Company description

Humble Umbel Farm is a two-acre vegetable and flower farm outside Hillsborough, NC started by farming couple Anna and Brian in 2018. We specialize in year-round production of high-value crops, including lettuce, salad greens, root vegetables, herbs, microgreens, and cut flowers, as well as high tunnel tomatoes, cucumbers, and various other vegetable crops. We grow about 40 types of vegetables and 50 types of flowers, and sell our products at local farmers markets and wholesale flowers to local florists. Besides ourselves, we typically employ six people throughout the year (some seasonal, some year-round).

We manage our farm intensively using “market garden” tools and techniques, specialized hand tools, a BCS walk-behind tractor and associated implements, high tunnels, sprinklers, and various season extension strategies to extend harvests through hot summers and cold winters. We are passionate about crop quality and nutrient density, and our farming approach involves the use of progressive organic and biological techniques and materials, always striving to grow healthy plants that are immune to pests and diseases, and contain all the vitamins, minerals and medicinal components that plants should have. 

It is our mission to demonstrate that small-scale ecological farming can be productive, efficient, profitable, fun, meaningful, and play an essential role in local communities in terms of providing healthy food, developing resilient farming systems, contributing to the local economy, educating the public, all while building soil and taking care of the land.

Job description

We’re hiring for 1-2 Saturday Market Assistant positions for the 2025 season, running from March through the end of September, with the potential to go year-round (and/or return the following year). 

We are seeking hard working individuals who are reliable, passionate about local food, quick on their feet, and can maintain a positive attitude throughout a long day’s work no matter the weather! You must have experience in customer service (restaurant, retail, or food sales).

Market assistants will work directly with a farm owner and are responsible for setup and breakdown of market booths, managing produce and flower displays, engaging with customers, and running market sales through the Square App. Farmers markets are the primary sales outlet for our small farm, and it is of the utmost importance that you are dependable and show up for all scheduled shifts. Time off must be scheduled in advance. 

Your schedule would be Saturdays from 6:30 am to 12:30 pm for the Chapel Hill market, or 5:30 am to 12:30 pm for the Carrboro market (you will be assigned to one or the other market for the season).  If you are running a market without one of the farm owners, you may be responsible for driving the van, or truck and trailer, from the farm to market and running the market with another employee - your schedule may change to 4:30am-1:30pm (this is an infrequent occurrence and we will give you a minimum of two weeks notice).  

We pay an hourly wage starting at $20/hr. You will also be welcome to take home as much produce (and extra flowers) as you/your household can enjoy. 

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline