Hiring: Full-time Field Crew – Riverland Farm

2021 FULL TIME FIELD CREW -Riverland Farm

The Farm: Riverland Farm is a Women-run, Certified Organic Farm in Western Massachusetts. We grow high quality, organic produce for our community. We are invested in the health and viability of organic farmland in our region and continue to work to maintain and improve the land we farm.

We grow 40 acres of certified organic vegetables on prime agricultural soil along the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. We take pride in the quality of our vegetables and the ongoing relationships we maintain with our customers, locally and regionally.

Our growing practices, inputs and systems reflect our high standards for healthy land, good food and worker safety. We use only sustainable practices and organic approved inputs. We are a USDA Certified Organic Farm, certified by Baystate Certifiers.

The Job: Working on a farm crew often fosters lasting connections and friendships. We have a small and tight knit crew that works very closely with one another on a daily basis. We aim to have our crew working together towards common goals and supporting one another through the wide range of ups and downs of farming. Farming is a very physically demanding job. The days are long and variable and require people with good mental and physical stamina. A person that excels in this role is a good team player, has a positive attitude and good work ethic, is efficiency minded, has a good sense of humor, and is physically fit.

All positions include benefits of an hour paid lunch, allotted vacation time, paid holidays off, and use of vegetables for cooking and preserving!

All applicants will be considered for these positions but preference is given to those with prior farm experience. You must have a valid driver’s license to apply.

The people in these positions make up the core of our field production crew and will be responsible for a myriad of tasks in the production of fresh high quality produce from seed to harvest and pack out.

Responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Greenhouse work including  seeding, transplanting, filling seedling trays with soil, moving seedling trays around and out of the greenhouse
• Field work including transplanting  by machine and hand, hoeing, hand weeding, and managing row cover
• Harvest work is mostly done by hand for the many vegetable crops we grow and requires a lot of heavy lifting, includes using sharp tools (knives / clippers), rubber bands for making bunches, and requires a lot of counting and meticulous quality control.
• Post-harvest work including  assisting the washroom manager with produce washing and packing activities.
• Operation of farm vehicles
• Clean up of farm waste and  organization of materials
• Additionally some tasks such as light carpentry, painting, and building or equipment maintenance will be part of these positions.

Positions start in May and continue through October or November

Description of Benefits:

• Paid holidays off when applicable-
•  Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day
• Additional allotted vacation time
• Paid lunch hour
• Vegetables for personal use, canning,  and freezing
• Occasional crew lunches at the farm!

Pay: starts at $13.50/hour and is commensurate with experience

To apply: email resume, cover letter and three references to employment@riverlandfarm.com