Company description

Front Porch Farm is a 110-acre diverse organic farm situated on the Russian River just 10 minutes from downtown Healdsburg in Northern California. Each year we grow roughly 10 acres of vegetables and berries, 5 acres of cut flowers, 2 acres of Floriani flint corn and maintain a plethora of fruit trees. With ecological farming principles at the heart of what we do, we strive to be responsible stewards of the land.

At the height of the season the days are long and tasks can be strenuous, so we aim to build a team with a strong work ethic that supports each other in maintaining a positive & healthy working environment. We strive to find the delicate balance between working hard and having fun. Our community is bilingual and multicultural, and some of our farm’s core values are inclusivity and connection across these lines. We work 40 hours per week on the farm with opportunities for additional weekend hours/responsibilities if desired.

Job description

About the vegetable program:

We grow vegetables year-round to supply our produce at 4 weekly Farmers Markets in San Rafael, Healdsburg, and Napa, as well as to chefs, restaurants and grocery stores and through our local co-op wholesaler: F.E.E.D Sonoma. We specialize in diverse heat loving crops in the summer and utilize storage crops and season extension techniques to have bounty throughout all four seasons. We are dedicated to maintaining the high quality product standards that we are known for. We are committed to crop diversity and efficient growing practices that build and nurture the soil.

About the position:

We are looking for hard working individuals to join our team to tend and harvest our crops during the upcoming growing season. This position requires skilled harvesters with attention to detail, a positive attitude, and (most importantly!) openness to feedback. We are looking to fill multiple Vegetable Crew positions, with additional weekend responsibilities which include either staffing the Healdsburg Farmers Market stand on Saturdays, staffing Saturday U-Picks, or being on a Saturday harvest/field work crew on the farm.

This is a seasonal, hourly position with the option of a 5 or 6 day work week. The schedule for this role could be either of the following:

• Monday - Friday on the farm (Vegetable crew), Saturday (Farmer’s Market staff / U-Pick staff / On-farm crew). (Sundays off)
• Tuesday - Friday on the farm (vegetable crew), Saturday Farmer’s Market staff. (Sunday + Monday off)
  8 hrs per work day, but may vary depending on the time of year.

Work is guaranteed from April through October.

Compensation is $19-$20/hour, commensurate with experience.

Housing on the farm may be available if needed for this position (no dogs allowed).

Primary Tasks and Responsibilities:

Vegetable Crew:

❏ Harvest: work efficiently to execute harvest list, prioritizing high quality and good pace.

❏ Post-harvest handling: processing, washing and packing produce for markets or orders.

❏ Fieldwork: planting, weeding, trellising, pruning, mulching, laying irrigation tape and more.

❏ Greenhouse work: sowing, thinning, potting up.

Farmers Market (if applicable):

❏ Assist work partner in setting up the stand prior to the start of market. Create and maintain a visually appealing farmer’s market display catered to the ease and enjoyment of the customer.

❏ Provide excellent customer service and communication.

❏ Knowledgeably and enthusiastically discuss our products and our farming practices with the public. Educate customers about the uses of our produce and share cooking tips.

❏ Conduct accurate sales transactions.

❏ Keep market supplies organized and maintained (containers, signs, tables, tents, etc.) during set-up, market and breakdown.

Desired Skills & Experience:

❏ 1-2 seasons experience working on a production farm is preferred.

❏ It is very important that crew members to be open to constructive feedback, able to take direction and implement improvements for productivity and quality!

❏ Excellent work ethic— prompt, communicative, takes initiative.

❏ A great communicator who is able to give and receive feedback to fellow crew members and management.

❏ Calm and efficient, and able to deliver excellent customer service at markets (if applicable).

❏ Works well independently and in a team setting.

❏ Innate attention to detail.

❏ Able to safely lift 50 lbs.

❏ Able to perform repetitive work in inclement weather, including heat up to 95˚F.

❏ Able to work in a well-fitting respirator in smoky conditions up to 250 PM AQI, for four hour increments, in the case of wildfires.

❏ Ability to speak Spanish a plus, but not required.

❏ Seeking a team player who is generally easy-going by nature, able to maintain a positive attitude and is motivated by a fast-paced environment.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $19.00 - $20.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline