Company description

Small Farm is a 3 acre mixed vegetable, berry, and cut flower farm run by Elena Colman and Karl Goethert. We are certified organic and use no-till methods to plant intensively for our three-season CSA, four-season farm stand, farmers market, and wholesale accounts. We are a for-profit farm with a mission to:
- Increase the seasonal availability of fresh produce in our area, and create excitement around healthy food
- Operate an economically sustainable business, creating jobs that provide learning opportunities for employees
- Carefully steward the 20 acre property, using organic and no-till growing practices to improve soil health and host a biodiverse environment of plants, wildlife, and insects
- Create a supportive space where our community can interact with each other and the natural world

Work culture:
We are transparent about our production and financial plans, in order to provide staff useful tools for starting their own farm businesses and to understand their role in the bigger picture of the farm’s production. We provide knowledge and resources to support you in achieving production goals.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants with a genuine interest in learning about farming and a strong work ethic will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, or sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, parenting status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Job description

Job Summary

This is a leadership position, providing daily management of plant propagation in the greenhouse, overseeing the $30,000 plant sale, including the prebuy Plant Sale with online ordering; and providing daily management of irrigation for field and high tunnels. This position will report to Elena and work closely with Elena to deliver on greenhouse, plant sale, and irrigation production goals. Successful systems are in place for all of the responsibilities outlined in this position, and training will be provided by Elena to ensure successful outcomes. This position will lead all staff and volunteers, including other managers, while performing greenhouse, plant sale, and irrigation activities. After performing weekly field walks on Sundays (March-April, November-December) and Mondays (May-October), all identified tasks for the week will be entered into the Weekly Plan document, to be coordinated in conjunction with other farm needs and weather restrictions by Elena on Monday afternoons.

In addition to crop production, harvest, property maintenance, farm projects, and customer service as needed, this position includes the following responsibilities.

Requirements

• At least one season of farm work, with preference for more
• At least one season involved in farm greenhouse production
• Demonstrated ability to manage a project independently and communicate needs to achieve a successful outcome
• Understand the need for speed and efficiency, and actively seek ways to improve on these skills
• Physical ability to harvest field crops and transplant for up to 8 hours at time, and bend, turn, carry, and frequently lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude during adverse working conditions
• Comfortable working independently, in a group, and instructing others
• Are able to dress to stay warm/dry/cool while working in all weather conditions, or are ready to learn how to do so

Responsibilities

Greenhouse

Oversight

• During weekly field walk: assess seeding and potting up needs, monitor for pests and diseases in greenhouse plants. Enter needs into Weekly Plan.
• Monitor greenhouse supplies such as popsicle sticks, trays, markers, etc and submit orders as needed
• Identify maintenance, or other greenhouse needs, and report to Elena

Management

• Daily temperature and ventilation monitoring and control of greenhouse and overflow cat tunnel, including management of transplants on hardening off benches
• Daily watering of greenhouse
• Weekly seeding and potting up
• Pulling plants to harden off one week before planting as weather allows
• Lead all staff and volunteers in greenhouse work
• Ensure that all record-keeping required by Baystate Organic Program is completed on weekly basis

Irrigation

Oversight

• Monitor soil moisture levels using sensors to determine irrigation schedule for field and high tunnels
• Work closely with Elena to develop irrigation schedule for newly seeded or planted crops
• Monitor irrigation supplies and submit orders when needed
• Identify maintenance of, or other irrigation needs and report to Elena

Management

• Lead all staff on irrigation activities
• Deploy irrigation when on-farm, and delegate irrigation when off-farm to cover the irrigation schedule

Plant Sale

Oversight

• Create online store using Grownby with accurate inventory for Prebuy Plant Sale
• Update signage for farm stand display tables and Seedling Sale Handbook
• Monitor plant sale supplies such as signage and trays and submit orders as needed
• Perform weekly record-keeping for 6 weeks in May-mid-June answering these questions:
  • Any seeding dates to adjust?
  • What should we grow more of?
  • What should we grow less of?

• Ensure that all record-keeping required by Baystate Organic Program is completed on weekly basis
• Write 2026 Plant Sale Production Plan

Management

• Identify which plants are ready to sell live at the farm stand and through the Prebuy plant sale, by using the relevant data in the 2025 production plan
• Coordinate Prebuy, including organizing and leading staff on packing orders
  Water and monitor plant health of plants at farm stand tables. Create and maintain an attractive and customer-friendly display at farm stand. Compost plants as needed.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $19.00 - $21.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline