagement with our community.

Our team includes 2-3 full-time employees in addition to myself, my wife, and our 1-year-old twins.

You will be involved in all aspects of the farm, including seeding, planting, harvesting, sorting, weeding, and mulching. You will be expected to help keep the greenhouse and packing station tidy, including washing flats and harvest containers. You will assist us at our busy farmer’s market stands, help us pack our CSA, and help manage our laying hens. Additional duties may include deliveries, helping with bakery production, packaging bread, or cleaning tasks in the bakery.

Skills Desired: You take pride in your work and enjoy working independently. You learn quickly, and can execute tasks efficiently while maintaining sufficient attention to detail. You can perform physically-demanding tasks outside in all kinds of weather. You are thoughtful, inquisitive, and find joy in hard work, food, and good company. 
 

Compensation: This is an hourly paid position starting at $8/hr. Expect to work full time, with 50+ hour weeks possible at the peak of the season.
 

Housing: There are two options for housing on the farm. One option is a room in our house. You would share the house kitchen with us. The second option is a one room cabin with a sleeping loft. The cabin has electricity, and comes with a microwave, hot plate, and mini-fridge. There is a kitchen sink with running water, and the bathroom is about 20 steps away in our house. If you choose to live on the farm, rent is $175/month, utilities, laundry, everything included. We have three cats, so no additional pets please. Each season, we employ two full time people, one who is primarily farm help (you!) and one who is primarily bakery help. Whoever is hired first will get their first choice of the two housing options.

Minimum Length of Stay: There is some flexibility with start and end dates, but you must stay the full season. This position is available immediately.

Educational Opportunities: We are a small farm, so you will be involved in every aspect of our operation including: greenhouse management, planting, cultivating, harvesting, chicken management, and marketing. We will train you to do a farmer's market with us every week. During the season, we will tour other ecological farms in our area.

As part of Little Hat Creek Farm, you will be connected to a growing network of like-minded farms and grain professionals in the Mid-Atlantic who are working towards a thriving regional foodshed. We make a point of sharing the details of our farming, baking, and business practices, so we encourage you to ask questions so that we can help you realize your goals. 

NOTE: We are in-between websites! For the best overview of our operation, please see littlehatcreek.wordpress.com. The other website (littlehatcreek.com) is bakery focused and intended to help us sell bread shares in the winter when the garden is quiet.