Farm Hand Mass Audubon Moose Hill
- Date Posted April 04, 2019
- Location Sharon, MA
- Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
- Job type Part-Time
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Sharon, MA, has a unique partnership with a neighboring farm. Our partner, in cooperation with our Manager, plans, cultivates, and plants our 17 acres while we harvest the crops and manage the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and a weekend Farmstand. The Farm at Moose Hill provides fresh, organic produce to 250 families weekly.
We believe that healthy farming leads to healthy people and a healthy community. There are many CSA models in existence today and each is as unique as the farm that manages it-- shareholders have a variety of ways to be more directly connected to their food, to the land, and to those who tend the soil.
The Farm at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary serves many purposes including:
- Offering organic, locally-grown food to surrounding communities.
- Welcoming families into our fields, in an effort to connect future generations with their food.
- Supporting Ward’s Berry Farm, a local family-run farm, and our partners.
- Providing fresh, organic produce to the greater community through local food pantries, giving back to those who are in need.
Farm Hands work closely with the sanctuary director to harvest crops, load vegetables, and hand weed on 17 acres and market produce through a summer CSA program and weekend Farm Stand. Farm Hands gain management experience as they instruct and lead shareholders and volunteers in the field, at Pick-up distributions, and at the Farm Stand. Farmhands will also take responsibility with customer service aspects of the operation including blog posts and weekly updates to the shareholders.
At Moose Hill, we are committed to farming organically and work closely with our partners at a neighboring farm. Our partner uses crop rotation that includes fallowing with green manures, spreading organic compost, and careful monitoring of soil organic matter and fertility. We use drip irrigation when need in one field and rely on soil fertility for our upper field.
Qualifications
- Comfortable with physical labor in all weather conditions and interested in hands-on training in organic farming
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Willing to work with groups of adults and children
- Punctual, precise, energetic, resilient, and attentive people are encouraged to apply; the work day begins at 6:50 am
- Ability to bend and kneel repeatedly during harvesting and weeding activities
- Ability to lift and haul up to 50 lbs
- Ability to relate to a diverse range of people and exercise cultural competence and inclusion
- Valid driver's license
- Must pass a background records check (CORI, SORI and driver's)
Farm Hands receive fruits and vegetables produced on the farm, limited housing ($35/week) is available, eligible for a bonus if work is completed through October. Hours vary with the progression of the season from roughly 40/wk through June, to about 50/wk at the height of the season, and back to 40/wk at the end of the season. Hours can range from 8 to 10 hours per day depending on the day; Tuesdays are scheduled off for all Farmhands; weekend work is required. A daily lunch break is unpaid.
Compensation this position is : hourly Application instructions