Company description

East Brook Community Farm (Walton, NY www.eastbrookfarm.com)

East Brook Community Farm grows diversified vegetables on 1 acre and serves a 75 member multi-farm CSA, mutual aid distributions, local restaurants, and an on-site farmstand. We use low tech no-till methods to produce consistently high quality produce for our community. We prioritize supporting each other’s health and well-being as we collaboratively care for the land we steward. This year’s farm crew consists of one full-time worker-owner (White) and one returning once/week crew member (Asian American). East Brook is a 15 minute drive from Iridescent Earth Collective.

Iridescent Earth Collective (Delancey, NY IG: @iridescentearthcollective)

Iridescent Earth Collective (IEC) is a Queer, Black & Latinx led farm duo from the Bronx, growing food for the Bronx in rural New York. The two of us (Kitty and Jessica) have over a decade of experience in farming, education, and community organizing. Iridescent Earth Collective is supporting queer folk in growing food for the Bronx through intentional resource/skill sharing, mutual aid farming and holding space for queer NY based farmers of color throughout their journey in mutual aid work. IEC is a member farm of the West Branch Commons.

West Branch Commons (Delancey, NY https://www.catskillsagrarianalliance.org/wbc)

East Brook Community Farm and Iridescent Earth Collective are collaborators on the West Branch Commons, the inaugural Land Access project of Catskills Agrarian Alliance. WBC is a community-centered initiative involving local and regional farmers and supporting organizations, working to make farming and farmland accessible to the new generation of farmers.

Job description

Iridescent Earth Collective (IEC) and East Brook Community Farm (EBCF) are looking for a shared Farm Crew Member for the 2024 growing season. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience on two small-scale queer-run farms with complementary approaches to land and community care.

Job Title: Farm Crew Member, Iridescent Earth Collective and East Brook Community Farm

Hours:

Full-time (35-40 hours per week). Monday- Friday. Mondays and Tuesdays @ Iridescent Earth Collective. Wednesdays through Fridays @ East Brook. We may occasionally decide to deviate from this schedule to complete specific projects, but will maintain the same overall distribution of hours among our farms.

Position Period:

May 1st through November (start date somewhat flexible; end date flexible)

Compensation:

• $16 hourly pay
• Produce
• Housing in a shared farm house at East Brook, if needed

Fair Hiring Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity of expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strongly encourage Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Black, Indigenous, and persons of colors to apply. We embrace (not just tolerate) differences, and as young queer farmers in the Catskills, we are committed to further building a community that is safe and welcoming to queer folks, especially those working the land.

Job Summary

The Farm Crew Member will work alongside IEC and EBCF to support our work of growing and distributing fresh produce. This position involves a wide range of tasks in all weather conditions. The farm crew member can expect to harvest, plant, weed, wash, and pack produce, as well as help with general field tasks such as irrigating and trellising. An ideal candidate loves to work hard, is excited to learn and improve on a wide range of skills, and is passionate about growing good food to build towards food sovereignty in our region.

We love what we do, and are committed to providing a fun, safe, and supportive environment in which we can all learn and grow together. We strive to communicate clearly so that expectations are both known and achievable. While this is not a farm apprenticeship, we encourage questions and are happy to share as much as we can about farming. The Farm Crew Member will also have opportunities to connect to other local farms and farmers through events/workshops/gatherings hosted by the Greater Catskills Young Farmers Coalition.

Responsibilities include:

• Basic Field Work
  • Prepare beds for planting
  • Harvest, wash, and pack produce
  • Maintain beds by weeding, mulching, etc
  • Transplant vegetables
  • Other maintenance and horticultural tasks as needed
• Other Potential Duties
  • Irrigation
  • Direct Seeding
  • Watering seedlings
  • Trellising
  • Wash station / greenhouse construction improvements (EBCF)
  • Event/workshop support (IEC)
  • Volunteer management (IEC)
  • Trailer maintenance (IEC)

Desired Qualifications

• Some farming/gardening experience (less than a full season is ok). Familiarity with plants and basic farming practices / knowledge is key.
• Reliable transportation
• Can work full days doing both physically demanding and sometimes tedious tasks in a variety of weather conditions
• Must be able to perform physical work in a variety of positions and at various heights including lifting up to 40 pounds, bending, stooping, reaching and twisting

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Able to work effectively and maintain deadlines with at times limited supervision
• Able to collaborate and work well with others, including coworkers and the public.
• Able to asking clarifying questions and communicate concerns and needs
• Able to receive and provide constructive feedback
• Genuine interest in food production, food sovereignty and distribution
• Strong physical and mental work ethic, sense of pace and self-awareness, and desire to participate in daily field work as a productive member of the farm crew
• Desire to learn and improve one's skill set and knowledge base via hands-on practice
• Excited to work with and build support for multiracial, multicultural queer farmers

Compensation

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

Application instructions

Deadline

April 15, 2024