Hiring: Assistant Vegetable Farmer – The Farm School’s Program For Visiting Schools

Assistant Vegetable Farmer

The Farm School’s Program For Visiting Schools in Athol, Ma. is looking for a highly motivated, energized individual who wants to help us give authentic farm experiences to over fifteen hundred students a year while supporting our production vegetable growing operation. This is a new and seasonal position at The Farm School, which reflects our interest in broadening the ways in which youth visiting the farm through our Program for Visiting Schools (PVS) can connect with the land by merging the vegetable production and youth programming elements of The Farm School. Working with a team of food producers and the PVS farmer/teacher team, the assistant vegetable farmer will build and strengthen partnerships with our PVS schools by growing food for their school communities (especially those facing food insecurity) while continuing to address food insecurity in our local Orange/Athol community by providing food for programs run through Quabbin Harvest such as their Senior CSA Shares and HIP funded CSA shares. Our goal is to build a more reciprocal relationship with those in our community as well as the visiting teachers and youth who help us plant the seeds and care for the land creating a direct link to the source of the food they eat.

Core responsibilities:

— Delivery of food to partner schools/organizations locally and in the Boston area

— Support all aspects of the growing operation, including regular participation in (and potential management of) harvest/wash up and greenhouse tending

— With growing team, participate in PVS programming/chore rotations

The Assistant Vegetable Farmer’s typical week will include 1 – 2 days per week delivering food to our partners, 1 – 2 days per week involved in harvest, wash up and pack out. The remainder of the week will feature a mix of other aspects of the growing operation including greenhouse watering, bed prep, transplanting, weeding and whatever else comes up on our 1.5 acre market garden as determined by the PVS Grower-Coordinator and current members of the growing team. Participation in regular staff meetings, including all-staff Racial Equity and Liberation meetings, is another expectation of the role.  Like most roles at The Farm School, working alongside youth is an important part of this position and all applicants must bring an openness to sharing the work with PVS program participants.

In addition to the particular aspects of this position, the unpredictable nature of farming/working with youth and our shared responsibility for the care of the farm requires that all employees engage in the process of meeting the needs of the farm/program- gardens, fields, forest, barns, bunkhouses, kitchens etc. and to do so in communication with the PVS Program Director, Co-Directors and fellow farmer/teachers. This includes participation in a rotation of weekend recycling, greenhouse watering and animal chores across the farm.

Things we’re looking for…

• A passion for working with youth and adults on the land
• A commitment to racial equity and liberation
• 1- 2 seasons vegetable growing experience
• A valid driver’s license, clean driving record and comfort driving in both urban and rural settings
• An ability to work within a schedule that has multiple transitions
• Experience with weed management, greenhouse management, harvest and post-harvest handling.
• Comfort with repetitive, physical work that includes heavy lifting.
• Excitement about communicating your work with others.
• An ability to prioritize, work efficiently and ask for help when needed.
• Comfort with farm machinery operation a plus
• Basic carpentry and building/equipment maintenance skills are a plus

Compensation/benefits:

• Monthly salary, $2,500/month
• Full health insurance coverage (no dental)
• Participation in our Simple IRA retirement plan
• 1 week of paid vacation
• On-site housing provided and access to Farm School produced food

Timing of job:

This is a seasonal position with an early April start date running through the end of September with the possibility for extended employment later in the growing season.

To apply:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@farmschool.org with title: PVS Assistant Vegetable Farmer. We will review applications on a rolling basis and look to fill the role by the beginning of April. We will review all application submissions and will follow up with candidates who have been selected to continue in our search process.

We serve diverse communities of students and we are striving to develop a staff that reflects that. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply to our open positions. The Farm School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in any of its school administered policies or programs.