Company description

Job description

Six River Farm is an organic vegetable farm located in Bowdoinham, Maine.  Our farm is made possible by the hard work of our crew. Our farm crew position is the core of our farm: it's a basic, do-everything farm position. Employees participate in all aspects of work on the farm, from planting to weeding to harvesting. We offer an opportunity to work outside and learn many aspects of organic vegetable production. We think farm work is very rewarding, but it can also be very tiring and challenging. We work in all weather conditions throughout a long growing season. Therefore we look to hire individuals who are self-motivated, appreciate hard work, and have a sense of humor.

This position begins on April 7th and ends on November 25th.  Additional winter work may be available to employees interested in working a second season.  Hours are M-F, 7am-4pm and 6am-3pm July-Aug (schedules with weekend work are possible).  Applicants must be able to commit to the full farm season.  Starting pay is $18.00/hr.  On farm housing is not offered as part of the position.  Prior farm experience or comparable outdoor work (landscaping,trail crew, etc) is preferred, but not required.

If you are interested in a position on our farm crew, please read the below job expectations.

What employees can expect from us:

• We strive to have a workplace that is safe and healthy and where everybody is treated fairly and with respect.
• We ask our employees to master a wide range of tasks around the farm and so we aim to provide clear and organized training sufficient for employees to complete the work at hand and understand how that work fits within the larger context of the farm.
• The work primarily includes planting, weeding, harvesting, and washing and packing vegetables for sale.  Much of this work is done by hand.
• We harvest and pack vegetables on most days. Mondays and Thursdays are the busiest harvest days, as we get ready for our Tuesday, Friday and Saturday farmers markets.
• The work day includes paid for lunch and morning break and free access to excess vegetables.  Employees are provided 1 paid sick day per 2 months employment.
• We only hire hourly employees and do not offer apprenticeships. However, we are more than happy to share all that we know about farming.  If you are interested in gaining experience in farming we can share knowledge and resources on topics from soils and field preparation to greenhouse work to record keeping and financial information.  Nothing about our farm is off limits.
• Our farm is a tobacco and drug-free workplace.

What we expect from our employees:

• Punctuality: It is important that all of our crew arrive on time and be ready to work each morning. We go over the schedule and give important information to the whole crew first thing in the morning, so a start time of 7am means actually being in the field and ready to begin work at 7am.
• A good work ethic:  The work we do is hard, physical work.  We expect employees to stay focused and work efficiently.  Employees need to enjoy working and to feel satisfied by a job well done. At times work on the farm can be repetitive and tiring. We value employees who can remain motivated and hard working throughout the day.
• An ability to work in groups as well as independently: We usually try to work together in groups, but sometimes employees are expected to work on their own to complete tasks.
• A willingness to ask questions and learn from mistakes:  We encourage questions of all kinds.  Sometimes instructions may not be clear or tasks may change over the course of the season. We prefer that employees speak up so we can better explain how and why a job is done the way it is.
• An appreciation for efficiency: We focus on getting jobs done in the most effective and efficient manner possible. We try to demonstrate how to best complete different tasks and we expect employees to follow our examples and be willing to learn and emulate them even if they are difficult at first and do not seem intuitive. We are also always receptive to suggestions on how to improve systems on the farm and we strive to be open to constructive criticism. We expect the same from our employees.
• The ability to work hard in all weather conditions: We expect our crew to work outdoors even on days that are very cold or wet.  Employees must bring their own rain gear and other clothing necessary to stay warm, dry, and comfortable during the day.
• A sense of humor: It is always good to laugh and have fun while working hard!

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

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Deadline

no deadline