Farm Hand

Flat Tack Farm is a small scale, intensive market garden operating on approximately 3 acres in Vancouver, WA. We specialize in growing a wide variety of produce, all without the use of harmful chemicals while focusing on improving the land to a healthier state using organic, holistic, natural practices.

We operate a CSA that serves around 50 people, host a booth at the Downtown Vancouver Farmers Market on the weekends, grow for the local food bank and sell to local schools / restaurants / grocers. We also collaborate with other local farms in our area.

We are looking for 3 very reliable and enthusiastic *Superstars* to join our farm team! They would be working directly with the 2 farm owners and other farm hands from early spring through late autumn.

Position Summary:

All members of the Flat Tack Farm team love to be outdoors, have great attitudes, play well with others, and can work independently. They share our passion for food and providing healthy options for our community.

They are reliable, in good shape, communicate well and persevere in the face of challenges like weather, mud and sun. This position will involve harvesting, planting, weeding and washing veggies and herbs of all shapes and sizes at our beautiful farm in Vancouver, WA. This position is additionally the jack of all trades on our farm and will be enlisted to complete other field tasks like laying landscape fabric and drip irrigation, pounding posts, simple repairs, trellising tomatoes and much, much more. See the job duties below and apply at this link if interested: https://forms.gle/PGytiVewyYT8oV6S9

Dates and Time Commitment:

• Position starts in March and goes through until November, tentatively depending on season- *MUST commit to one full season with opportunity to extend through the winter and into the following year.

• Full Time- 1 position available: 4 days a week (Tuesday through Friday, 8-hour shifts)

• Part Time- 2 positions available: 2-3 days a week (Mostly during the week, opportunity for 1 farm hand to work weekends)

• Hours in early spring vary but are typically from 8 – 4 pm (communicated the prior week)

• Hours in summer are typically from 7:30 am – 4 pm for both full and part time employees

• All employees get two 10-minute paid breaks and a 30-minute unpaid lunch per 8 hours worked

• If selected, Our Working Interview Period is a minimum of 4 days (working 4 hours each day) and will be paid at $17/hour and will include various farm tasks.

Responsibilities:

1.) Basic Field work: All employees share in the primary farm tasks listed below. You will spend the majority of your time together with other employees doing this work. Most field work is done by hand.

This includes:

• Harvest, washing, and packing produce

• Bed Preparation (removing old plants and hand weeding, broad forking, spreading organic amendments and hauling / spreading compost)

• Weeding, hoeing, trellising, pruning, plant maintenance, and integrative pest management

• Seeding and Transplanting

• Detailed and Consistent Record Keeping

2.) Other Potential Duties:

• Laying drip irrigation or repairing leaks

• Watering seedlings in the propagation house

• Seasonal projects like light construction/carpenter work (building propagation tables, installing overhead watering, etc.)

• General tool maintenance like sharpening and cleaning

• Checking on the laying hens: Cleaning and refilling water, filling food, collecting eggs

• Helping to Rotate the chickens on pasture- moving / cleaning tractor and fences

• Staffing CSA pickup on Thursday’s and making sure Farm Stand is clean and set up

• Helping with taking farm photos throughout the season

• Operate and maintain a weed whacker, mower, and 2-wheel tractor (BCS) with various

implements.

Position Requirements

o Because of the remote nature of our farm and the lack of public transportation, a reliable method of transportation is required.

o Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds, stand for long periods, as well as flexibility to squat, bend and maintain positions where you’re working low to the ground.

o Farm outdoors in all weather conditions and perform the responsibilities outlined above.

o Ability to work on a team and maintain speed and efficiency without distraction

o Ability to work solo, follow instructions and ask questions when needed

o Self-motivation to do a quality job in a fast and efficient manner

o Ability to always be on-time and ready for work with excellent attendance

o Keep track of work speed and strive to improve efficiency and speed

o Ability to commit to the full season (March-November) Training starting in March

Awareness and Participation:

o Maintain an awareness of what is currently happening, being proactive and think of next steps in processes and initiating action

o Remain aware of surroundings and maintain safe working environment at all times

Communication:

o Work well with others and have experience working as part of a team

o Ability to talk and work at the same time while maintaining quality, accuracy and speed

o Not afraid to ask questions or additional information when needed

o Responsive to feedback from peers and farm owners

o Emotional maturity and respect for self and others

o Can fill out and maintain all field and harvest logs and checklists

Focus:

o Able to concentrate on the task at hand and able to switch between tasks throughout the workday

o Listen carefully to instructions without becoming distracted

o Retain information for future reference (taking notes when needed)

o Can keep a consistent work quality and speed when working in a team environment

Benefits

• Pay depends on experience $17-20/ hour depending on experience. Starting pay for new farmhands is typically $17 / hour with the possibility of a performance raise.

• Paid Sick Time and 1 week of Unpaid Vacation (with a 2 week notice and approval).

• Farm Food is available throughout the season.

• Free attendance for you and one other person to farm events, classes and dinners.

• End of Season Performance Bonus for employees completing a full season (not guaranteed, but striven for based on the farm’s profits)

How To Apply & Hiring Process:

1.) Please fill out our online application at https://forms.gle/PGytiVewyYT8oV6S9

- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with the majority of interviews and main hiring period being conducted in late February to early March

2.) Application review period

3.) 15-minute phone screening

4.) Virtual Interview via google meet / zoom

5.) On Farm paid 4 day working interview period (each day will be 4 hours in length)

Flat Tack Farm is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity of expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Ideally, the person we are looking for would enjoy being part of a growing, thriving, and small sustainable farm. They need to believe in the "why" behind our farm and what we do and be enthusiastic about it --this is not just a job to collect a paycheck.

Thank you for your time and we’ll be in touch soon!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Internship

Pay: $17.00 - $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 16 – 32 per week

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends only

Application Question(s):

• Have you ever worked with plants or in an agriculture environment?
• What makes you want to consider joining our farm?
• Can you commit to a full season from training starting in March through the middle of November?

Experience:

• Organic farming: 1 year (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Vancouver, WA 98662 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Vancouver, WA 98662: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $17 - $20