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this job's deadline has passed
This job expired on April 18, 2021

Organic Farm Apprentice Green Earth Harvest

  • Date Posted February 17, 2021
  • Location Naperville, IL
  • Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
  • Job type Full-Time
Company description Green Earth Harvest is a nonprofit certified organic diversified vegetable farm serving the Western suburbs of Chicago. With a relatively small crew, we cultivate 50 acres of organic vegetables and cover crop, utilizing best conservation practices and continually growing in our knowledge and practice. We are a program of The Conservation Foundation, a large conservation and land preservation nonprofit serving several counties, and believe that conservation and sustainable agriculture are inextricably intertwined. Internship description

This is a very hands-on job. The workload will be very diverse, although a few hours of weeding or seeding may convince you otherwise. Days may include a few hours of seeding, watering seedlings, planting seedlings in the field, trellising tomatoes, and then weeding another crop before you head home for the day. Some days the workload will be just one or two tasks, while others will be a litany of smaller and more diverse jobs. This apprenticeship is designed to be more than just “grunt work”, but farming is fundamentally field work and candidates (as well as all returning farm staff) should show up physically ready to work in the spring. 

 

The Farm Manager and Assistant Farm Manager will work directly with the Apprentice to provide training and oversight so they know how to do all work required and know when to ask questions for further clarification. Apprentices will also receive a farm orientation and become familiar with the broader organization and spend time throughout the season to become familiar with the buildings, equipment, people, and processes specific to Green Earth Harvest throughout the season, as appropriate.

 

Our crew works well together, and we pride ourselves on that. We will have one apprentice this season and several returning seasonal staff. Farming, particularly on this farm, is not a solo enterprise and the Apprentice will be expected to work productively and respectively with others. Our goal is to meet our production goals for the season and grow as individuals and as a team throughout the year.

 

Tasks may include, but will not be limited to:
Greenhouse work: seeding, watering, transplanting, monitoring seedlings
Field work: planting, seeding, weeding, trellising, setting up row covers, fertilizing, and field prep
Harvesting: harvesting, washing, sorting and storing produce, maintaining harvest records
Working with customers: working farm share pickup, the farmstand, the farmer’s market
Tractor work: We are a tractor scale farm. Apprentice will be working on or around tractors. If there is an interest in gaining experience operating a tractor, the Farm Manager and Assistant Farm Manager will work to teach the safe operation of the tractor and accompanying tools and implements.

 

This position pays $13/hour. In addition, Apprentices are entitled to three paid holidays (Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day), two and a half sick days, and one week of paid time off in accordance with The Conservation Foundation’s HR policies. Apprentices are also encouraged to bring the vegetables they grow home throughout the season.

 

Interested BIPOC candidates and people with diverse perspectives, life experiences and backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.

If interested in working with us this year, please send an up to date resume and note of interest to the Farm Manager (contact information below). Please also include 2-3 professional references. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled; please contact us with any questions.

Compensation this position is : hourly
Application instructions
This job expired on April 18, 2021
DeadlineMarch 15, 2021

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