To apply, please send a resume listing relevant work experience and a brief email introduction to Elena at [email protected].
More information about our farm:
We grow a wide variety of seedlings, flowers, vegetables and strawberries for four-season production. We sell our vegetable and flower seedlings at a plant sale in May and June at our roadside farm stand. We sell our vegetables, flowers, and fruits along with mostly organic produce from local farms at our roadside farm stand yearround (biweekly January-April, weekly November-December, more regular hours May-October). One of our motivations in staying open yearround is to provide a place for customers with HIP benefits to shop yearround. We welcome customers to our Pick-Your-Own flower field from June-October (weather-permitting). Our largest income comes from our Community Supported Agriculture programs with spring, summer, and fall vegetable shares and tulip, spring, and fall flower shares available. We sell wholesale produce to the Assabet Coop Market and Boston Food Hub in nearby towns. We donate produce weekly to the Boston Area Gleaners from May-December.
We became certified organic in May 2023. We use low-till practices in the fields and no-till practices in the tunnels and will continue to focus on growing intensively, in order to produce a great deal of food on small acreage! In 2026 we hope to lay the groundwork for perennial fruit and flower plantings.
Position Description
Hours:
- 24-40 Hours/week
Schedule:
- March: Tuesday, Thursday-Friday [24 hours/week]
- April, May: Tuesday-Friday [32-40 hours/week]
- June-Oct: Monday-Friday (occasional weekend hours may be requested) [36-40 hours/week]
Position Period:
- March 8-October 18
Compensation:
- $19-$20/hour, overtime pay at 1.5 x hourly rate. Overtime must be approved in advance by Elena. No overtime pay is anticipated.
- 2% of gross income as SIMPLE IRA employer contribution
- Paid wellness leave accrued at 1 hr per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours annually. Must be used as outlined in Employee Manual
- 40 hours paid vacation time. Vacation must be requested as outlined in Employee Manual, and may not be taken between May 4 and May 29. Specific days off may be denied if the farm’s staffing needs will not be covered.
- 3 paid holidays if they occur during regularly scheduled hours. Employees receive pay for the hours they would have been scheduled to work. Must be requested as outlined in Employee Manual
- Worker’s Compensation
- CSA Share during all seasons worked, and Add-On CSA Shares available at cost
- 25% Employee discount on all goods sold at farm stand
Job Summary
The Assistant Grower works closely with all managers on the farm in all aspects of crop production. The Assistant Grower has no management responsibilities. Activities include bed preparation, plant propagation, weeding, trellising, irrigation, harvesting, washing, and packing. This position may also be involved in property maintenance and occasionally setting up farm stand displays (ie: CSA or plant sale benches). No customer service is expected, though additional hours in the farm stand may be offered if desired. Occasionally the Assistant Grower may be asked to work alongside volunteers and support managers in group work.
The owners of Small Farm take pride in running a transparent operation, with access to production documents and budgeting tools available to interested employees.
Requirements
- At least one season of farmwork, with high tunnel and/or flower experience preferred
- Demonstrated ability to manage a project independently and communicate needs to achieve a successful outcome
- Understand the need for speed and efficiency, and actively seek ways to improve on these skills
- Physical ability to harvest field crops and transplant for up to 8 hours at time, and bend, turn, carry, and frequently lift up to 50 pounds
- Ability to maintain a positive attitude during adverse working conditions
- Comfortable working independently, in a group, and occasionally with volunteers
- Are able to dress to stay warm/dry/cool while working in all weather conditions, or are ready to learn how to do so