
Employment Opportunities 2022
Vegetable Farm Crew Members
Shooting Star Farm is a small, certified organic vegetable farm located 12 miles east of Mineral Point. I grow a wide variety of vegetables for farmers' markets, individuals, and restaurants.
Crew members assist with all aspects of production on my 1+ acre intensively planted crops. A tractor is used for tilling the soil, mowing, and hauling heavy stuff, but most work, including weeding, planting, and harvesting is done by hand.
Three types of positions are available:
Summer Employment. This is for student workers. Dates are approximately May through August. Days and hours of work can be negotiated, but are tentatively Monday and/or Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00am - 2:00pm; plus some Saturdays from 7:00-11:30am (farmers' market), for an average of 15-25 hours per week. Pay is hourly and starts at $10.50-$12.00 for those with no experience. More for those with some gardening/farming or related experience.
Seasonal Employment. Work dates now through October, 20-30 hours/week. This individual will be expected to take on more responsibility for overseeing field work and help see tasks through to completion. Pay is hourly and starts at $14.50. More for those with some vegetable growing or farming experience.
Very part-time Employment: Enjoy outdoor work and looking for some extra income and free extra veggies? Willing to hire for one or two days per week summer-long or season-long.
Considerations for these jobs:
Working outdoors in hot, cold, and rainy weather is necessary, so employees must dress accordingly and be prepared for changes in weather.
Your knees and back must withstand bending, kneeling, stooping, sitting on the ground.
Some heavy lifting is required. Ability to lift 40-50# on occasion is necessary.
You must work carefully and be detail-oriented while maintaining speed and efficiency.
Communicating and cooperating with co-workers is essential. Questions are encouraged, appreciated, and necessary to get things right
The work can be hard at times but is rewarding. A positive attitude and sense of humor is appreciated – especially when the work gets hard.
Experience is preferred but not necessary. At a minimum, a strong interest in preparing and growing food, in plant and soil biology, and in working outdoors is highly desired.
Duties
The work is diverse and changes from day to day and season to season, but in general includes:
Harvest, wash, and pack produce (40%)
Weed and hoe (25%)
Sow seeds in the greenhouse and transplant vegetables (15%)
Install and disassemble irrigation systems, lay mulch, train and trellis plants, perform other farm maintenance tasks as needed (20%)
Benefits include free extra vegetables!
$100 gear credit at the beginning of the season for rain gear/work shoes
An in-person interview and possible trial work session (~4 hours total) may be conducted as an opportunity to see if this job is the right fit for you.
Interested? Contact Jenny 608-574-8016 email: starfarm@mhtc.net