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 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 get baking perks without baking hours; our 2-3 person team works during the day. We will train you to be in charge of bread (including rye) and croissant production for our five weekly farmers markets, firing the oven, and working with regionally grown and milled flours (most products are >50% local). 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. 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 also make a point of sharing the details of our farming, baking, and business practices, so we encourage you to ask questions. Job description Little Hat Creek Farm is a diversified ecological vegetable farm and wood-fired bakery. Our beautiful 5-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. 2021 will be our eighth season. We are a fast-growing business committed to direct-to-consumer marketing, but we are developing dry goods (like crackers) that are aimed at wholesale customers. 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 with an eye to soil health. 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.
 
Job description
You will be trained to lead the weekly bread and pastry production of our bakery. This includes mixing, shaping, and baking bread and pastries, dish-washing, oven management, and keeping your workspace clean and organized. Our week is organized around Wednesday and Saturday farmers markets. We work during the daytime, and we strive to create a warm and welcoming workspace. If you are interested, you will have the option of representing us at one of our farmers' markets.

Job requirements
You are, or aspire to be, a professional baker who wants to use your skills to effect change in your community. You love making and sharing good food, and you have some experience working in a commercial kitchen. You are organized and consistently attentive to cleanliness and food safety. We would love it if you share our passion for grain, and are willing to learn, share, and ask questions. Wood-fired baking is very physical, so you must be able to safely lift fifty pounds.

Start / End dates: You can start immediately, and we ask for a commitment through Christmas, and we encourage applicants interested in longer-term employment.

Housing: We have simple on-farm housing for one person (with a private bathroom) available for nominal rent.

Compensation: $12 -15 / hr DOE. We pay monthly. Benefits include workers compensation, unlimited free access to unsold farm produce and baked goods and training in marketable skills, including but not limited to:
 

• Sourcing and using local grain
• Working with rye, spelt, millet, and other grains
• Modifying formulas to compensate for variability in grain, and the weather
• Making pastries and naturally-leavened bread on a commercial scale
• Managing a large wood-fired oven
• Food delivery and marketing during a pandemic
• Growing a small local food business

We look forward to hearing from you!

Ben + Heather Compensation this position is : hourly Application instructions Deadlineno deadline