Grower

(HFFF) seeks a full-time Fruit & Vegetable Grower for 2025. This is a year-round, hourly position with lots of room for growth that will start on March 31 or as soon as possible once a job offer is made and accepted. Hours will vary as the season progresses, fluctuating between 30 and 40 hours per week.

HFFF is a nonprofit donation & education farm in Galien, Michigan that works to support the dietary health of underserved communities by sustainably growing and donating fruits and vegetables, offering educational programming to children and adults, and supporting organizations engaged in related work. Our farm is a beautiful, peaceful place to work and includes a small fruit orchard, a large “market”/demonstration garden with about 50 raised beds, and a tiny indoor growing area for microgreens and other leafy greens. Everything that we grow is donated to local food pantries, senior centers and other organizations that serve people in need.

During the 2025 growing season, the Fruit & Vegetable Grower will be primarily engaged in fresh produce cultivation at HFFF’s small farm in Galien, working under the supervision of the Farm & Program Manager and the Lead Grower.

Responsibilities include:

• Seeding, transplanting, caring for, harvesting and processing a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops
• Identifying and organically addressing crop pests and diseases
• Keeping propagation, harvest, application, and donation logs up to date
• Maintaining and improving on-site composting efforts
• Assisting with construction and maintenance of raised & in-ground beds, temporary season extension structures, irrigation systems, paths, and other farm infrastructure
• Delivering produce to donation outlets, building relationships with the organizations and clients we work with, and participating in mobile food pantries
• Occasionally assisting with oversight of seasonal hired help and garden volunteers
• Helping with elements of our education & community outreach work, including preparation for workshops

Qualifications

• Experience growing a wide range of vegetables and fruits, preferably using organic methods, with at least one growing season of market garden or small farm experience - raised bed gardening, season extension, indoor microgreen production and fruit orchard experience are big pluses
• Strong work ethic, positive attitude, close attention to detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, eagerness to develop new skills, good sense of humor
• Deep commitment to sustainable food production, healthy living, and helping those in need
• Willingness to work long hours outdoors and in all weather conditions
• Ability to regularly lift up to 50 lbs - bending, kneeling, crouching, standing and lifting for long periods of time is a big part of the job
• Comfortable using Google Sheets & Docs, Word, Excel, and other online tools
• No tobacco use on or off the job (to prevent tobacco mosaic virus in our soil), up to date with vaccinations and boosters against COVID-19 and other commonly vaccinated illnesses, and happy to properly wear well-fitted and effective face masks such as N95s and KN95s when required (primarily in indoor settings)
• Comfortable with squishing bugs and slugs!
• Valid driver’s license

This is a small operation in which each team member is a major piece of the puzzle, so reliability and a strong commitment to the organization’s mission are essential. The intention is for this position to expand along with our growing capacity and programming over the next few years, so we are especially interested in finding a candidate who sees this as a career opportunity.

Compensation starts at $18/hour, with 20 days of paid time off per full calendar year (including sick days, family leave, vacation, etc).

To have your application considered, please be sure to provide all of the requested information. We also strongly encourage providing an additional written cover letter-style message that describes your interest in the position and why you would be an ideal candidate. A list of 3 or more professional references is also welcome, and will likely be requested in the event that you are invited to a job interview.

Keywords:

• organic farm job
• vegetable gardening
• sustainable agriculture
• nonprofit farm
• Harbor Country
• Southwest Michigan

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $18.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift

Application Question(s):

• What about this position is appealing to you? Tell us about the experience, skills, and interests that make you the ideal candidate for it.

Experience:

• vegetable growing: 2 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Galien, MI 49113 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Galien, MI 49113: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18