Vegetable Farm Worker at Little Hat Creek Farm, a Farm-Bakery

Last Updated On: septiembre 22nd, 2022 at 08:56AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
163 Shaeffers Hollow Lane
Roseland, Virginia, 22967

Primary Contact: Ben
Secondary Contact: Heather

Primary Phone:
    Type: Home
    Number: 14342779304
    Email: littlehatcreek@gmail.com

Website: http://littlehatcreek.com

Internship information

General Farm Description: We grow 50+ vegetables on an acre and a half and bake sourdough breads and pastries in our woodfired oven. We sell mostly at farmers markets, which we do 10 months of the year. We are proud of our work producing nutrient-dense food that is sold locally. We see ourselves as part of a community of food producers all doing their small part to fix a food system that doesn’t account for humanity’s impact on the environment, and we are looking for a worker who wants to help us and learn from us. You will be an essential part of our business and gain hand-on experience using organic methods to bring vegetables to market. 2023 will be our tenth season earning all our income from our business, and our sales have grown by around 30% each year. Our team includes one full time and one part time farm workers, plus two full time and one part time bakery workers.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: Flexible, mid-March preffered.
Internship Ends: Flexible, until Thanksgiving preffered.
Number of Internship Available: 1 full time (we have already hired the part time farm worker)
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Minimum Length of Stay: Full season

Internship Details:

You will learn all aspects of growing ecological vegetables, including seeding, planting, harvesting, sorting, weeding, mulching, and selling at market. You will learn skills such as greenhouse management, efficient harvest techniques, cover cropping, and how to run a profitable business focused on farmers’ markets. We strive for a work environment that is challenging but not grueling. One thing we love about farming is that the tasks we do each day change from week to week. We are very open about our business and we are happy to share our sales, expenses, and budget numbers with our employees. Short unpaid vacations are possible if we know in advance.

Educational Opportunities: We are a small professional market farm that wants to train future farmers and business owners. Our goal is that you will learn both the vegetable grower skills and the business skills you need to start your own ecological vegetable farm business. We love to make observations about plants and talk about the business of farming. We are very open about our business and we are happy to share our sales, expenses, and budget numbers with our employees as well as discuss business plans. We will train you to do at least one farmer's market with us every week, and during the season, we will tour other small farms in our area. We believe that economic success is an important, and often overlooked, piece of "sustainability." We recognize that the success of other businesses is just as important as our own, which is why we helped found the Common Grain Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to improving the food system by strengthening economic connections among grain growers, millers, and bakers. However, while we focus on the bottom line, we also value family, relationships, and well-being, and we work hard to make space and time for it all. Our farm is in the heart of Virginia’s rural Blue Ridge Mountains, close to the thriving “Brew Ridge Trail” and abundant outdoor activities, including Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Our region has a thriving community of small farms and artisanal food producers, which you will become a part of. As our workers prepare to take the next step towards their goals, we work hard to connect them with the resources they need. Several of our recent employees relocated to work for us, and, through the connections they gained while working here, settled in Virginia.

Skills Desired: Previous farming or other physical work (landscaping, restaurants) is preferred, but mostly we care about a keen interest in sustainable agriculture and a strong work ethic. You should take pride in your work and enjoy working independently. You learn quickly, and can execute tasks efficiently while maintaining sufficient attention to detail. You can perform physically-demanding tasks outside in all kinds of weather, and maintain a sense of humor. You are thoughtful, inquisitive, and find joy in hard work, good food, and good company. We want you to ask questions and make observations. You must have a valid driver's license and good driving record, and be comfortable driving a large van on mountain roads. You should be able to easily lift 50 pounds, and be in good physical condition. You will also need a working smart-phone to operate a Square reader for credit card sales and keep records in Google Sheets. Please check out our website http://littlehatcreek.com and our instagram @littlehatcreek to get a feel for us and our farm before you apply.

Meals: No.

Stipend: Starting pay is $11-13/hr (depending on experience). Other compensation includes all the our surplus vegetables, bread, and croissants you can eat, and the right to trade our produce at farmers' markets with other vendors. Expect to work 40-50 hours per week with 2 days off per week. Your hours may exceed 50/week at peak harvest periods.

Housing: Housing is available for rent. In the summer of 2022, we completed the construction of a four-bedroom, 1500 square ft rental house just a 10 minute drive from the farm. In previous years, workers have lived in a room in our house, in a garden shed with a kitchen and electricity, and in a trailer on the farm. As our business has grown from one full time employee to four, and as our kids grow older, we have struggled to find affordable, decent housing for our workers. We are excited to be able to offer better housing for our workers going forward.

Preferred method of Contact: Email