Company description

Located on San Juan Island in northwest Washington State, Ferry Boat Seeds specializes in growing and cleaning organic vegetable and flower seed on contract for retail seed companies. We serve local, regional and national clients. Our operation is headquartered on a 17-acre certified organic farm and we partner with 3-5 other local farms to produce additional seed crops. We believe strongly in the importance of genetic diversity in agricultural systems – and the importance of clean, disease-free seed, especially in organic farming. Ferry Boat Seeds’ mission is to help increase the range of crop varieties available to farmers as high-quality organic seed, supporting the success of those working towards a richer and more resilient food system.

Ferry Boat Seeds is managed by its two owners, Brook and Louisa Brouwer. Our team is small and every member counts. We care about our employees’ wellbeing and strive to create a welcoming and safe work environment where roles are aligned with the individual skill sets and preferences of crewmembers.

Job description

Field Hands will assist with production of vegetable and flower seed crops on six acres at our certified organic home farm on beautiful San Juan Island, in addition to 3-5 off-site locations. Tasks will include crop management in the field and greenhouse; seed harvest and cleaning; and detailed record keeping. Field Hands will work primarily under the direction of the Assistant Farm Manager, both independently and as part of a 2-4 member team. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about seed and commercial organic crop production in an organized and supportive environment.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Help with crop production activities including:

• Greenhouse transplant production, direct seeding and transplanting
• Manual weeding and mechanical weeding with walk-behind tractor
• Installing and tending of drip and overhead irrigation systems
• Careful cleaning of field equipment to reduce risk of transporting crop disease and weed seed between sites
• Seed harvest, including manual and mechanical swathing and threshing

Help with seed cleaning activities including:

• Mechanical and manual threshing
• Cleaning seed using a variety of seed cleaning equipment including air-screen cleaner, draper, gravity table, decorticator and Winnow Wizard
• Maintaining a clean working environment and ensuring all equipment is thoroughly cleaned between seed lots
• Packing and shipping seed

Contribute to general farm operations:

• Keeping detailed daily records of activities
• Maintenance of farm headquarters (mowing, weed whacking, general cleanup)

Additional duties as assigned:

• This position will require flexibility as business needs and tasks vary with season, crew availability, weather and general growing conditions
• Depending on skill level, basic operation of field and cultivating tractors

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Positive and collaborative attitude
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and in a small crew
• Ability to accept direction and constructive feedback
• Ability to prioritize and complete tasks efficiently
• Ability to work outside for extended periods in hot, cold, dry, wet, windy, dusty (and often very pleasant!) weather conditions
• Ability to use spreadsheets for record keeping and to keep detailed notes of activities throughout the work day
• For seed cleaning, applicants must be comfortable working inside for extended periods in a loud and dusty environment (appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is provided)
• Ability to repeatedly lift 30 lbs
• Ability to stand, bend, crouch and squat for long periods of time
• Valid driver’s license for travel to offsite locations and supply runs

PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in commercial agriculture.
• Experience with seed production.
• Experience with tractor operation.
• Basic carpentry skills would be a big asset.

WORK SCHEDULE

16-32 hours per week, Monday through Thursday, exact hours by arrangement. Our typical workday is 08:30am to 5:00pm including a half-hour lunch break. There is potential for flexibility in schedule, though we appreciate it if workdays can largely be arranged for the same day each week.

Compensation includes wage of $20-25/hr, depending on experience; 15 minutes' paid rest per 4 hours worked; paid vacation and sick time; a workwear stipend; Washington state payroll benefits; and access to free organic produce and flowers from the Ferry Boat Seeds Staff Garden.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $20.00 - $25.00

Application instructions

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Deadline

March 31, 2026