Company description

Weavers Way has two farm sites in Northwest Philadelphia, located a few miles apart from one another. The farm sites consist of a 2 acre farm at the Awbury Arboretum (the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm), and a 3 acre farm at Saul High School (the Henry Got Crops farm), as well as a 1.5 acre fruit, nut and berry orchard adjacent to the Henry Got Crops farm at Saul. The farms are a part of Weavers Way Coop, a 10,000 member, community owned market with locations in Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill, Ambler and soon Germantown. Both farms offer experience with small scale, diversified, no-till organic farming and the opportunity to develop skills in greenhouse production, season extension, pest management, planting, weeding, harvesting, farm market experience, as well as volunteer management. Each farm grows a unique set of vegetables, few of which are duplicated at the other farm. The harvests of the two farms are coordinated in order to satisfy our existing outlets. Each farm position will focus most of their time at one of the two sites, yet we all work in conjunction with one another, as one team. Produce from the two farms is sold at the three Co-op stores, our Henry Got Crops CSA, our on-site farm market, the cafeteria at Saul High School and occasionally a few restaurants in Northwest Philadelphia as well as.  The Henry Got Crops site also hosts the education programs of our affiliated non-profit, Food Moxie. The Henry Got Crops farm is located right on the campus of Saul High School and through the facilitation of Food Moxie, teachers and their classes come to the farm on a regular basis and are involved in the operations of the farm.

Job description

Location: Henry Got Crops farm, at the Saul High School

Purpose: To assist with all farm operations and the implementation of the seeding, planting and harvest plans for the farm. This position is ideal for someone who has one or two years of apprenticeship/internship experience and is looking to deepen and broaden their farming skills at a community centric, urban, production farm.

Duties/Responsibilities: The field assistant is responsible for supporting the field manager in day-to-day farm operation and maintenance. Basic tasks include preparing beds, planting, watering, and harvesting, as well as amending the soil, weeding, thinning, and pest and disease prevention and control. Field assistant will supervise and work with volunteers on a daily basis.

Weavers Way Farms consists of two vegetable farms and an orchard. This field assistant position will primarily focus on the Henry Got Crops farm location (at the Saul High School), but may be asked to help with large projects at the other farm location (Mort Brooks Memorial farm at the Awbury Arboretum) on an as-needed basis.

We are primarily a no-till farm, but field assistant might also use a walk behind tractor, mowers and weed whackers. Training will be provided.

Administrative Tasks: clocking in and out, completing invoices, logging harvest pounds, submitting receipts for expense reimbursements or mileage reimbursements if any arise.

Minimum Qualifications: A full season of vegetable farming, meaning spring, summer and fall. Must provide up-to-date child abuse clearance and clear PA background check (the farm is located on the campus of a high school).

Physical Requirement and Timeline Commitment: Field Assistant is expected to commit to a minimum of one growing season, from early April until the end of November, Monday-Friday. Assistant should be able to work under adverse conditions (heat, humidity, cold, rain) and be able to lift 50 lbs, preferably at the same time.

Skills/Attributes: Must be team oriented, a strong communicator, and flexible. Must have a strong work ethic and willingness to get dirty. Must have an ability and desire to work with and supervise students and volunteers of all ages and abilities. Must have a high attention to detail, focus, stamina, and superb quality control skills. Must be able to work well in a team as well as independently.

Hours: Hours and days are dictated by the ebbs and flows of the season. Field Assistant is expected to work 5 days a week, averaging 50 hrs per week (on average 10 hrs/day), Monday-Friday. More/less hours per week might occasionally be necessary during the slower/busiest times of the season. Occasional weekend days might be requested for special events, volunteer days, or additional harvesting. A weekend day will be scheduled with as much advance notice as possible.

Compensation/Benefits: This is an hourly paid position, starting at $15.00/hr, eligible for a $0.50 raise after 6 months, eligible for Weaver Way Co-op benefits. Farm staff are welcome to have produce from the farms, and receive a staff discount and working member discount of 15% at Weavers Way Coop and our own Farm Market. Any hours worked over 40 hours/week are straight pay, not subject to over time rate, unless assistant engages in “non-agricultural labor” such as working at the farm market.

Reports to: Farm Manager/Farm Department Head

For questions, please contact Farm Manager Nina Berryman at nberryman@weaversway.coop

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

December 04, 2022