Fall Farm Crew Wanted in Oregon

Tweet

Fall and Winter Full Time Fall Farm Crew Position – 2021

Flying Coyote Farm in Clackamas County, Oregon is looking for one smart, hardworking, and detail-oriented person to join our fall farm crew for the end of the 2021 season and through the winter. Ideal candidates should enjoy physical labor, possess a strong interest in food and farming and appreciate working as part of a team. On harvest days (Mondays and Thursdays), the farm crew position will focus on all aspects of harvest and post-harvest handling of the over 400 varieties of vegetable crops grown on our farm. Farm crew members will participate in harvesting, washing and packing produce for our three outlets (CSA, restaurants, and the Hollywood Farmers Market.) Additionally, on non-harvest days (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) work will be focused on all aspects of seeding, planting, weeding and general field crop care, along with assisting in harvesting fruiting crops (beans, cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes, etc.), fall storage crops, and end-of-season field and farm clean up. This position is full-time (4-5 days per week) and runs September 20^th – November 21^st, starting November 29^th the position would go to part-time (Thursdays and Fridays) through March 1^st. Ideally this position would then go back to full time in March of 2022.

*Flying Coyote Farm does not currently offer housing or meals for this position although all crew members have access to produce from our farm. *

Roles and Responsibilities

• Proper harvest and post-harvest handling of a large variety of vegetable crops
• Time management
• Record keeping
• Communicating general crop health or other observations made while harvesting to Field Crew Manager
• Packing CSA boxes, market produce and restaurant orders
• Greenhouse seeding
• Transplanting
• Weed control
• Irrigation installation and repair
• Crop care – trellising, season extension, pest and disease management
• Bed preparation
• Cleaning and maintenance of facilities and grounds
• Various odd jobs (ditch digging, brush cutting)
• Seasonal projects (re-skinning greenhouses, care of existing infrastructure and facilities, light carpentry work)

Schedule

• Position is full-time (4-5 days per week) from September 20^th – November 21^st , after November 21^st the position moves to part time (Thursdays and Fridays) November 29^th – March 1^st.
• Workdays are Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:30pm in the summer and 8am-4:30pm in the winter.  At times we may require crew members to work shorter or longer hours depending on weather and/or work load.  There is an unpaid 45-minute lunch break each day, plus two, paid 10-minute breaks.
• Optional weekend Farmers Market work for interested applicants.

Compensation

• $14 – $15/hr to start – Hourly rate based on experience, plus bonuses
• Farm Produce – employees can take home as much produce as they would like for themselves and their household, please check in if you want to take home produce that will be given to someone outside of your household.

Skills and Qualifications

• General Requirements
  • Two seasons prior vegetable farming experience or equivalent experience
  • Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs. repeatedly
  • Valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation
  • Demonstrated commitment to organic and sustainable farming
• Responsibility and Reliability
  • Ability to learn, and to work unsupervised
  • Self-motivation to do a quality job in an efficient way
  • On-time for work
  • Keep track of work speed and strive for efficiency
  • Ability to commit to the fall and winter season (September – March)
• Awareness and Participation
  • Maintain an awareness of what is currently happening
  • Think of what needs to happen next
  • Help initiate what needs to happen next
  • Think about safety
• Positive Attitude
  • Positive attitude, easy-going
  • Make constructive suggestions for improving jobs (when appropriate); offer to help implement improvements
  • Respect all staff and appreciate their work and contributions
• Communication
  • Work well with others and have experience working as part of a team
  • Ask for additional information if directions seem inadequate or unclear
  • Offer alternative ways to achieve an objective (when appropriate)
  • Responsive to feedback from supervisors and co-workers
  • Proactive and honest
• Focus
  • Able to concentrate on the task at hand and able to switch between tasks throughout the workday
  • Listen carefully to instructions without becoming distracted
  • Retain information for future reference

How to Apply for the Flying Coyote Fall Farm Crew

• Please note that the careful execution of the following instructions will greatly increase your chances of hearing from us soon.  
• Submit Application (see next page) to flyingcoyotefarm@gmail.com using the subject line “ ’YOUR NAME’ Farm Crew Application “
• Please attach a resume with a complete record of your work experience.

Flying Coyote Farm Job Application

Applicant name______________________________________________________

Date ______________________

Preferred pronouns______________________

Address__________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ________________________________________ Email____________________________________________

Drivers License Number & State_________________________________

Date of Birth __________________

I can start work on (date): ______________________________

I need to finish by (date): _______________________________

Dates I already know I will need to have off in 2021:_________________________________________

Please supply the names and contact information for three farming or professional references. Please select references that have knowledge of your level of agricultural, retail, and/or other work experience, your honesty, and reliability.  References must not be from your close friends or family.  It also helps a lot if you have a reference from a paid position rather than a volunteer or other unpaid position.  Please contact the individuals you wish to list as references to make sure that these folks are willing and able to act as references for you. Is their phone number correct? Are they likely to answer the telephone? And if not, are they likely to listen to messages and return calls? Include name, phone #, relationship and length of relationship.

1.  
2.  
3.  

 

1. Are you interested in employment beyond this growing season?
2. How does a seasonal farm job fit into your long-term and short-term career goals?
3. Why are you specifically interested in working at Flying Coyote Farm?
4. What experience do you have with farming and what skills do you have to offer the farm?
5. What is the hardest, most repetitive physical work you have ever done? (tasks, hours, duration)
6. Please describe a specific example or examples, which demonstrates your work ethic as an individual and as part of a team.
7. Do you have any experience managing or leading a crew? If so, please describe.
8. Have you ever operated any farm machinery or heavy equipment? Please describe.
9. Do you have any mechanical skills or experience? If so please describe.
10. Do you have any carpentry skills or experience? If so please describe.
11. Are you proficient and accurate in basic mathematics?
12. Please describe any physical limitations that might affect your ability to perform certain tasks. Many jobs require light to heavy lifting (up to 50 lbs.), repetitive grasping, standing, bending, kneeling and walking.
13. Do you have a clean driving record for the past 3 years? If not, please explain.

• Experience with a stick shift?
• Experience driving large “box” type delivery trucks? If yes, in rural or urban areas?  Please describe.

    14. Are there any other important details about yourself that you’d like to share with us?

 

• Learn more about farming and food jobs and internships, or learn how to post a job, internship, or apprenticeship opportunity on beginningfarmers.org here.