Company description

The Neighborhood Farm is a small, all natural vegetable farm growing about 6 acres of vegetables, herbs, and seedlings on multiple sites in Westport, on the beautiful South Coast of Massachusetts.  We’re about 10 minutes from Horseneck Beach, and we enjoy a temperate climate which makes for excellent growing conditions.

We grow a lot of vegetables and herbs for farmers markets, our online farmstand, a small CSA, and a local food hub.  We grow and market our produce year round, and often have work available in the winter for current crew members.  

In the spring and summer we also grow thousands of plants which we sell at farmers markets and through our online farmstand. Over the course of the growing season we grow several hundred varieties of vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and native plants.

Recently we began experimenting with seed production for use on the farm and for sale.  In 2024 we plan to save seed from half a dozen crops.  We also maintain our own seed stock of garlic and have been stewarding over 20 garlic varieties for many years.

We grow at least a little bit of almost everything, but we're best known for our many varieties of specialty garlic, endless heirloom tomatoes, and thousands of seedlings. We grow organically - we don’t use synthetic fertilizers, GMO seeds, herbicides, or pesticides - but we aren’t certified organic. Our mission has always been to grow healthy, local, all natural food, to demonstrate the practicality of intensive growing in small spaces, and to encourage, educate, and support people in growing their own food.

We are a caring, friendly, hard working farm. Many of our crew members return year after year, but we need a few more sets of hands this season.  We welcome people with no prior farming experience.  We enjoy teaching people about farming and gardening and look for team mates who are enthusiastic to learn and to work hard.  

We are a woman owned farm, and have been farming since 2008, but have moved the farm to various leased parcels over the years. 2024 will be our first season growing entirely in Westport.  We farmed in the greater Boston area for 16 years, and for the last 3 years we farmed in Westport and in Greater Boston simultaneously. We are excited to focus our efforts on the South Coast this season, and we have many interesting projects underway as we continue to improve upon our sites in Westport.

Job description

About the job

The Assistant Grower position is a full time, full season position. Assistant Growers will work closely with the farm owners, and with experienced returning staff, in all aspects of vegetable and seedling production. This is likely to include: propagation, planting, trellising, mulching, basic tractor work with both walk behind and larger tractors, harvesting, washing and packing, and selling at farmers markets and the farm stand. Assistant growers should be prepared to learn and practice a wide variety of vegetable and seedling production and sales/distribution skills in a fast-paced work environment. Assistant Growers will work with the management team to plan and carry out the weekly work plan, and will take leadership roles with the farm crew on tasks such as harvest, transplanting, and weeding.
 

Over the course of the year, the focus of our work changes with the season.  As a result Assistant Growers will work on, and learn more, about many different aspects of farming.  In spring we spend most of our time in the greenhouse or planting in the fields.  In the summers our time is spent planting, tending crops and harvesting.  In the fall we are often harvesting and putting produce into storage for the winter while we continue to plant crops that will be harvested in the winter and in the following season.  We go to farmers markets year round.  We try to make sure that all crew members experience a wide range of farming tasks.

Qualifications

Some farm experience required for the Assistant Grower position - a minimum of 1 summer season on a vegetable farm.  (If you don't have experience, we are also hiring for Full Time or Part Time Farm Crew). We look for solid listening skills, dependability, enthusiasm, flexibility, ability to change direction easily when conditions require, and a willingness to work hard. 

Working on a farm has many rewards, but has its challenges too, and we look for people with a positive attitude, who enjoy being part of a team, and who can remain upbeat even when it's hot. Candidates will need to perform repetitive physical tasks, work outside in varied weather conditions, and work quickly and carefully. Candidates must have local housing (there is no housing on this land) and reliable transportation (we are not easily accessible by public transportation.)

Preference is given to candidates able to work the full season from spring through late December. Year round work may be available for those interested.

Compensation 

Hourly pay starts at $17.50/hour for Assistant Growers, and is based on experience level, willingness to assume responsibility, and commitment for the season. Crew members also get $40 of vegetables and/or seedlings from the farm weekly.  A health insurance stipend and other benefits are available after 6 months of employment.

Compensation

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

Application instructions

Deadline

May 31, 2024