Company description We grow 50+ vegetables on an acre and a half and bake sourdough breads and pastries in our wood-fired oven. We sell mostly at farmers markets, which we do 11 months of the year. We are proud of our work producing nutrient-dense food that is sold locally. We see ourselves as part of a community of food producers all doing their small part to build a sustainable regional food system, and we are looking for a worker who wants to help us and learn from us. You will lead our effort to bring a new set of dry goods (crackers, granola, cookies) to stores and to market. These products will use regional grains exclusively and will be baked in the waning heat of our wood-fired oven. You will also gain hands-on experience baking sourdough breads and laminated pastries for our markets. 2020 is our seventh season earning all our income from our farm-bakery business, and we are still growing. Job description 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.
 
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. 2020 is our seventh season. We are a fast-growing business committed to direct-to-consumer marketing. Our farmer’s market business model has pivoted successfully to drive-thru markets and online sales to meet the challenges of COVID-19, and we are selling more than ever.
 
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 and promote biodiversity.  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 non-profit that seeks to revitalize the grain economy in the Mid-Atlantic. 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.

We are excited about our new dry goods line (granola, cookies, and crackers) because: a) they showcase the lovely grains our local farmers are growing, b) there is a huge need for locally produced dry goods in our community, and c) they improve oven efficiency by using the waning heat.
 
Job description
Your time will be split between leading the development, production, and marketing of our new dry goods line, and assisting our bread and pastry baker. We currently have two bake cycles per week: fire & mix (M, R), bake (T, F), and deliver (W, S). Dry goods production can occur on delivery days, and on Sunday; assisting the baker will happen on bake days.

Dry Goods Baker & Wholesale Manager duties
You will be responsible for researching, testing, and developing new formulas that showcase the flours and grains our network are producing. You will work the products into production in an efficient manner, bake them to specification, and package them. You will work with the owners to develop a marketing strategy, and approach potential wholesale clients to sell the products.

Assistant Baker duties
On bake days you will assist the head baker in baking off breads and laminated pastry and packaging them for market. You will also help with any same-day bread mixes. In addition, we will expect you to work cleanly, avoiding the pileup of dishes or other messes. You will help us maintain an orderly workspace, and help us stay on top of prep and inventory. This will include cleaning, dishwashing, and preparation of fillings, pastry makeup, and occasionally processing fresh vegetables and fruits from our farm and others.

Skills desired
We prefer at least one year experience working in an artisanal bakery setting, but kitchen work is good too. Ideally, you are creative, have a keen palette for flavor, and are passionate about grain. In addition, you can anticipate tasks, see what needs to be done, and do it. You are organized, can manage your time, and take pride in a clean workspace and a job well done. You are able to work quickly and efficiently while attending to detail, and you are able to problem-solve on the fly. You are punctual, dependable, and able to meet deadlines. Wood-fired baking is very physical, and you must be able to safely lift fifty pounds. You work well with others, but are also content to work alone. You are professional and courteous when acting on our behalf, and proud to represent us, and the hard work that you do, to customers.


This is a new position for us, so your start date is negotiable.   

Compensation: $10-15 / hr DOE. We pay monthly. Benefits include unlimited free access to unsold farm produce and baked goods and training in marketable skills, including but not limited to:

• Sourcing local grain
• Developing and marketing new product lines
• Modifying formulas to compensate for variability in grain
• Food delivery and marketing during a pandemic
• Successfully growing a small local food business
• Operating a wood-fired oven

Compensation this position is : hourly Application instructions Deadlineno deadline