Job description

Sparrowbush Farm is looking to fill two positions for the 2016 growing season! Our farm is small but highly diversified - raising vegetables, livestock and grains with a focus on fall and winter production. We raise high quality, nutritious food using regenerative growing practices. We grow mainly for our Winter CSA, a 6-month share that partners with other producers to provide vegetables, meat, bread/grains, dairy and more to local members. We also sell in the summer months through farmers markets and wholesale accounts. We are lucky to be a part of a vibrant and diverse farming community in Livingston, NY, located in Columbia County in the Hudson Valley. 

More about our farm on our website. 

Because of the scale and diversity of our farm, you can expect a dynamic schedule as part of a small (3-4 member) and hardworking crew. The majority of all crew member time is spent on vegetable work, though there is opportunity for a focus on livestock management. Work will include most aspects of production, marketing, and land management, including tractor work. A significant amount of time will be spent working on group tasks organized by the Field Manager such as harvest and weed control, but this is not a traditional “field crew” position – there is a decent amount of time spent working independently and opportunity for management in one or more areas of specialization. Each crew member will be responsible for several aspects of weekly management to be decided based on individual interests and strengths. i.e. greenhouse production, livestock, egg processing, harvest, wholesale accounts.

We grow roughly 6 acres of vegetables each season which occupies most our our work time. A typical week at Sparrowbush generally includes a variety of tasks dependent on the time of year, for example: daily livestock chores, seeding, bed/field preparation, transplanting, cultivation, hoeing, hand-weeding, egg washing and packing, harvest and vegetable packing and delivery/farmers market. Most days will include a few of those tasks, but we also spend some days doing one thing for a long period of time - i.e. hoeing or transplanting. There is opportunity for other work such as building projects, tractor maintenance etc., especially in the early or late season. Because we are a small crew with a lot to do, we tend to keep a quick work pace. This position is great for someone who values efficiency as well as thoroughness and quality in their work, and enjoys creating and working within organized and effective systems for growing food.

As a relatively new farm entering it’s 5th season, this position is perfect for someone with one or more seasons of solid farming experience that wants to dig into the finer details of raising high-quality produce and livestock and understand their work within the context of an evolving farm business. There will be much opportunity to learn by doing, but formal educational experiences are not built in to this farm position (with the exception of C.R.A.F.T. program visits). We are looking for hardworking, enthusiastic, independently-motivated people with an eye for quality and a good sense of humor. Applicants should work well alone or in a group, contribute to a clean and organized work space, and be excited about being a crucial part of a growing farm business. Tractor experience and ability to drive stick are plusses but not requirements.

Both positions will begin mid-April 2016 and go until Thanksgiving. We work 40-55 hours/week, the schedule changes with the season. Pay is $9 an hour plus vegetables and other farm products. On-farm housing can’t be promised at this time.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until positions are filled.

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