Hiring: Milker – Cricket Creek Farm

Cricket Creek Farm is looking to hire a part-time or full-time milker to join our team!

Cricket Creek Farm is a small, grass-based cow dairy nestled in the Berkshire hills of Williamstown, MA. We produce raw milk, grass-fed beef, rose veal, and whey-fed pork, in addition to our farmstead cheeses. We milk once a day and are currently milking about 26 cows. We care for 80-100 animals in total. Our dairy herd consists of pure Brown Swiss and Jersey cows as well as a variety of crosses as we have been breeding with Normande and New Zealand Fresian genetics. The beef herd is also mixed with some pure Hereford and Belted Galloway crosses.

This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in working with animals, supporting local agriculture, and reliable work with room for growth. While this role require quite a bit of independence, you will be joining a fun, small team of people passionate about food and farming.

Experience milking or working with farm animals is preferred, but we would be willing to train candidates who demonstrate a high level of competency. Full-time work can be considered for applicants with broader farm work experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Bring cows in for and take them back out to pasture after milking
• Milking
• Cleaning milking parlor
• Feeding and bedding calves
• Feeding and bedding pigs

If interested in additional work, other farm work that is typically done by milkers is available:

• Cleaning dairy barn with skid steer and bedding dairy cows
• Other bedding and feeding tasks
• Assorted basic maintenance and cleaning
• Filling milk bottles for our farm store.

COMPENSATION
Compensation range starts at $15 per hour and is based on relevant experience. Staff also receive a 20% discount on our pasture raised beef and rose veal, and our whey-fed pork, as well as all products in our farm store. Staff have complimentary access to a “seconds” section of the meat freezer, where meat with broken vacuum seals or freezer burn is stored, as well as access to ordering groceries at cost. These additional food benefits can add up to savings equivalent to a $1-2/hr increase in pay.

REQUIREMENTS

• Be able to lift 50 lbs
• Follow instructions extremely well
• Have strong communication skills
• Feel comfortable around large animals
• Pay excellent attention to detail. As a small team, it’s incredibly important for everyone to do a thorough job and constantly look for ways to improve efficiency or thoroughness. An appreciation for the importance of food safety and the milker’s role in ensuring the quality and safety of our milk and fostering the health of our cows are critical in this role.
• Weekend availability may be required
• Ability to work independently

TO APPLY
To apply, please email our Senior Farm Manager for Business Operations Anna Halpin-Healy at anna@cricketcreekfarm.com with a resume and brief description of why you are interested in the position.