Small Family CSA Farm

Share In the Goodness of Small Family CSA

 
Join The CSA Community. Free Access to Forums, News and More.
Button-Shares-ro
Worker Shares
Worker Shares

Worker Share Information:

Worker Shares are an optional share.  You can choose to work for all of your Summer Share or half of your Summer Share, depending on your life's schedule.  We really want to see members come to the farm and learn about where their food is grown, but we also want them to take the work seriously, show up on time, and show up every week they are scheduled to work.

Shifts:

We offer two shifts per day, 5 days of the week.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday the shifts are:
9:00am-12:00pm and 1:15-4:15.
Saturday:  9:00am-12:00pm

You are welcome to choose one shift and stick to that shift every week of the summer for the full 20 weeks of the CSA Program. If you choose to work for half of your Summer Share, you will only need to work the first 10 weeks of the season.

The work on the farm can be challenging.  We expect the worker shares to show up rain or shine.  It can be cold, hot or wet.  There is always work to be done on the farm no matter the weather and the work must get done!  It can be hot or cold outside and we expect the workers to show up with the hats, pants, shirts and garments required to work in the weather that is forecasted for the day.

No children under the age of 12 that need supervision are allowed to come during your work shift.

No dogs.

You must be in good physical condition to work on the farm.  Although you may think that you are in good physical condition, after a days work on the farm you may find that you have used muscles that you didn't know you had.  You may need to lift up to 40-50 lbs.  We do repetitive motions, it can be monotonous.  We squat, stoop, bend and kneel and these actions can be hard on the body.

We want you to find the worker share experience fun and fulfilling.
 
Worker Share FAQ's
What kind of work do we do?
You will have a chance to become involved in all aspects of vegetable harvest and post harvest handling including washing, bagging, bunching, weighing, counting and sorting vegetables.  You may weed, trellis, transplant, mulch.  Some jobs you may only do one time and some jobs you may do several times thru the summer.

I’ve never done farm work before.  How will I know what to do?
We will be working with you and each job will be taught to you.  You need to be able to listen, follow directions and work hard. Working hard means keeping your hands moving, not stopping and chatting with the person working next to you. (This doesn’t mean you can’t talk, you just have to keep working).

Can I share the responsibility with my spouse, partner, housemate, etc.?
It is best if one person in a household makes the commitment, but if you need a sub you can certainly send another household member to work your shift.

Is there a difference between the morning and afternoon shifts?
Yes, morning shifts are spent primarily in the fields harvesting (but sometimes there is work in the packing shed).  Afternoon shifts are spent primarily in the packing shed working with the vegetables that were harvested in the morning (but often there are outside jobs as well).

Can two of us come each week for 2 hours?
No.  Leaving in the middle of a shift is not very satisfying for you and not as helpful for the farm.

When does the worker share begin?
The work begins the first week of June and continues through the second week of October. It coincides with the vegetable delivery season; this is when we need the most hands.

Can I work half of my Summer Share?
Yes, you just need to come the first 10 weeks of the season and you will pay for the other half of the share before the start of the season. 

Can I bring my children or one child along?
No children under the age of 12 that need supervision are not allowed to come as they can distract you from your shift.  We are working during our shifts. 

Can I bring my dog out with me?
No we have three dogs on the farm already and a fourth is just too much. 

What if I need to miss a shift because of vacation, illness or other conflict?
You can make up your shift.  You can do this by working a double shift or two shifts in one week.  We will work out the details.

Can I work evenings or weekends?
No.  We do the farm work during the day, during the week.  We do have a morning shift available on Saturdays from 9:00-12:00.  But we certainly welcome volunteers, so if you really would like to become involved, give a call and we can work something out. 

What if my schedule changes mid season?
If you know your schedule will be changing mid season we can talk about it and plan accordingly.  If your schedule changes unexpectedly mid season, we will work with it.  In either case you will be able to switch to another shift that fits your schedule.

I am a teacher/student and can only work during summer vacation, is this possible?
Yes, we can work out a schedule so that you can come to work two shifts in one week for part of the summer. 

Please do not bring your cell phones and talk on the phone during your shift.  You can leave your cell phone in your car and talk to whoever needs attention at the end of your shift. 

Okay, I've read everything above and I want to do a worker share, what now?
Call the farm and ask for Jillian.  We will discuss what shift works best for you and talk about any other details. 
 

Search Our Site
Copyright 2009