Fair wages, great team, free organic food, full time. Bluestem Farm in East Jordan, MI is hiring 2-3 paid field crew workers for the 2019 growing season. Now accepting applications online at
bluestemfarm.net/work.
About Bluestem Farm
Bluestem Farm is a year-round diversified organic farm in northern lower Michigan. If you’re using your left hand to picture it, we’re located in about in the fingernail of the ring finger. Our farm is made up of 80 acres of gardens, woods, and pastures, with about 9 acres in certified organic vegetable production. We also have four hoophouses that produce both summer and winter vegetables.
The core of our business is our CSA. Members bring home what they want from our certified organic vegetables and pasture-raised eggs, pork, and chicken. We also have wholesale accounts, sell at one of the best farmers markets in the state, and produce our own line of naturally fermented vegetables.
This part of northern Michigan is known for its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. It’s a summer and winter tourist destination for hiking, boating, skiing, and fishing. Situated in the countryside among rolling hills, woods, wild rivers, lakes, and fields, Bluestem Farm is within close driving distance of several picturesque towns. We don’t have year-round work for everyone who’s part of our summer crew, but our farm is located just a few miles away from a premier Midwestern winter sports resort. Finding winter work to complement the growing season is usually no problem.
About Our Team
Our core farm crew is made up of 3 or 4 full-time and 1 or 2 part-time team members. Some members of our crew will be new to the farm, and some will have worked with us for years.
Farm Crew Position Description
- Our main growing season lasts from May through late October or early November
- Hand-harvesting vegetables in the early morning hours
- Sowing, transplanting, trellising, and weeding organic vegetables
- Washing and packaging vegetables for sale to our CSA, wholesale accounts, and farmers market
- Field-related tasks like moving irrigation and temporary fencing
- Produce washing and processing
- General farm labor as needed
Qualifications
- It’s not a must, but a year or more of experience working hard and being happy at another farm would be a very good indication of all the below. If you haven’t worked on a farm before, some sort of outdoor, physical job would be a good equivalent. Special consideration will be given to applicants with prior experience and education in organic vegetable production.
- Punctuality and strong time management skills
- Positive and energetic disposition with strong interpersonal skills
- Maintain a clean and sanitary working environment
- Strong back with the ability to lift heavy and awkward objects
- Willingness to be hardworking and efficient at a physically demanding job
- Excited to absorb the lessons involved in this sort of life, and be proud of it
- To be interested in the idea of working alone sometimes, sometimes part of a larger farm community of half a dozen people
Physical Requirements
- Ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs
- Ability to repeatedly kneel, bend, and squat
- Ability to withstand exposure to varying weather conditions
- Ability to withstand prolonged standing or walking
- Ability to handle small objects by hand in a repetitive way
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full time, seasonal position. Pay is based on experience and performance.
- Expected starting range is from $11-15 per hour.
- We don’t ask or expect crew members to work more than 40 hours per week, but there are often overtime opportunities for paid overtime if you want.
- We work Monday through Friday, starting in the very early morning and continuing through the early afternoon.
- Paychecks arrive bi-weekly via direct deposit.
- There’s potential for management responsibilities in future seasons.
Full time employees also receive a weekly share of vegetables. Eggs, pork, and chicken are also negotiable. Housing is not available for this position. All workers are covered by worker’s compensation.
To apply, please send a summary of your relevant experience along with 3 work-related references to Mary at
[log in to unmask].
The responsibilities & duties listed above are general priorities of this position, but should not be understood as a comprehensive list of all possible work requirements. Bluestem Farm provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, or sexual orientation.
