Company description

Hall Brook Farm is a certified organic, commercial scale vegetable farm located in Thorndike, Maine; owned and operated by Pheonix and Megan O'Brien since 2014. We grow 20 acres of produce in the field and 3/4 of an acre in our greenhouses. At peak season we employ around twelve people. We put great value and emphasis on growing high quality produce in a way that is ecologically, financially and physically sustainable.

We sell our produce to grocery stores from Mid-coast, Maine to Eastern, Massachusetts. We focus on growing a handful of vegetable crops in order to maintain the highest quality possible, increase efficiency and meet our market's needs. We are fairly mechanized, so while there is some hand weeding, we do most of our cultivation mechanically. We are always trying to optimize efficiency and make a job as easy on our bodies as possible. We utilize harvesting equipment like harvesters and conveyors for major, bulk harvests.

The crew at Hall Brook Farm enjoys a fast-paced, efficient, team-oriented work environment. As managers, we emphasize clear and open communication, reasonable expectations, fair wages, fostering a work environment of inclusion, promotion and team- work.

Job description

The greenhouse manager is responsible for working alongside farm owners and other farm managers to manage our 3/4 of an acre of high tunnel production. This includes 3 heated and climate automated tunnels (the balance are unheated). In the spring/summer we prioritize growing mostly tomatoes, in the shoulder seasons and winter the priority shifts to mostly greens growing. We are looking for an experienced greenhouse grower to help us manage all aspects of our tunnel production. We are looking for a self-motivated individual who can work efficiently alone and also manage a crew effectively when required.

Responsibilities include:

• Light tractor work: using bucket to move necessary materials to and from work area, prepping and turning over beds, seeding with tractor seeder
• greenhouse maintenance: installing insect netting when appropriate, occasional light infrastructure repairs
• irrigation management and installation
• pest management
• managing farm crew on tasks such as flipping over greenhouses, planting, picking etc.
• nutrient management
• communicating to sales manager expected yields prior to harvest days

Requirements:

• experience, efficiency and knowledge of common greenhouse tasks including pruning tomatoes, picking, irrigation set-up, planting
• competence working within organic systems
• 2+ years' experience working on farms
• management experience preferred

Tasks vary depending on the time of year, but the job is mixed between working by yourself and managing a crew. There will be many days where you're just pruning tomatoes all day, and other times of year lots of bed flipping and planting. There will be little to no working in the rain and the winter days are often quite sunny and warm ;)

The greenhouse manager is a year-round position, 40+ hours during the growing season, and 3-4 days per week during the off-season (December-March). Compensation is $18/hour+ DOE, plus PTO, OT and workers comp. We are open to starting the right person immediately but are flexible on start dates.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $18.00 - $20.00

Application instructions

Deadline

May 01, 2025