We are not currently hiring for the 2025 growing season: ​

1) We are looking for a full time employee for the 2024 growing season: Details below! 

Assistant Manager Posting 2024

Assistant Manager Job Description: 

• Schedule: March - November 2024 with possible winter part-time work (this would be ideal for us).
  
  • Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:30pm.
    
  • 15 min paid morning break and ½ hour unpaid lunch. 
    
• Pay:  starting at $18/hour paid biweekly; higher depending on experience. 
  
  • Bonus possible in November.  
    
  • We also offer a raise for returning employees.
    
• Other benefits: 
  
  • CSA share free of charge. 
    
  • 25% discount on off-farm items from in our farm stand. 
    
  • Seasonal excess produce.
    
  • $100 gear stipend
    
  • 3 season housing may be available in a simple cabin
    
• Paid Time Off: 1 hour PTO per 40 hours worked for a total of 5 days per year plus 5 sick days.
  
• Training: On the job.
  
• The assistant manager will be responsible for overseeing daily tasks at our wash/pack station. Tracking inventory in our farm stand and restocking as needed. Organizing weekly CSA deliveries and on-farm pickup. 
  

Job Requirements:

• 1-2 years required experience on farms
  
• Employees must be on time, responsible and reliable.
  
• Consistent attention to detail and a high standard of work.
  
• Must be capable of heavy physical work in all weather conditions, cold/heat/rain etc. 
  
• Lift and move up to 50 pounds
  
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently while working alone
  
• Be a team player and have the ability to direct others to accomplish tasks at the wash/pack, farm stand, and for CSA organization and pack-out.  
  

The assistant farm manager works closely with Rich and Kate to oversee and participate in the daily tasks of the farm. The assistant manager will not be in charge of our 2 apprentices directly, but maybe responsible for their management for certain tasks within their management area. This is a new position on our farm and we will need everyone to communicate clearly about expectations. We will work closely with you especially in the first few weeks to make sure you have the tools you need to succeed, and to make adjustments at points for everyone to feel comfortable as the season progresses. 

Tasks the assistant manager is responsible for include but are not limited to: 

• Daily wash and pack of produce (and delegating tasks) 
  
• Keeping the wash pack area and the walk-in cooler clean and organized
  
• Keep harvest items at storage areas and walk-in cooler well labeled
  
• Weekly CSA prep, planning and record keeping
  
• Set-up and take down for on-farm veggie and flower CSA pickup (weekly)
  
• Organization of weekly delivery CSAs and paperwork
  
• Tractor work such as moving harvest crates, compost, sand bags
  
• Stocking the farm stand and keeping it neat and clean
  
• Compiling weekly inventory of the farm stand sales on spreadsheets
  
• Trellising crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers
  
• Laying down and taking off row cover
  

Partial responsibilities:
The following are shared responsibilities with Rich and Kate:

• Weekly field walk with Rich
  
• Daily check-ins with Rich & Kate to asses weekly needs and priorities
  
• Monitoring soil moisture
  
• Scouting for Pests and quality issues
  
• Monitoring crop readiness and quantity
  
• Seed seedlings on schedule, diligently follow protocol for seeding practices, understand schedule and priorities 
  
• Prepping for and attending farmers’ markets weekly 
  
• Assist in maintaining tunnel climate and sanitation, make daily/seasonal adjustments to assure air flow, temperature, pest control
  
• Assist in record keeping for propagation greenhouse
  
• Maintain and adhere to schedules regarding planting and making appropriate preparations (ie hardening off seedlings, confirming planting schedule with Rich)
  
• Assist in leading other employees through tasks 
  
• Maintain a clean/organized workspace
  
• Weeding 
  
• Irrigation
  
• Field prep
  
• Transplanting
  

Non-responsibilities

• Horse chores and care
  
• Setting daily/weekly work objectives
  
• Tractor based tillage, bed preparation and spraying
  
• Control over pests and the weather 
  

Brief description of farming operation: 

• We are a MOFGA certified organic mixed veggie and flower farm located in Richmond, Maine. 
  
• We have 3.5 acres in rotation of mixed vegetables, flowers and cover crop, along with a small apple orchard and newly planted high bush blueberries. 
  
• We use a mix of hand tools, a small tractor and occasionally our draft horses.. We have recently moved from being fully horse-powered to a no-till system on most of our fields. 
  
• We have owned our farm for 10 years. We have 1 heated greenhouse for seedling propagation and two unheated tunnels we use for crop season extension -mainly for spring/winter greens and then tomatoes, peppers, flowers in the summer. 
  
• We have a farm stand, attend 4 farmers’ markets each week during the summer, have a box CSA and do a small amount of wholesale.
  
• We also make fermented value-added products which we sell at our farm stand, markets and wholesale. 
  

Daily/Weekly/Seasonal Activities as part of this job: 

• We are looking for 1 full-time employee for the months of April-November. 
  
• We are a small farm and our employees get to experience many diverse jobs throughout the season, from seeding and potting up crops in our seedling tunnel, to transplanting and weeding in the field. They will also spend several days a week harvesting and washing/packing produce for our farm stand, farmers’ markets and CSA. 
  
• We also have many small construction jobs we need help with throughout the season. 
  
• We have two draft horses which we rotationally graze throughout the summer so we will need help setting up and taking down fencing throughout the week. 
  
• We have 4 farmers’ markets throughout the week and ideally would like our employees to be able to attend a market per week along with us. 
  
• We work outside for 8 hours a day in all kinds of weather and expect our employees to be able to do this while maintaining positive outlooks both mentally and physically.
  
• Ideal candidates will have at least 1 season of farming experience. 
  

Hours (Part-time/full-time) and Work Season (Seasonal/ year-round)

• Part time Position: 16-24 hours per week (2-3 eight hour days) March-November. 
  
• Full Time Position: 40 hours per week March-November
  

Benefits

• Starting pay: $16-$18/hour - based on experience 
  
• Free excess vegetables from our fields
  
• 25% discount on items in our farm stand
  
• Bulk orders of items from other local suppliers that we work with at cost. 
  
• We provide workers compensation insurance for all employees.
  
• Housing may be available. 
  
• Paid 15 minute morning break. ½ hour unpaid lunch. 
  
• Lots of exercise and fresh air!
  

What to Expect from Us (the farmers)

• We put thought and time into our hiring process to make sure everyone is on the same page with job expectations, the culture of our farm, and communication styles. 
  
• During the season we hold weekly meetings with all staff to go over activities and assignments for the week and to open up dialog for feedback. 
  
• We are a small team and expect people to be able to work independently once they have a handle on a task, and to feel confident enough to work alone, as well as to ask questions for clarification when needed. 
  
• We are good at sticking to daily start and end times for our employees and expect our employees to show up ready to work on time and to keep their commitments to the amount of hours they can work each week throughout the season. 
  

Application Details and Deadline
Please submit a cover letter, resume and 3 references (if you don’t have farming experience your references can be from any previous job). 

• Email: [email protected]
  
• Mail to: Tender Soles Farm, 453 Main st. Richmond, ME 04357
  
• Check out our website and social media: www.tendersolesfarm.com