Employment Opportunities
Luna Bleu Farm Open Positions
Luna Bleu Farm is a diversified organic farm in South Royalton,VT. We (Tim and Suzanne, farmer/owners of Luna Bleu) have been growing high quality food for our community for over 30 years. We are a relatively small farm with about ¾ acre in no-till, 3 acres of reduced tillage, 1/3 acre in high-tunnels and 30 acres in pasture and forest. Primarily the farm focuses on producing vegetables, blueberries, and spring bedding plants and raising laying hens and meat chickens.
We grow and market year-round through our CSA, Saturday farmers market, and a few local businesses. Season extension and winter growing in high tunnels is an important part of our operation. We work hands-on with our employees to share the knowledge we have gained over our years of farming. We have a great core crew and hope to hire a few more people to round out the team.
We have openings for full and part-time employment at Luna Bleu for the 2023 season.
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Vegetable Production Assistant- Full time, April-November - with option for winter employment
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General Farm Crew- Part-time, average 20-hours/week These positions are filled for 2023
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Farmers Market Assistant- Part-time, Saturdays, average 8 hours/week (can be combined with general farm crew position) This position is filled for 2023
To apply for any of the above positions, send a cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to suzanne@lunableufarm.org . Please include the title of the position(s) you are applying for in the subject of your email. People of all backgrounds, genders, and identities who have strong commitment to regenerative agriculture and love to work outside in all weather are encouraged to apply.
Vegetable Production Assistant
Full Time, Seasonal with option for winter employment
40-45 hours/week April – November
Pay starting at $17-18/hour
Organic eggs and vegetables and farmer discount on chicken
On-farm apartment available
We are looking for a person with vegetable production experience and management skills to work closely with Tim and Suzanne (farmer/owners) and crew in all aspects of organic vegetable production—from soil preparations to market. This position has lots of opportunity for learning and growth, with the possibility for growth into a more long term management position.
Responsibilities include:
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Help manage succession seedings, seedling production and transplant schedules.
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Help coordinate small field crew to carry out weekly field work plans. Work with Tim and Suzanne to understand overall farm goals, and problem solve to support workflow.
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Help record dates and information for seeding, transplanting, harvest and help monitor and record notes on insects, disease and crop quality
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Participate in other aspects of vegetable production including harvest, wash/pack, CSA distribution and farmers market with the possibility to take on leadership roles depending on interest and strengths.
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Work with the whole farm team to problem solve, improve farm systems and customer service/experience at Luna Bleu.
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Possibilities to be involved in education and community outreach and work with farm and community partners.
Qualifications:
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The ideal candidate will have 2+ years of prior market vegetable production experience and related experience, with production management or project leadership positions.
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Good recordkeeping and organizational skills
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Attention to detail, quality, speed and efficiency and the juggle to balance those all
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills
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Excited to think about the farm as an ecosystem and learn with us about all the intricacies that make things work together.
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Passion for learning and problem solving
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Sense of humor
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Spanish Language skills a bonus
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Please read the “Qualities for a Successful Job Experience at Luna Bleu Farm …”
To apply ,
send a cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to suzanne@lunableufarm.org . Please include the title of the position(s) you are applying for in the subject of your email.
General Farm Crew These positions are filled for 2023
Part-time, seasonal. Possibility to combine with Farmers Market Assistant for up to full-time position.
Average 20 hours/week April-October
Pay starting at $17/hour
Organic eggs and vegetables and farmer discount on chicken
Job Overview:
For our general Farm Crew, the typical season starts in April and extends to mid November, but we will consider other start and end times. In general, the farm crew participate in most aspects of our farming operation: rotating through the various chicken chores, working with many aspects of growing, harvesting, and preparing for market the field vegetables and fruits, as well as helping with CSA distribution and farmers market. We are looking for people who are hardworking, fast learners with an eye for accuracy and efficiency. Applicants with more experience may also take on roles with more responsibility. It is also possible for a part-time employee to have a more limited scope of farm activities according to interest and strengths.
Qualifications:
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Enthusiastic about local organic agriculture
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Physically able to perform repetitive tasks while standing or kneeling
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Prepared to work outside in diverse weather conditions
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Positive and energetic and have interpersonal skills in a team setting
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Trustworthy, reliable, and responsible
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Able to show up on time every work day and stick with their schedule
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Previous experience in fast paced and/manual labor fields a plus
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Please read the “Qualities for a Successful Job Experience at Luna Bleu Farm…”
To apply ,
send a cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to suzanne@lunableufarm.org . Please include the title of the position(s) you are applying for in the subject of your email.
Farmers Market Assistant This position is filled for 2023
Part-time, seasonal. Possibility to combine with General Farm Crew position for part-time to full-time position.
Saturdays 6:30am-2:30pm May-October 8hrs/week
Pay starting at $16-17/hour
Organic eggs and vegetables and farmer discount on chicken
Job Overview:
The Norwich Farmers Market is a vibrant, busy marketplace for local farms, food producers and crafts people in the Upper Valley. We market in collaboration with Flying Dog Farm (owned by our daughter) to sell her organic pork, beef and lamb, and our organic vegetables, eggs and chicken. It is a very busy, fast-paced market and an important piece of our overall farm income. We strive to be a welcoming, informative, fun consumer connection to the organic food and products we produce. Attention to detail and accuracy are essential qualities of this position.
Responsibilities include:
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Loading market vehicles in the morning, potentially driving to market
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Quickly setting up colorful and eye-catching market displays (training will be given)
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Managing sales with POS system, cash and credit card transactions at our very busy market booth
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Providing high-quality, friendly customer service
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Restocking product throughout market
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Keeping market booth sales areas clean and organized
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Packing up at the end of market and unload at farm
Qualifications:
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Knowledge of farming, gardening, local food and/or cooking
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Outgoing, friendly attitude
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Comfort with handling cash and making change
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Comfort with using tablet/smartphone for sales transactions and processing credit card sales
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Positive attitude, good sense of humor, patience, and stamina—this is a busy, fast-paced market
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Attention to detail and accuracy within all the hustle and bustle of many customer demands
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills
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Ready to ask for help and clarification as needed
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Attentive to weekly patterns and changes and ability to retain directions from week to week
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Ability to lift 30-40 pounds
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Reliable attendance and performance
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Willingness to work outdoors in any weather
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Valid license and dependable transportation
To apply ,
send a cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to suzanne@lunableufarm.org . Please include the title of the position(s) you are applying for in the subject of your email.
Qualities for a Successful Job Experience
at Luna Bleu Farm
We have had many people work with us over the years and we are always trying to be better employers in a job that is very demanding. Our first job is to be as clear as we can about the work here and our expectations. Please read this carefully before you apply for a job with Luna Bleu Farm. It could save you and us a lot of time. If you have questions about anything in here, feel free to contact us.
There is really no way around it, farming might be the hardest work you will ever do. It requires intelligence, creativity, organization, attention to detail, and a great deal of physical labor. Below is a list of qualities that characterize the most successful employees at Luna Bleu Farm.
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Physically fit — Much of the work is repetitive and you can spend hours at a time bending, kneeling, stooping, or standing at a wash station. It is important that you are physically fit and able and willing to work outdoors in all sorts of weather. You must be able to lift 40-50 lbs.
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Astute — Our farm is both our livelihood and an expression of our passion for high quality food. It is very important that you are able to be deliberate, careful, thoughtful, and detail oriented while being aware of speed and efficiency
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Able to work independently — Do you lose momentum if you work alone?
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Able to work as a team — Do you enjoy learning from others, teaching others, and working together to get a task done?
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Able to plan ahead– Are you good at seeing the bigger picture, can you look ahead during a task, anticipate the next step so time isn’t lost in getting more supplies or changing jobs?
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Communicate clearly — You cannot be afraid to ask questions if you do not understand what needs to be done. It is important to communicate if a job doesn’t get finished or if something went wrong or if you are not sure if something is correct.
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POSITIVE ATTITUDE — perhaps the most important quality. We recognize that employees will not necessarily arrive with all the skills that they need to be superhero workers, but a good attitude can sure help them get there. When you try your best and are willing to listen and learn, it makes all the difference. Also, we like to have fun while we work.
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A sense of humor and appreciation of the absurd are also strong assets! After a long hard day it can get a little goofy around here.
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We encourage you to be an advocate for your learning while understanding the overall balance of life on a working farm. We are happy to work with you to identify and build specific skills and areas of knowledge while you are here.
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Have a valid drivers license
We believe strongly that having a positive farm job experience depends a lot on finding the right place and likewise for a farm to find the right person. It is important for a prospective employee to understand what they want to get out of a farm job and make sure the farm they choose will fit those goals. With all the very different farms and farmers out there, a thorough search and awareness of goals will hopefully give you a good chance of finding a situation that will work well for everyone.
