Hiring: Kitchen Magician (Kitchen Manager) – Song Sparrow Farm

Kitchen Magician (Kitchen Manager)

Song Sparrow Farm & Kitchen

www.songsparrowfarm.com

Song Sparrow Farm is seeking a ​​Kitchen Magician (Kitchen & Grill Manager).

The position is available for 32 hours a week starting March 15th, 2024. The role requires work on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. You’ll have flexibility to choose the other day you work.

This role operates out of Mycoterra Farm’s Commercial Kitchen in South Deerfield, MA and at farmers markets in Greenfield (Saturday) and Easthampton (Sunday).

Compensation for the role is $20/hr plus commissions on market sales, and tips.

Role

As the Kitchen Magician, you will be responsible for the weekly planning and preparation of preserved and cooked foods that go to our CSA members, wholesalers and farmers market customers. You won’t do this alone – farm crew will have kitchen days set aside to help you execute your cooking plans. You will also be responsible for cooking and serving prepared food at two weekend farmers outdoor markets.

Kitchen work includes:

• Planning a weekly cooking schedule
• Baking and packaging sweet and savory gluten-free baked goods
• Pickling and preserving farm produce
• Preparing and packaging deli-style side dishes
• Infusing, blending and bottling tea beverages
• Processing and drying fresh herbs (for sale as spice blends or above teas)
• Directing a crew of farm team members to preserve produce and make side dishes for distribution through the CSA and farmers markets

Farmers Market work includes:

• Making sure the necessary equipment, supplies, and ingredients are going to market
• Loading and driving a commercial van for less than an hour to and from markets
• Cooking, transporting, unloading, and serving prepared foods at Saturday and Sunday markets
• Building relationships and community with customers and market vendors

Requirements

• Bake sweet and savory gluten free good
• Cook with vegetables, meat, grains, mushrooms, dairy, eggs, and herbs
• Work in the kitchen on Fridays
• Work at the outdoor farmers markets in Greenfield on Saturdays and Easthampton on Sundays in all weather conditions
• Operate propane cook stoves outdoors
• Maintain a clean kitchen environment
• Maintain on site equipment
• Stack, unstack and restack up to 40 lbs
• Work well with others, take direction, give and receive feedback & collaborate.

Ideal Candidates may possess any of the following:

• Food service management experience.
• A ServeSafe certification. If not, are you willing to go through the training? 
• Experience baking. Bonus points if you have experience with gluten-free baking!
• Communicate with care and respect.
• Manage priorities and time to accomplish goals.
• Ask questions, take initiative, and work independently.
• Love to use their creativity to cook up dishes and drinks with local, seasonal ingredients.
• Are interested in participating in local food processing, market gardens, or any aspect of the food system.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation for the role is $20/hr PLUS
  • Commission on market sales. A commission structure will be decided with the candidate.
  • Farmers market tips
  • A full-season Song Sparrow Farm produce share.
• A behind-the-scenes look into our local food system.
• A part-time management position meant to help create space for team members to work in team leadership, while also engaging in other parts of their lives. If more hours are necessary in order for this role to work for the right candidate, we can flex. 
• Song Sparrow Farm strives to create a work environment where people can learn, share, and be themselves.

How to Apply

Fill out this application form and upload your resume. We aim to follow-up with all applicants within 1-2 business days.

About Song Sparrow Farm

Song Sparrow Farm is on a mission to make nutrient dense food more accessible to the communities we serve. Our 1.5 combined acres of market gardens in Easthampton and Florence will produce veggies and herbs that are turned into pickles, veggie sides, prepared food, baked goods, and herbal teas available at several farmers markets and farm stands in Western Mass. We are committed to growing practices and techniques that build healthy living soil, sequester carbon, and build resilience. That means we don’t till, rotate planting, plant cover crops, and save seeds.

2024 is the third season for the Song Sparrow crew, which had a tough 2023 after a flood devastated our crops in Florence. Despite the tough losses, we pivoted to develop Song Sparrow Kitchen, a project which blossomed because of the support we received from a collection of farmers, herbalists, and food producers in our amazing community.

Song Sparrow Farm is owned and operated by Toni Hall, who views growing food as an act of resilience and resistance. They grew up in the garden & making music. They learned how to farm, how to be an educator, and how to get large quantities of food to food insecure communities. They lease farm land, work-trade for kitchen access, and run this business to grow community and plants, hoping that both will act as medicine. Song Sparrow’s crew is queer and full of cheer. We share food, laugh a lot, and always make time to pet and play with one very sweet farm dog, named Dandy Lion.