Assistant Farmer Job in Maine

Tweet

Assistant Farmer Job at Ripley Farm in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine (40 miles west of Bangor, Maine) – Immediate Opening, 2018

Make an impact. Get an education. Get paid with a year round job where you are truly valuable to the success of the farm.

We know what it feels like to be sent to harvest more bunches of chard from the same hopeless patch – again. We’ve been there. We were apprentices, too. We’re here to offer you a different road to take.

Imagine a farming job where… 
-You can make an impact every day 
-Your input is valued and listened to every time 
-You get your questions answered about “why?” 
-And you get paid.

We need someone like you, someone who cares about their role on the farm, to help us grow and meet our goals. So apply now for the Assistant Farmer Job!

We started out as a very small farm run by a young couple with a dream and a little land. From our humble beginning of 16 CSA members, ten years later we have now grown to 5 acres of vegetables feeding a 150 member Summer CSA and 50 member Winter CSA thanks to the support of our rural community.

Entering our second decade of farming, we find ourselves in an exciting stage of the business. We are upgrading our farm systems and making infrastructure, marketing, and production changes that promise to improve the sustainability of our family farm.

You could be a big part in making this happen.

“Working for and with Ripley Farm owners, Gene and Mary Margaret, was by far my best farming experience to date. Their attention to detail, fun loving sense of humor, work ethic, and ability to both teach and to listen is something that really inspired me as a person and a farmer. While I was there, they included me in everything, and made me feel like an extremely valuable member of Ripley Farm. Other farms I worked on never quite included me on all the little details that really pull a farm together, but the Ripley’s really made an effort to do just that. I can confidently say they are some of the best farmers, teachers, and friends I know.” Carmen Allen, Assistant Farmer 2015-17

What the Assistant Farmer job looks like: 

• Year round work – so you can see the backend of farming like you’ve always wanted. 
• Involvement and input into all parts of production from planting to harvesting – so you can make real impact while building your skills.
• Training in specialized equipment and techniques – so you can increase your proficiency in small scale market farming. 
• Small farm environment – so you won’t be stuck picking beans by yourself all day. 
• Collaboration with a small team of enthusiastic farmers – so you don’t feel like you are the only one who cares. 
• High quality standards and Certified Organic – so you can be proud of what you produce. 
• Insight into decision making process and recordkeeping system – so you can learn more and take on more responsibility. 
• Participation in infrastructure and efficiency projects – so you can meaningfully contribute to the growth and improvement of the farm. 
• Hourly pay rate commensurate with experience – so you can pursue your passion without going broke. 
• Regular check-ins – so you can get and give feedback on your experience. 
• Annual performance review – so you can get a raise based on your hard work.

Free bonuses that come with the Assistant Farmer job: 

• Training in Holistic Management and Holistic Financial Planning – so you can get real life experience with this important farm management tool. 
• Free access to our Farmer Training Library – so you can fuel your interest with knowledge on your time off. 
• Unlimited free organic veggies from the farm – so you can eat like royalty.
• “I’ve already learned more about the business side of farming in my first three weeks here than I did in two years of farming at my previous job.” Robert Segerson, current Assistant Farm Manager.
• You’ve fallen in love with farming. You can get another seasonal farmhand job where they don’t care about you. Or you can take your passion seriously. Make it into something real.
• You’re standing at the crossroads. To the left is the same rough rocky road you’ve been traveling. To the right is the road fewer people will choose. This road is not harder. It’s different. Choosing the right road makes all the difference. We’re hoping you’ll choose the right road and apply today.

To apply for the Assistant Farmer Job:
1. Write a cover letter that explains what spoke to you about this job, why it is the right road for you, and when you could start.
2. Put together a list of your three best references, tell us who they are, and how to get a hold of them.
3. Attach the two above items PLUS your resume and send it to Gene at ripleyfarm@gmail.com.