Organic Farm Job in Virginia

COME JOIN THE FARM TEAM! Thornfield Farm is located just outside of Roanoke, Virginia in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The setting is idyllic, making our work peaceful and beautiful!

We run an intensive, Certified Organic mixed-vegetable and cut-flower business amidst a larger beef cattle farm. Every year we hire between one and three employees for the months of April through November (with part time employment available through the winter). Employees participate in all aspects of work on the farm, from planting to weeding to harvesting. We offer an opportunity to work outside and learn all aspects of sustainable market farming. 

Farm work is very rewarding, but it can also be tiring and challenging. We work in all weather conditions throughout a long growing season. Therefore we look to hire individuals who are self-motivated, appreciate hard work, and have a sense of humor. 

ORGANIC FARM JOB IN VIRGINIA – WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

We hire employees who are able to commit to a full time work schedule for the duration of the farm season. This means starting the first week in April and working until the week before Thanksgiving. The hours are 7am-4pm Mondaythrough Friday, with increased hours likely from June to through August, working 6:30am-4:30pm.

 

Here are a few specifics:

• Starting wage commiserate with experience. We have a paid 30min lunch break around noon each day. (Employees should bring their own lunch).
• The work primarily includes planting, weeding, harvesting, washing and packing vegetables for sale. Most of this work is done by hand.
• Once the season is underway, we harvest and pack vegetables on most days. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are the busiest harvest-days. At the end of each workday we offer free seconds of vegetables for our crew.
• We only hire hourly employees and do not offer apprenticeships. However, we are more than happy to share all that we know about farming. If you are interested in gaining experience in farming we can share knowledge and resources on topics from soil health and field preparation to greenhouse work, record keeping and financial information. Nothing about the farm is off limits, and if employees want to learn more than what we have time to show or explain during the work day we are happy to share more after hours.

ORGANIC FARM JOB IN VIRGINIA – WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

A good work ethic: The work we do is hard, physical work. We expect employees to stay focused and work efficiently. At times work on the farm can be repetitive and tiring so we value employees who can remain motivated and hard working throughout the day. 

 

Here are a few specific qualities that we look for in future employees:

• A willingness to ask questions and learn from mistakes: We encourage questions of all kinds. Sometimes instructions may not be clear or tasks may change over the course of the season. We prefer that employees speak up so we can better explain how and why a job is done the way it is.
• An appreciation for efficiency: We focus on getting jobs done in the most effective and efficient manner possible. We try to demonstrate how to best complete different tasks and we expect employees to follow our examples and be willing to learn and emulate them even if they are difficult at first and do not seem intuitive. We are also always receptive to suggestions on how to improve systems on the farm and we strive to create an open, constructive environment. We expect the same from our employees.
• An ability to work independently: We usually work together, but sometimes employees are expected to work on their own. In this setting we expect employees to stay self-motivated and follow careful instruction.
• The ability to work hard in all weather conditions: We expect our crew to work outdoors even on days that are very cold or wet. We provide rain pants for everyone to wear in the field and aprons to wear in the wash station, but our employees must bring raincoats and other gear to stay warm, dry, and comfortable during the day.
• A sense of humor: It is always good to laugh and have fun while working hard!

If this description meets your interests, please contact us. Applicants for the organic farm job in Virginia can send their resume and a brief cover letter to: susanna@thornfieldfarm.com. We ask that prospective employees come out and work at the farm for a day to get a better sense of how we operate. 

Farming can be difficult and stressful work, but we love what we do and we hope our crew will too!