Wild Work Farm Crew Members

Last Updated On: November 27th, 2023 at 07:16AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
49 Beede Lane
Keene Valley, New York, 12943

Primary Contact: Lissa Goldstein
Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 5186378302
    Email: hello@wildworkfarm.com

Website: https://www.wildworkfarm.com

Internship information

General Farm Description: Wild Work Farm is a three-acre farm that grows exceptional fruits and vegetables. Located in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate NY, we are at the north end of our little valley, meaning we have a beautiful and wild spot, surrounded by woods and mountains with the Ausable River on our western border. Wild Work Farm produces food for our town and the surrounding towns and is continuing a family tradition of growing food in the High Peaks on this piece of land. We're going into our seventh year of production and looking to continue building a more stable and resilient farm and business. We are a small farm, growing on about an acre and a half with another acre and a half in cover crop and perennials. We grow a wide variety of annual vegetables in open field production, as well as in one heated greenhouse and two high tunnels. We have a small blueberry field, asparagus, and an experimental orchard and are looking to expand our tree and perennial crops. We are lucky to market our produce close to home - at farmers' markets, a market-style CSA share, and through local wholesale outlets. Wild Work Farm is owned and operated by Lissa Goldstein with lots of help and support from her partner, Steve Wyatt, who works full-time off the farm as a carpenter. The farm crew is composed of some returning crew members and new crew members (you?!), with diverse backgrounds and skill sets.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: April 2024
Internship Ends: October 2024
Number of Internship Available: 3
Application Deadline: January 31
Minimum Length of Stay: 6 months

Internship Details:

We are looking for a few people to help fill out our crew for the 2024 season.  These positions work 3-5 days per week, with Fridays as a mandatory work day for everyone. Ideally, we’re looking for folks that might be interested in staying more than one year and are looking to grow with us.  There are opportunities to take on more responsibility over time, depending on your interests and the farm needs. This position can flex depending on the person and could primarily be an on-farm position, or could take the lead on our wholesale deliveries.

Our farmers are involved in all aspects of the farm’s production from seeding and planting, to soil preparation, cultivation and weeding, harvesting and post-harvest.  You’ll be participating in all the auxiliary tasks as well, like moving irrigation, packing orders, washing totes, and mowing. We are a small farm and we do all of our cultivation by hand tool and all of our harvesting by hand.

On the farm, we keep our day length reasonable, but we do work very quickly and efficiently during that time. You should be prepared to spend all day outside, in all kinds of weather, and to pace yourself for busy 8-hour days on the farm. You should be prepared for physical work!  We try to make tasks as ergonomic as possible and are always improving, but farm work is physical and you should expect to spend extended periods of time standing, bending over, lifting heavy items, or performing repetitive tasks.

What is it like to work with us? You can expect a highly organized workplace with a penchant for attention to detail and cleanliness. We are always trying to make work easier on us and more enjoyable. We work as a cohesive team and everyone is a valuable player. Word around town is that we are known for our record-keeping, clean, quality vegetables, and highly-skilled and efficient crew of farmers. We like to laugh and joke while we are moving through our day and we like the feeling of working really hard and then finishing at 3 or 4 pm with plenty of time for an afternoon swim or bike ride. If you are interested in farming in the long-term, or think you might be, WWF is a great place to hone your skills and learn what running a small farm business takes.

We prefer prior farm experience because we would like to attract folks who understand the nature and the pace of produce work. We are looking for people who are organized and have developed produce farm ‘soft skills’ like attention to detail and careful observation, how to move from one task to another, how to work quickly, and how to pace yourself over a day and a season.  That said, if you have experience that you think is comparable, please reach out!  We know that there are other professions or work experience that can give you an understanding of the work required in farming.

These positions are seasonal and start part-time in April, running through mid-late October. There is potential to work longer for those returning the following year. There is room for flexibility and growth in the seasonal schedule, but Tuesdays and Fridays will be required workdays during the main season from May through mid October.

Pay starts at $16-$18/hr., depending on experience. Paid Family Leave as per NYS regulation, Workers Compensation, and PTO at the end of the season with a commitment to a second season. All employees get access to farm seconds, plus a market share/employee discount to use for other items. Because we are on leased land, we cannot provide housing, but will help you find housing locally if needed.

Educational Opportunities: Lots of opportunities to learn through the work itself, which is truly the best way to learn!

Skills Desired: Prior commercial farm experience is preferred, but not required.

Meals: No

Stipend: Yes

Housing: No

Preferred method of Contact: Email