Weavers Way Farms Field Assistant

(both sites)

Henry Got Crops at Saul High School

Mort Brooks Memorial Farm at the Awbury Arboretum

Reports to: Field Manager

To Apply: Submit resume and cover letter, along with application through the Weavers Way website. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis.

Purpose: To assist with all farm operations and the implementation of the seeding, planting and harvest plans for the farm. This position is ideal for someone who has one or two years of apprenticeship/internship experience and is looking to deepen and broaden their farming skills at a community centric, urban, production farm.

Duties/Responsibilities: The field assistant is responsible for supporting the field manager in day-to-day farm operation and maintenance. Basic tasks include preparing beds, planting, watering, and harvesting, as well as amending the soil, weeding, thinning, and pest and disease prevention and control. Field assistants will supervise and work with volunteers on a daily basis.

Weavers Way Farms consists of two vegetable farms and an orchard. The assistant position will primarily focus on one of the two vegetable farms, but may be required to help with large harvests or large projects at the other farm location, on an as-needed basis. Field assistants may also be asked to assist with the on-site CSA pick-up or in the orchard.

We are primarily a no-till farm, but field assistants might occasionally use a walk behind tractor, mowers and weed whackers. In that rare case, training will be provided.

Minimum Qualifications: A season farming, landscaping or gardening preferred.

Physical Requirement and Timeline Commitment: Field Assistant is expected to commit to a minimum of one growing season, starting as soon as possible until the end of October. You should be able to work under adverse conditions (heat, humidity, cold, rain) and be able to lift 50 lbs, preferably at the same time.

Skills/Attributes: Must be team oriented, a strong communicator, and flexible. Must have a strong work ethic and willingness to get dirty. Must have an ability and desire to work with and supervise volunteers of all ages and abilities. Must have a high attention to detail and superb quality control skills. Must be able to work well in a team as well as independently.

Hours: Hours and days are dictated by the ebbs and flows of the season. Field Assistant is expected to work 5 days a week, averaging 32-40hrs per week (approximately 8-10 hrs/day). More/less hours per week might occasionally be necessary during the slower/busiest times of the season. Occasional weekend days might be requested for special events or additional harvesting. Any rare weekend day will be scheduled with as much advance notice as possible.

Compensation/Benefits: This is an hourly paid position, starting at $15/hr, eligible for a $0.50 raise after 6 months, eligible for Weaver Way Co-op benefits. Farm staff are welcome to have produce from the farms, and receive a staff discount and working member discount of 15% at Weavers Way Coop and our own Farm Market. All hours worked over 40 hours/week are straight pay, not subject to overtime rate, unless assistant engages in “non-agricultural labor” such as working at the farm market.

Staff must complete child abuse clearances and a PA background check.

For questions, please contact the Farm Team at farmer@weaversway.coop

Weavers Way has two farm sites in Northwest Philadelphia, located a few miles apart from one another. The farm sites consist of a 2 acre farm at the Awbury Arboretum (the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm), and a 3 acre farm at Saul High School (the Henry Got Crops farm), as well as a 1.5 acre fruit, nut and berry orchard adjacent to the Henry Got Crops farm at Saul. The farms are a part of Weavers Way Coop, a 10,000 member, community owned market with locations in Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill and Ambler. Both farms offer experience with small scale, diversified, no-till organic farming and the opportunity to develop skills in greenhouse production, season extension, pest management, planting, weeding, harvesting, farm market experience, as well as volunteer management. Each farm grows a unique set of vegetables, few of which are duplicated at the other farm. The harvests of the two farms are coordinated in order to satisfy our existing outlets. Each farm position will focus most of their time at one of the two sites, yet we all work in conjunction with one another, as one team. Produce from the two farms is sold at the three Co-op stores, our Henry Got Crops CSA, our on-site farm market, the cafeteria at Saul High School and occasionally a few restaurants in Northwest Philadelphia as well as. The Henry Got Crops site also hosts the education programs of our affiliated non-profit, Food Moxie. The Henry Got Crops farm is located right on the campus of Saul High School and through the facilitation of Food Moxie, teachers and their classes come to the farm on a regular basis and are involved in the operations of the farm.

For more information about Weavers Way and our farms, please visit www.weaversway.coop