Solidago Farm is a family owned, 2 acre, small-scale organic vegetable & flower farm. We have been operating since 2020, growing more every year. We grow an array of vegetables and manage most of it by hand. We sell at two local farmers markets as well as collaborate with local chefs. We seek crew members who have some experience with farming or physical labor, a deep work ethic, a sense of humor and a strong commitment to providing local food. We are seeking folks who would like to help us grow and improve the farm into the future. If you do not have experience but are passionate about learning & are interested in having your own vegetable production/homestead - this is a great place to learn and work. We are a young ambitious farm, small enough that your presence will really have an impact.
We are currently seeking a part time field assistant from now until end of November and the hours and days are flexible with the exception of Friday. Friday is our harvest day for our weekend farmers markets and this day is the most integral for success. Fridays will begin at 7AM and will never go past 6:30PM, but during the height of summer there is more picking to be done so you must be available till then. Some days we might end earlier- depends on when we are finished.
We are offering an ADDITIONAL 20+ hours during the week, preferrably Monday & Wednesday but this can be flexible - what is important is that the tasks we assign get completed and that you are consistent on the days you choose so we can plan accordingly. These hours will be 7:30-3:30 at first and once you have proven you can work autonomously and efficiently, the hours can vary. The tasks these days will be
Field work: harvesting, transplanting, weeding, pruning, mulching, fertilizing, trellising, staking, thinning, managing irrigation systems (moving pipes by hand), row covers on and off, field clean up.
Pack-out operations: washing and sorting harvested crops, quality control, and packing/storage of crops
Greenhouse operations: assisting Greenhouse Propagation manager with seeding, potting-up, moving of flats and other tasks
A few of these hours will also be helping to maintain the property the farm is on such as landscaping around the house, weeding the house garden beds, yard work and other various tasks. You get a thirty minute unpaid lunch.On top of decided pay, you will get a box of produce at the end of the week.
You will experience many aspects of our commercial produce farm. Learning is achieved through experience and we value this knowledge and long to pass it on to folks who are passionate about the work. There is a lot of room to grow with us and more managment oppurtunities as well- we are also looking for a farmers market manager for our sunday market and this can either be something our field assistant takes on or a job for someone else entirely, depending on interest and experience.
Necessary Skills
Strong work ethic and endurance for hard physical work, willing to work hard above and beyond when required
Sense of humor, positive attitude and enthusiasm
Ability to balance speed and efficiency while maintaining SF's standard of quality
Physically fit- must be able to lift 50 lbs repeatedly and easily, and work physically all day in all sorts of extreme weather doing repetitive tasks like stooping, lifting, pulling, weeding, etc.
Must work well in a team environment and be able to communicate honestly and accept feedback
We PREFER but is not required- agricultural field work experience, preferably on a vegetable farm, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities for our Field assistant position. Hourly pay DOE ($14-$20 hr) and must be able to commit to us three days a week (minimum) until end of Nov.
Benefits of working on the farm
Lots of delicious organic vegetables available for your consumption- team members will receive a free full CSA share for the duration of your employment.
Being part of a dedicated community of people working to improve our local food system
Spend lots of time outside in the summer and get to be outside in beautiful Chester County
Potential to move up into more managerial roles in subsequent years at the farm such as Farmers market manager/Flower production manager
Friendship
If this position interests you- please email us with your resume, related experience, current availability and let us know if you have a US drivers license. We would prefer applicants to not live further away than a 35-40 minute drive at most.