Job Openings – Land’s Sake

Seasonal Farm Equipment Operator

Seasonal Farm Equipment Operator

Job Type: Seasonal full-time with opportunity to grow into year round
Pay: Competitive hourly pay based on experience
Work Location: In person, Weston, MA

Land’s Sake Farm has an exciting opportunity for a person looking to grow with us!

About Land’s Sake (LS): LS is a small non-profit community and educational farm located in Weston, MA (the Boston Metro area). Our mission, to connect people to the land to build community and inspire lifelong stewardship, guides all that we do. LS works to build a community where people understand the importance of the land for food production and hunger relief, and that we must care for the land in a thoughtful, sustainable way; for education, health, and enjoyment; and to inspire the community to take action to sustain the many human values and environmental functions that the land provides.

LS manages five town owned parcels spread throughout Weston. We cultivate over twenty acres of mixed vegetables and five acres of flowers, and grow over 120,000 lbs of food each year. LS runs a 300-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and operates a seasonal, bustling farmstand. The distribution of our produce is as follows: one-third is donated to hunger relief; one-third is sold through the farmstand; and the remaining one-third is sold to CSA members. Further, LS has a forestry program that includes cutting trees for firewood, tapping sap for maple syrup and growing Christmas trees. In addition to our farming and forestry operations, LS’ educational programming reaches thousands of youth and adults annually. Finally, throughout the year, LS organizes a number of community events at the farm and other locations in town.

Position Overview

Land’s Sake Farm is seeking a reliable and skilled Equipment Operator to support day-to-day field operations and vegetable production. This role works closely with the Farm Manager and plays an important part in cultivating, planting, field preparation, and transporting produce between field sites and the main farm. The ideal candidate is dependable, safety-focused, and comfortable operating a variety of farm equipment in all weather conditions.

Key Responsibilities

Operate farm equipment including tractors, trucks, cultivation tools, and other field machinery
Assist with field tasks such as cultivating, transplanting, soil preparation, and harvesting support
Transport harvested produce and materials from field locations to the main farm site
Safely operate trucks, tractors, and equipment on public roads
Perform basic equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, and daily checks
Support general farm operations as needed throughout the growing season

Required Qualifications

Minimum two years experience on a farm operating tractors, trucks, or similar agricultural equipment. Other relevant experience on heavy equipment will be considered as alternative (land scaping or construction)
Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record
Ability to safely drive wide trucks and farm equipment on public roads
Reliable, punctual, and able to follow instructions
Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions
Physically capable of lifting 50+ lbs and performing repetitive physical tasks
Ability to work independently on detailed oriented projects
Strong communication skills and ability to work as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with vegetable production or field crop systems
Familiarity with farm irrigation systems and equipment
Basic mechanical, handyman, or equipment maintenance skills
Proficiency in excel/google sheets
Capable of directing peers and/or volunteers on farm tasks as instructed by the farm manager

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive hourly pay based on experience
Opportunity to grow from full time seasonal position into full time year round position part-time into a full-time position
Employee discount at Land’s Sake farmstand
On the job training and educational stipend provided towards skill development opportunities
Gear stipend

Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience.

Please send resume with cover letter to Steven at steven@landssake.org

CSA / Pick-Your-Own Coordinator

Land’s Sake CSA/Pick-Your-Own Coordinator (seasonal)

Land’s Sake is a nonprofit farm located in Weston, MA. Our mission: to connect people to the land to build community and inspire lifelong stewardship. Land’s Sake’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs serve 300 members from June - November, offering weekly vegetable and flower pickups every Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday during the 21-week season.

Job Description

The coordinator should possess an interest in sustainable agriculture, local food systems, flowers, and/or cooking. As a customer-facing contact for Land's Sake, the coordinator must communicate with farm/CSA customers about our produce in a friendly and informed manner. Great customer service skills, an ability to work quickly and efficiently, and a good sense of humor are vital to this position. Training on seasonal produce, flowers, herbs and Land’s Sake specific growing practices will be provided.

This seasonal position will report to the Farm Manager.

Responsibilities:

CSA coordination:

The candidate will manage and maintain the CSA program, including but not limited to:

CSA pickup day responsibilities:

- Setup/breakdown CSA pickup area on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- Explain vegetable information to CSA members, including varieties, names, suggested uses, and creative cooking ideas. Training will be provided.
- Communicate with farm crew and CSA members about produce
- Storage and display of CSA supplies: signage, scales, check-in book, bags, etc.
- Manage displays: vegetable signs, CSA member instructions, etc.
- Restock vegetable displays throughout pickup, with the goal of maintaining produce freshness & quality via temperature control, watering
- Manage vegetable stock and storage in the walk-in cooler:
  - Organize produce properly and communicate with other staff
  - Pack surplus CSA produce for donation

Technical tasks related to CSA:

- Monitor the csa@landssake.org email account. Respond to CSA member questions.
- Assist with review of the weekly CSA newsletter email bulletin, to make sure information is timely and correct. Assist with creation of “field notes” for inclusion in bulletin, which highlight produce and farm happenings.
- Communicate with business office about CSA enrollment issues and other customer questions, to ensure a superior customer service experience

CSA tent monitor volunteer coordination:

- Assist the business office with scheduling CSA check-in volunteers for weekly pickups
- Communicate directly with CSA volunteers on weekly changes impacting scheduling
- Manage volunteer coverage in the event of volunteer absence

Pick-Your-Own (PYO) coordination

The candidate will assist CSA members and farm customers with “Pick Your Own” seasonal vegetables, herbs and flowers

Help members/customers navigate the farm/fields to find locations of weekly PYO items
Educate members/customers on these seasonal PYO veggies, herbs and flowers
Maintain signage near PYO locations, and general maintenance of these areas
Manage stock of PYO supplies and proper display ie: cups, scissors & bags

Qualifications:

Friendly customer service skills and sociable demeanor. Possess the initiative to engage with the members/public Self-starter with ability to work independently and with a team.
This is a physical job. Candidates must be willing and able to:
bend and lift up to 50 lbs.
work in all weather conditions, standing for long periods of time.
Prepared to take appropriate precautions to safely work out of doors: wearing farm-appropriate clothing, understanding appropriate hydration and sun protection protocols, etc.

Employment Dates and Hours:

Seasonal position will run from the end of May through early December
CSA coordinator will work on-site at the farm Tuesday 12-7pm, Thursday 12-7pm, and Saturday 9am-3pm, plus a few additional (flexible) hours during the week to check the CSA email mailbox and respond to CSA member questions.

Compensation:

Starts at $18.00/hour, commensurate with experience
Paid sick time, in accordance with Massachusetts law
Paid 30-minute lunch break if the employee works six or more hours that day
As much free and fresh produce as you can eat
Discount on other products sold at the Farmstand

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to brendan@landssake.org.

Equal Opportunity Policy

Land’s Sake is seeking to hire a staff that represents the racial and ethnic diversity of its constituents. Diversity and inclusion is an ongoing organizational practice and a core value of Land’s Sake with the goal of having culturally competent services, materials, resources and programs. Our hiring practices are informed by an appreciation of the strengths offered by differing cultures, races, religions, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientation, physical capacities, and age groups. Land’s Sake offers benefits including medical insurance, vacation, access to professional development and local organic food. Land’s Sake is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to creating a multicultural organization. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates for all positions.