We are seeking individuals who are motivated by a career interest in sustainable agriculture to join our 2023 team, for a seasonal apprenticeship starting this spring or summer! Previous farming experience is preferred but not required.

Siena Farms’ apprentices are hard-working, committed, honest, passionate individuals who participate in many daily farm operations, including production, harvest and post-harvest handling. We expect our apprentices to approach tasks thoughtfully, embracing a team effort to achieve the farms’ goals for quality and efficient work, along with their own goals of developing their farming career through professional work experience.

Our apprenticeship program is modeled on traditional methods of learning a skilled trade through hands-on experience. We believe that the best way to learn to farm is, of course, by farming. Our apprentices are integral, productive members of our fast-paced, for-profit, 75-acre farm operation. They are here to work, and work hard. And, they are here to learn. We encourage questions, we encourage ideas, and we promise to listen and to share our own questions and ideas!

This is a full-time, seasonal position with flexible start dates between April and June 2023, through a specific end date of November 21, 2023 (Thanksgiving weekend).

Responsibilities

Areas of responsibilities for apprentices will include but are not limited to the following;

Crop Production

• Planting, including greenhouse propagation and mechanical transplanting in the fields
• Cultivation/weed-control by hand and hoe
• Field work such as trellising, pruning, fencing & thinning
• Mushroom, cut-flower, and specialty crop production as well as our larger scale veggie production.

Harvest

• Daily harvest of our 150+ varieties of vegetables, fresh herbs, mushrooms and flowers
• Post-harvest handling, including washing, curing, packing, and transporting produce

Distribution & Outreach

• Preparation and packing of orders for restaurant deliveries and our retail stores in Boston
• Preparation and packing of CSA Farm Shares for pickup and distribution
• Participation in farm outreach events such as CSA member farm-tours & volunteer days

Networking & Planning

• Bi-weekly participation in Eastern Massachusetts CRAFT farm-tours from April through October
• Group field walks during the season with Farmer Chris and farm managers to learn from the fields and crops themselves
• Support in developing opportunities for continuing to farm after the completion of apprenticeship, post-Thanksgiving 2023, whether at Siena Farms or elsewhere

Our apprentices, like all of our employees, are held to high standards for organization, communication, positive attitude, respect and kindness for coworkers, work quality, and professional agricultural work ethic and schedule. Of all of these values, respect and kindness for coworkers is the top priority, as everything else follows from that.

Schedule

• Position is seasonal with start dates between April and June 2023, and an end date at Thanksgiving 2023.
• Hours range from 50-55 hours per week depending on the season (five, 10- or 11-hour days per week).
• Start-time is at 7 a.m., and end-time is at 5 p.m. in the spring, and 6 p.m. in the summer and fall.
• The farm as a whole is operational seven days per week during peak season (summer and fall) including holidays. Apprentices' weekly schedules during those months are either Sunday through Thursday (with a Fri/Sat weekend), or Tuesday through Saturday (with a Sun/Mon weekend).

Compensation

• This is an hourly position, with normal overtime hours paid at time-and-a-half.
• Perks include a weekly veggie farm share to take home, additional access to surplus produce, plus employee discounts at Siena Farms' retail sites as well as at family restaurants Oleana and Sofra.

Other

• We do not offer on-farm housing
• We do offer employer sponsored health insurance to all full-time employees after 90 days from start date.
• Reliable transportation to and from the farm in Sudbury is required (we are located in an area that lacks sufficient public transportation)