Hiring: Various Positions – Riverland Farm

Riverland Farm in Western Massachusetts is an established 50+ acre diversified vegetable operation marketing through several wholesale accounts and a winter CSA. Our Certified Organic farm is seeking highly motivated and eager individuals to fill key positions for the 2019 season.  Please send resume detailing any relevant experience, employment references, and which position you are applying for to info@riverlandfarm.com

The Expectation:

Farming is a very physically demanding job. The days are long and variable and require people with good mental and physical stamina. 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. A crew able to see the whole picture will, in turn, help the farm run efficiently.

We approach teaching our farming systems with an effort toward everyone becoming proficient and capable to all farm tasks and to be forward thinking and ready for anything. We need field crew and managers to understand the goals set for the day and for the season, and be willing to challenge oneself with physical endurance, mental stamina, and an open mind, a sense of humor welcome and helpful. The biggest challenges we face are all forms of weather, weed pressure, and the health of crew dynamic and the health of our crops. Our mission is to provide our community and producers with the best organic produce we can grow.

This can be one of the most satisfying and challenging experiences you can ever give yourself. If you can show up to work with a good attitude and be ready to get dirty, then we can all support each other and accomplish amazing things…and maybe even have a little fun doing it.

A person that excels in these roles is a good team player, has a positive attitude and good work ethic, is efficiently minded, has a good sense of humor, and is physically fit.

In addition to specific responsibilities listed, all employees will be responsible for:

Work in all aspects of vegetable production including greenhouse propagation, seeding and transplanting, Field seeding, transplanting, hoeing, hand weeding, and harvesting, etc.

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

 

2019 Full Time Field Positions- 45-60 hrs/week

(Part time positions can be discussed but will depend on availability and scheduling needs)
Runs April 1^st – Nov 25^th with possibility to continue into December

 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. A person that excels in this role is a good team player, has a positive attitude and good work ethic, is efficiently minded, has a good sense of humor, and is physically fit.

Responsibilities include:

• 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, it 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.

• Pay starts at $12.00/hr.

 

2019 Washroom manager 45-60 hours per week

Runs March 18^th-Dec 17^th with possibility to continue into the winter.

Responsibilities include:

• Including overseeing and implementation of washing, processing, and packing all farm produce.

• Harvest record keeping
• Maintaining inventory of washroom and packaging supplies
• This will involve management of a small crew of helpers that may change on a daily basis.
• Keeping quality control, cleanliness, and food safety a priority for all workers involved in the process.
• Maintaining inventory of produce in storage and communicating when supply is running low

• Communicating any inconsistencies with planned harvest amounts or quality with harvest manager.
• Always having an eye toward the next task and how to use assisting personnel in an efficient manner.
• Communicate with farm managers ideas for washroom improvement
• Maintaining cleanliness of washroom on a daily basis, Compost out, Making sure nothing ends up accumulating in the space that doesn’t belong.
• Pay is commensurate with experience starting at $12.50/hr.

2019 Greenhouse Manager 45-60 hours per week

Runs March 11^th-Dec 17^th with possibility to continue into the winter.

1. Implement seedings and transplantings in the greenhouse according to greenhouse schedule.
2. Water and fertilize the greenhouse on a daily basis according to feeding schedules and watering needs
3. manage a crew of people in greenhouse seeding and transplanting tasks
4. Operation of vacuum seeder for some seeding tasks
5. Familiar with and able to control heat and ventilation systems in the greenhouse
6. Recognizing and communicating any issues with crop health, poor germination, or timing on getting plants out of the house to harden off or plant.
7. Being aware of the supply inventory, including seeds that we are short on, trays, tray tags, soil mix, etc.
8. Communicate any deterioration issues of trays, tables, water systems, heating and ventilation systems.
9. Management of 2 additional high tunnels including irrigation, fertility planting, weed management, and house turnover.
10. Pay is commensurate with experience and will start at $12.50/hour

Pay is commensurate with experience starting at $13/hr.

2019 Part Time Delivery Driver approx. 36 hrs/week

Runs May 21^st – Dec 20^th (there will be some additional farm work required when deliveries are light)

Responsibilities include

• Driving an automatic transmission 16’ Cabover Box Truck or other vehicle on short and long range deliveries.
• Ensuring that truck is running smoothly and is refueled when required. Report any potential issues with the truck to farm owners immediately.
• Making wholesale deliveries at different locations weekly.
• Typical hours will be 6:30 am – 12:30 pm Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday

6:30 am – 3:30pm Monday and Wednesday

• Applicant must have some experience driving a box truck and be able to easily back it up to a loading dock.
• Prior delivery experience dealing with invoices and customers is a plus
• Ideal candidate for this position has driven trucks of this type consistently, is very responsible, and is able to carry out detail oriented tasks with little supervision.
• Experience with a pallet jack is a plus
• Pay starts at $13/ hr.