Fall Harvest & Field Crew

Old Friends Farm is hiring for the Fall Harvest & Field Crew position in Amherst, MA. This hands-on role supports the operation's day-to-day production and care work. Reliable execution and early communication matter because the work directly affects plants, animals, equipment, coworkers, customers, or the surrounding property. What you will do • Seed, transplant, cultivate, irrigate, harvest, wash, pack, and store crops according to the farm's plan and food-safety procedures. • Use and care for assigned hand tools, wash-pack equipment, carts, and field equipment within training. • Monitor crops and communicate pest, disease, water, weather, quality, or harvest-timing concerns promptly. • Harvest the farm's fall vegetables, greens, flowers, ginger, turmeric, or other ready crops at the required stage and volume, protecting quality from field through transport. • Complete general field work and changing seasonal assignments such as cultivation, crop cleanup, bed transitions, washing, packing, container care, and work-area organization. • Learn and follow established systems quickly, balance speed with quality control, and communicate unfinished work, crop concerns, supply needs, or errors promptly to the farm team. How the work fits together Farm priorities follow crop condition, weather, harvest commitments, and customer orders. The crew checks urgent irrigation and harvest needs first, then moves through field production, post-harvest handling, accurate packing, storage, and cleanup. Each employee's work affects both crop life and the quality customers receive. At Old Friends Farm, the employer also makes these role-specific priorities clear: Harvest the farm's fall vegetables, greens, flowers, ginger, turmeric, or other ready crops at the required stage and volume, protecting quality from field through transport. Complete general field work and changing seasonal assignments such as cultivation, crop cleanup, bed transitions, washing, packing, container care, and work-area organization. Learn and follow established systems quickly, balance speed with quality control, and communicate unfinished work, crop concerns, supply needs, or errors promptly to the farm team. What the employer is looking for • At least two complete seasons of production-farming experience, dedication to local organic food systems and ecological balance, and the ability to learn and follow farm systems conscientiously. • Self-awareness, energy, reliability, responsibility, trustworthiness, clear communication, and ability to work efficiently alone or with others in all weather while maintaining quality control. • Dependable attendance, direct communication, and willingness to follow the employer's safety, quality, and customer- or production-care procedures. • Ability to complete the role's active, in-person work and to ask for instruction before using unfamiliar tools, equipment, products, or animal-handling methods. Schedule, conditions, and compensation This part-time fall position works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from mid-August through October. Old Friends states that its employees can rely on consistent workday start and end times, but the exact daily hours for this three-day role are not published. Pay is based on experience and skill, with farm perks that include salads, vegetables, and flowers. The farm does not offer housing and does not publish a numeric wage, paid-leave package, insurance, or other conventional benefits for this opening. The employer does not publish a numeric wage range on this page, so no compensation has been estimated. Applicants should confirm the final hours, overtime treatment, starting assignment, travel or reporting point, supplied equipment, and benefit eligibility directly with the employer before accepting an offer. This is an in-person agricultural production position with a small operation. Daily priorities can change with weather, plant or animal condition, equipment availability, customer schedules, and the season. The successful person should arrive ready to work, communicate early when a task or condition is unclear, follow the employer's safety and quality procedures, and leave tools, vehicles, production areas, and job sites secure and ready for the next shift. Applicants should expect active work that may include long periods of standing or walking, bending, lifting, repetitive hand tasks, noise, dust, mud, pollen, heat, cold, rain, or work around moving equipment. The exact physical demands differ by assignment. Candidates should discuss any accommodation needs with the employer and confirm the final schedule, overtime treatment, training period, travel expectations, and benefit eligibility before accepting an offer. Only compensation and benefits expressly published by the employer are included here; unpublished terms have not been estimated. How to apply Email a letter of interest, resume, and three references to grow@oldfriendsfarm.com. Identify the Fall Position and describe your completed production-farm seasons, availability, and relevant harvest or field skills.