Hampshire College Farm Summer Vegetable and Livestock Crew

VEGETABLE & LIVESTOCK CREW

Starting date: May 20, 2024 

Ending date: September 4, 2024** 

Pay rate: $15.00/hour 

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The Hampshire College Farm is now hiring for Summer Vegetable and Livestock Crew positions. These are entry-level farm positions that provide a hands-on working experience designed for college students interested in sustainable agriculture. Employees will work alongside farm staff and other crew members to carry out daily operations on the farm’s diverse pastured livestock and organic vegetable production.  

Prior farm experience is not required. What is required is a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and the ability to commit your time, effort, and intention to the entirety of our summer season. The Hampshire College Farm is seeking employees with a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture who are interested in gaining relevant experience.  Farm work is often physically and mentally strenuous; employees must feel capable of, and willing to work hard in all types of weather. Employees will be properly and thoroughly trained for any required task. Farm crew members are expected to hold themselves accountable to a diligent work standard typical with farms and will be provided a handbook detailing job responsibilities and expectations prior to hiring. 

By the end of the 15-week summer season, crew members should expect to have an in-depth understanding of the daily operations of a diversified sustainable vegetable and livestock farm, some practical farming skills, and the pride and satisfaction that comes from growing food for your community. 

Vegetable Crew:  

Four positions are open.

24 hrs/week

Scheduled hours: Tuesday-Friday,  8 a.m.-3 p.m., with a one-hour unpaid lunch at noon. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Greenhouse seeding and watering 
• Vegetable field preparation 
• Transplanting and direct seeding of vegetable crops 
• Vegetable weed control, including cultivation and hand hoeing
• Vegetable harvest, wash, and pack for distribution
• General farm maintenance
• Assistance with summer vegetable CSA distribution 
• Occasional assistance with the livestock program 

Livestock Crew 

Two positions are open.

28 hrs/week

Scheduled hours: Weekly schedule of either Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday. Each work week consists of two eight-hour days (Wednesdays, and either Saturday or Sunday) and three four-hour days, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

OR:

Responsibilities include: 

• Livestock care: watering and feeding of animals, including cows, sheep, pigs, and  chickens 
• Livestock pasture rotation and fencing 
• General farm maintenance 
• Occasional assistance with the vegetable program 

A valid driver’s license and the ability to become an approved campus driver is required for livestock positions. If you have questions about this policy, please reach out to Charlotte at cbsFC@hampshire.edu.

Educational Opportunities 

While we have production goals we need to hit, this work position is also designed to incorporate explicit educational opportunities for beginning farmers and folks interested in sustainable agriculture and eating. 

Education will come in several forms during the summer: daily on-the-go learning in the fields, weekly farm walks, monthly curriculum-based teaching days, and off-farm field trips when possible. We are excited to support any curiosities you may bring to this work, and are committed to expanding our own teaching practices and curricula to include your learning styles and specific interests. 

Other benefits include veggies, herbs, and flowers, as well as monthly crew lunches. 

To apply, please complete this application! For more information, contact farm@hampshire.edu

Application deadline: March 24, 2024

To ensure we have a fully staffed farm for the summer, we will begin interviews and hiring on March 1, 2024. If you know you’d like to work at the farm this summer, please work to get your application in before this date.  

**This job’s end date is dependent on when fall classes start at Hampshire and may change. This work position will go no later than September 4, 2024.