Company description
Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center is a nonprofit, certified organic farm growing on 30 acres of conserved land along the Connecticut River in East Thetford, Vermont. Our organization has a deep commitment to developing organic agriculture systems for our annual vegetable and flower production and to offering educational programming that builds connections between our food, ecosystems, and community.
Our farm is a community hub with a farmstand, retail greenhouses, a farm kitchen, coffee shop, cut flower garden, education programs, and unique CSA options. It's a place where folks can learn about and deepen their appreciation for organic agriculture.
Our staff is a reflection of our community and is the most essential aspect of our farm. When you join our dynamic team, you'll have the opportunity to make valuable contributions to our greater mission of promoting organic farming and the transition to a localized food economy!
Job description
Full-Time
May - October
ABOUT THE POSITION
We believe it takes self-initiative, constant and thoughtful communication, a strong belief in the purpose/impact of our work, creativity, and love and appreciation for one another in order to accomplish the challenge that is diversified vegetable farming. We are currently seeking young agriculturalists (or folks with experience in other related hands-on trades) who are ready to be a vibrant part of our mission to grow healthy and abundant food for our community in an ecologically conscious way.
As a member of our team you should expect to be involved in the day-to-day planning and problem solving involved in the operation of our farm. Together we grow vegetables and berries on ~15 acres in a given year while managing the fallow years for the remaining 15. In addition to our outdoor space we grow extended season crops in 10 high tunnels and produce retail vegetable starts for sale in conjunction with our Annuals and Perennials team. Our focus is on the full cultivation of the crops we grow at Cedar Circle, from seed to washed-and-packed product, and our farmstand team takes it from there.
One of the most exciting aspects of diversified vegetable farming is the variety of work involved. While specializing and honing skills in one particular area enables a farmer to take pride and ownership in the work that they do, having a varied set of responsibilities keeps the work sustainable, interesting, and engaging. Our team is always working towards a model that provides both of these experiences for all team members.
RESPONSIBILITIES
We are lucky to be in possession of many tractor-based cultivation tools that improve our quality of life and efficiency; however, we hold a reverence for traditional hand-based methods for their lack of disturbance, reliability, and connection to the land. In conjunction with our research team we are always working to improve the outcomes of our practices with many interesting trials woven into our methods.
A non-comprehensive list of our day-to-day tasks is below.
Greenhouse
- Propagation house: Seeding, thinning, watering, grafting, tagging and organizing (retail starts)
- In ground growing, season extension: Bed prep (BCS), transplanting, weeding
- In ground growing, specialty crops: Lower and lean tomatoes, trellised cucumbers and peppers, etc
Bed prep
- Tillage-based: Mowing, primary and secondary tillage, amending, mulched bed formation
- No-till: Mowing, tarping, roller-crimp
Weeding and pest management
- Hand weeding, hoeing, flame weeding, tractor based cultivation
- Deploying bought-in IPM
- Manual pest management (squish squish)
- Setup and removal of row cover
Transplanting
Irrigation
- Hook-and-latch overhead systems, lay flat and drip systems
Wash-pack
- Cooler management and ensuring proper storage conditions, ensuring rapid removal, cooling, and storage of crops during summer heat, washing/processing, quality control
Miscellaneous
- Outdoor trellis maintenance
- Farm maintenance: Organizing, moving, consolidating materials, etc
- Greenhouse maintenance
- Side-dressing
- Perennial crop maintenance
- Direct seeding
- Assistance with other departments (one-team mentality)
Harvest is an essential component of vegetable farming and every member of our team participates in harvest together.
QUALIFICATIONS
- At least one season previous vegetable farm experience preferred (other manual labor work experience welcomed!)
- Excellent time management skills
- Consistent attention to detail
- Positive, energetic interpersonal skills
- Clear, consistent communication skills
- Ability to work independently and within a team
- Flexible, creative, and able to perform well in diverse conditions and under pressure
- Ability to work for long durations in inclement weather - standing, sitting, bending over, or kneeling
- Interest to return for consecutive seasons is a huge plus!
COMPENSATION
This is a seasonal position, full-time May through October (other time commitments considered) with flexibility to work weekends during certain parts of the season. We try to stick to a 40 hour work week to the best of our abilities.
The full season crew member is an hourly position with benefits including paid sick leave, fresh produce, a 20% discount at our farmstand and cafe, and access to an employee assistance program. Salary range is $15-17/hr, depending on qualifications.
Compensation
this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr
Application instructions
If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!
Deadline
no deadline