We’re Hiring!
Fall/Winter Field Crew Positions
Posted September 3, 2024
About Our Farm
We are a 12-acre diversified flower & fiber farm in LaGrangeville (Beekman), NY, located in southern Dutchess County, about 70 miles north of New York City. Our focus is on high-quality specialty-cut flowers, natural fiber (wool) from our small flock of Gotland sheep, and raw honey from our honeybee apiary. We also host farm classes and workshops, virtually and in-person. We are farmer-owned and family-run. You can read more about our farm here.
Our largest enterprise is specialty-cut flowers. We grow year-round, in the field, in multiple high tunnels, and in a fully enclosed indoor winter growing space. The cut-flower arm of our business is expanding rapidly. On roughly 2 acres, spread across the farm, we grow an assortment of long-lasting perennial flowers, shrubs, and high-value annual flowers, including winter and spring tulips, lisianthus, dahlias, lilies, and heirloom chrysanthemums. Outlets include 3 weekly farmers markets (Beacon, Cold Spring and Pawling), wholesale to florists and retail shops in the tri-state area, a local CSA, and soon-to-launch on-farm floral gatherings.
Our farm practices all-natural methods, integrating regenerative principles of agriculture as much as possible. All that we do is guided by respect for the land, the animals, our team members and customers. We’re a small operation, and we all share the workload and contribute equally to add beauty and joy to our communities and spread small farm values. Most important to know, behind all of the picturesque beauty (and there is a lot of that on a flower farm!), there is also an incredible amount of hard work, grit, mud, sweat, success and failure, and a deep soulful satisfaction in what we do. We’d love for you to join our farm team!
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The Position
We are looking for 2 part-time field members to join the Six Dutchess Farming crew for Fall 2024/Winter 2025 and beyond. Starting dates are flexible, with hiring starting mid-September through October.
Our fall/winter crew will focus primarily on cool-season planting for spring, winterization of field beds, and the wonderful world of winter tulip production and winter farmers markets. While these positions are geared towards flower production, there will be opportunities to contribute in other areas of the farm, too, as guided by our needs and your interests.
Flower-specific responsibilities: Bed prep & turnover, planting, fertilizing, weeding, pruning and dead-heading flowers, irrigation, harvesting flowers, post-harvest processing, cleaning, preparing and packing flowers for retail/wholesale outlets, farmers market prep, washing and sterilizing buckets, shears, trays and other equipment/spaces, as needed. Updating our Standard Operating Procedures manual, as needed, with an accurate portrayal of your daily and weekly duties.
Other responsibilities (as needed): Assisting with sheep field rotations, removing and installing mobile electric fencing, organizing honeybee equipment, assisting with on-farm events, set-up and clean-up, participating in market days (if desired).
The Details
This position is paid hourly, $20 an hour, for 20 hours per week + flowers to take home, most weeks. Farming accessories (gloves, protective eyewear, etc.) and equipment will be provided.
Early morning working hours are essential and some weekends may be required. These can be seasonal or year-round opportunities. Ideally, we ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months.
If you are seeking more responsibilities, there are opportunities to grow with us, in both hours and pay, and turn your position into a full-time job, as our farm expands.
Employees are responsible for housing and transport to and from work.
English language skills required. Also, a love and appreciation of flowers and sheep!
Please note, no smoking or pets are permitted on the farm, indoors or outdoors.
The Ideal Candidate
Farm work is one of the oldest and greatest frontiers for hard-working, quality-minded, honest people, who value working with their hands, on the land, and creating beauty and sustenance with nature. The rewards are many, if you value planting seeds, bulbs, corms and tubers and watching them grow and flourish; and, equally, if you are a keen observer who loves a challenge and can catch problems as they arise, especially in a climate of extreme weather conditions.
What You’ll Need to Thrive and Love this Job
You’ll need to value hard physical work and working outside in nature, both in hot and cold weather, rainy and sunny and snowy, and everything in between. Ideally, you’ll be an early riser, waking up before dawn, and starting work with us in the quiet early hours to beat the elements (note for our winter crew: working days start later). If you find joy in the untold wonders that nature provides and also have the countenance and cool, quick-thinking to deal with the many real challenges of farming + climate change, you’ll probably really enjoy this job.
Success in farming requires many things. On the top of the list is a physical and mental capacity to contribute daily to an often rigorous, fast-paced and deeply rewarding agricultural practice.
Qualities you’ll need: efficiency, the ability to work quickly and thoughtfully, to be organized and attentive to detail, and to be observant and able to flag potential problems in the field and tunnels. You’ll be working with the essence of living things every day (plants, flowers, animals, bugs and humans) and asked to deal with both repetitive tasks and the unexpected twists and turns presented by our natural environment. Applicants should be self-motivated, reliable and punctual, adaptable, comfortable working solo and with others, eager to learn and take direction, have strong time-management and multi-tasking skills, and be in good physical condition with the ability to perform repetitive tasks such as heavy lifting, grasping, standing, bending, squatting and walking on unsteady ground.
Previous farming or floral experience preferred but not essential. Prior experience in physical or service work is highly valued here, including restaurant kitchens, bakeries, flower shops, construction, landscaping, carpentry, cleaning, or other physically rigorous work that requires stamina, physical strength, flexibility, measured movement, and attention to detail. Passion for flowers is a big plus.
Contact
If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to Jennifer at Jennifer@sixdutchess.com and let us know why you would like to join our team!
References will be requested for serious candidates and a background check will be required for final applicants. If your qualifications match what we’re looking for, we will contact you to schedule a phone interview, followed by an on-farm paid working trial.
