We have an immediate opening for a full time employee starting in June.
Riverhill Farm is a thriving, successful twenty-acre farm three miles from Nevada City, California near the canyon of the Yuba River. The farm is at the end of a dead end road. It's always quiet, and the farm is teeming with wildlife. We cultivate ten acres of mixed vegetables and perennial berries, and we’re certified organic. Our markets include three farmers’ markets, our farm stand at the farm, our local natural foods co-op and local restaurants. We sell our produce direct to customers through our innovative Friend of the Farm program. More information about the farm can be found on our website at www.riverhillfarm.com, and you can find photos of the farm via the Riverhill Farm Facebook page.
The term of employment is through the end of the season in December. For an interested employee, there may also be winter work, and the whole crew restarts employment in March. Employees are paid hourly (the typical week is a 40-hour work week) and, in rotation with the rest of the crew, one farmers’ market per month on a Saturday.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce, the beauty of our farm, and our relationship with our community. We are a small, tight-knit group working together to bring beautiful produce to our community, and to enhance the lives of our community through healthy food, a healthy and diverse ecosystem, and by maintaining a farm that is open to the public. Many of our customers have children that have grown up coming to our farm, and those weekly visits to our farm stand encourage a deeper understanding and experience of our dependence on a healthy environment as well as an appreciation of the quality of good, tasty food.
Over the fourteen years that we've been in business, we've constantly adapted to enhance the economic, environmental and social viability of the farm. We've developed many systems and made many choices about what we grow for the farm to be economically viable and for the work load to be balanced, manageable and productive. Our sales are strong in the various markets we grow for. As farm owners, we are fully engaged in the process and products of the farm, and we personally attend all of our farmers' markets in order to maintain a strong relationship with our customers and with our community.
Together with the farm owners, farm employees at Riverhill Farm are involved in:
• Greenhouse production of transplants;
• Care of transplants, including thinning, irrigation and fertilization;
• Field planting;
• Field cultivation and weeding;
• Drip installation and irrigation management;
• Pruning, trellising and other crop maintenance activities;
• Harvesting and packaging;
• Record keeping;
• Farm stand and farmers’ market sales;
• End of season preparations for winter, including cover cropping.
The preferred applicant will have 1-2 years of experience in agricultural production and be able to demonstrate increasing responsibility over time. An applicant should be internally motivated to help operate a diversified organic production system, and be able to work independently with close attention to quality and detail.
Applicants should be energetic, physically fit and without significant physical limitation. In order to be successful, applicants should be able to demonstrate experience and knowledge in one or more of these areas: organic seedling production, vegetable crop production and management, cane berry production and management, knowledge of general organic production practices, and experience in direct sales of farm products. Familiarity with farm machinery and equipment operations is desired but not required.
The preferred applicant must make a commitment for the full term of one season, and will be given preference if he or she is competent to take on increased responsibility for farm operations and management over time, including staying on for multiple years. Areas of increased responsibility include production planning and management, irrigation management, tractor work, and yearly planning.
Housing is available, and pay is commensurate with experience. To apply, please send a detailed letter of interest and a complete resume, including at least three professional references, preferably farm related, to alan@riverhillfarm.com.
All qualified applicants will receive a reply. A farm visit is a condition of an offer of employment.
