Company description

About Dutchess Farm:

Located in Castleton and Poultney, Vermont, Dutchess Farm is a small family farm that has been in business since 1986. We grow a variety of produce for our CSA members, local wholesale accounts, custom growing, and farmer’s markets. We are known for our garlic, greens, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, and more. We use cover crops extensively and grow with organic inputs.

Our farm consists of about 10 acres. In warmer weather, 5 acres are in production while the other 5 are cover cropped. We also utilize 9 greenhouses, most of which are overflowing with heat loving crops like tomatoes, sweet peppers, zukes & cukes. In the winter, the greenhouses are home to greens such as spinach, kale, chard, and leafy brassicas.

Dutchess Farm works closely with local food banks & donates food to those in need.  

Do you love fresh food? A farm share & access to local farm products is included 

Job description

DUTCHESS FARM IS HIRING! 

Every season is an adventure in sustainable agriculture and the help our staff provides is essential. We work together to grow high quality food for our community and love to eat our vegetables. There are many exciting opportunities to learn and develop your farming skills, take home fresh veggies, and enjoy memorable experiences that are difficult to find working a 9-5 job. 

Two of our summer crew members are returning to school in August. We have a full time Farm Worker opening on our vegetable farm located in Poultney and Castleton. Help us plant, cultivate, weed, irrigate, harvest, wash and pack produce.

Ideal candidate should have multiple season vegetable production experience including growing in greenhouses & outside.
The position includes the opportunity to run the farm during the owners planned time off. The position would also have scheduled time off away from the farm.

Job starts mid-July

Job duties would include:

• Planting
• Weeding
• Drip Irrigation
• Vegetable harvesting for local farmer's markets, CSA's & bulk harvesting for winter storage
• Washing & sorting vegetables
• Tractor work for the right person

Mechanical ability is helpful, but not necessary.

 

 An ideal candidate should possess the following skills and experience:

• Experience in vegetable farming
• Dependability
• Attentiveness to detail
• Team player; adaptable & collaborative
• Effective communicator
• An interest in agriculture and local foods
• Ability to lift 50lbs
• Ability to drive manual transmission helpful but not necessary
• Willing to work in all kinds of weather. On hot days an early start time is expected to beat the heat
• Opportunity to work at Farmers' Markets
• We are ideally looking for a commitment through November

A non-comprehensive list of our day-to-day tasks is below: 

Greenhouse growing 

• Flipping crops, bed prep, transplanting, weeding 
• Trellising tomatoes & cucumbers  

Bed prep 

• Tillage-based — Chisel plowing, tilling, raised bed laying 
• No-till — Mowing, tarping

Weeding and pest management 

• Hand weeding, hoeing, flame weeding
• Set up & removal of row covers & bug netting
• For the right person: tractor-based cultivation like Williams tooling & hilling potatoes

Transplanting 

• Hand transplant often with the use of wheel dibbler & hand tools as well as water wheel (tractor) transplanter

Irrigation 

• Familiarity with drip systems helpful

Harvesting & Wash-pack 

• We normally have 2 large harvest days during the summer months. The harvest happens early in the day to ensure the proper cooling, and storage of crops during summer heat. 
• Washing, maintaining quality control of vegetables 

Miscellaneous 

• Farm maintenance — Organizing, mowing, maintaining deer fence
• Greenhouse maintenance 
• Direct seeding 

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $17.00 - $22.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline