Part Time Farm Worker/ Intern Required

Floral Encounters is a small Medicinal Herb Farm located just outside Hightstown NJ.  We are looking for an interested and hardworking person to join our farm initially on a part time basis.  We grow a wide variety of different plants and are introducing new projects to increase our growing space while working at carbon sequestering and other options we can create to help with climate change and provide a safe haven for pollinators.  Employee would have the opportunity to be part of some of these projects from beginning to end.

Job Description

Applicants must be local and have access to their own transportation.

To begin we need at least 24 hours per week.  We will require one weekend day, all day.  Weekday work can be broken into half days, or a few hours at a time depending on your schedule and weather conditions, but must be agreed beforehand.  As summer progresses more hours will be available if desired.  Position is for the whole growing and processing season and may extend into winter depending on circumstances.

Regular tasks would including bed preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting, compost moving, plant care, field cleanup, seed cleaning and a variety of other projects that may include brush clearing, field preparation, hoop house maintenance and many other projects.  Our farm is diverse and varied.

COMPENSATION: Starting at $15.00/hr; workers comp will be paid.

Additional compensation.  Opportunity to learn about medicinal herbs in detail, what they look like, how they are used and in what stages and how they are harvested.  On farm teaching will be provided if person is interested.  Some vegetable produce and eggs when available.

Teaching sessions would also be available if the employee demonstrates real interest in a specific aspect of the farm or medicinal herbs.  This will only occur after a trial period so we can assess the employees interest and dedication.  Trial periods will apply to all aspects of the job and last for 2-3 months.

Qualifications:

Some previous farming experience preferred but not required. Interest in growing and understanding medicinal herbs is highly desirable.  Applicants must know how to use basic garden tools such as forks, spades trowels, rakes etc.  They must have the ability to work and think independently, learn quickly and possess strong problem solving skills. All applicants must possess good communication skills, ability to follow direction, attention to detail, and have a good work ethic. Our farm work is highly variable, physically demanding and dirty.  It does not just happen on sunny days so be prepared for heat, cold, wind, rain and anything else mother nature can throw at us. The work is highly variable and is unlikely to be the same on any day so flexibility, motivation and positivity during changing conditions and interest in farm projects is a basic necessity.  Life is never dull on a farm!

Covid considerations.

All workers on our farm have been fully vaccinated and social distancing is used.  Almost all work is outside and precautions and good sanitation are used.

Interview: All qualified candidates will be asked to participate in a “trial day.” During the trial day, applicants will be interviewed by farm owner then work alongside them and other staff at several different tasks as well as demonstrate ability to work unsupervised.  Trial day participants should come prepared to get dirty and expect to work up to 8 hours. All trial day participants will receive $60 (must stay for the whole day). Applicant(s) that are subsequently hired will be paid in full for their trial day at the regular rate.

Why do we do this?  We have found from bitter experience that some ‘applicants’ are just interested in seeing the farm and what we do.  They are not really interested in the job at all just want a ‘day out’ with compensation.  Interview days are less productive for us as we need to spend time talking to, and working with the applicant so we get less done.  We are looking for good workers who really want to work on the farm not interest seekers. We will not be imparting lots of information about medicinal herbs on trial days.  This is an interview for a job not a teaching session.

To apply please go to:

https://www.floralencounters.com/info/info.jsp?page=Jobs

Or call 609 529-7131