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.

2020 will be our seventh season; we have grown 30-40% every year selling at several fast-paced farmer’s markets. Our goal as a business 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. We see ourselves as one of several businesses working together to re-regionalize grain in the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, many of our pastries use the vegetables and fruit grown on our farm, and everything is baked in a 5’x7′ wood-fired oven that is housed in a cheerful 1000 sq-ft climate-controlled bakery building on the farm. In 2019 we added monthly pizza nights and workshops that have helped to deepen our engagement with our community.

We believe that economic success is an important, and often overlooked, piece of "sustainability". But even as we are numbers people who are very focused on the bottom line, we also value family and relationships, and are willing to work extra hard to make space and time for people in both your life and ours.

Our team includes 2-3 full-time employees, and 1-2 part-time employees, in addition to myself, my wife, and our 2-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. Our weeks build up to our busy farmers' markets, where you will help sell the fruits of your labor and meet our dedicated community of eaters. You may perform other tasks as needed.

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 $8-10/hr DOE. 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, we will charge a nominal rent to cover internet, utilities, and laundry. We have three cats, so we prefer no  additional pets. 

Minimum Length of Stay: This position starts April 1, 2020, and ends December 18, 2020. There is some flexibility with start and end dates, but you must be able to stay at least through the end of October 2020.

Educational Opportunities: We are a small farm, so you will be involved in every aspect of our operation including: greenhouse management, planting, cultivating, harvesting, composting, and marketing. We will train you to do at least one 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.