Section:
red
General Information
The CSA at Red Hill Farm is located in Aston, which is 20 miles west of Philadelphia and just a few miles from Media, Pennsylvania. Our farm is part of the 183 acres of woodlands and meadows owned by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, some of the last undeveloped land in Delaware County. Confronted with the pressures of development and concern for the environment, the congregation formed an Environmental Initiative Group with 16 strategies dedicated to environmental conservation and protection. Red Hill Farm was started to promote a healthy community by providing a place where people can learn the importance of healthy food, healthy soil, community, and a reconnection with earth.
On our five-acre farm, we grow over 30 types of mixed vegetables, flowers, and herbs for our members. We also utilize two hoophouses to extend our growing season. Highlights of the farm include a children’s garden and a large U-Pick garden with blackberries and raspberries.
Red Hill Farm has two positions open for the 2010 season. Both positions will be seasonal employee positions; see details below. One position will have additional responsibilities, with a focus on education and outreach.
Position 1: Seasonal Farm Worker
Position starts: May 3, 2010
Position ends: September 30, 2010
Details about the Position
Full-time farm employee sought for the 2010 growing season. Responsibilities include general farm work such as planting, seeding, weeding, hoeing, harvesting, and washing. We consider our seasonal employees an integral part of the farm crew and provide a working knowledge of all tasks. Our goal is to provide you with skills that will prove invaluable. We place responsibility on our workers, which makes everyone at the farm involved and invested in the season.
Schedule is M-F with rotating weekend watering. We place emphasis on having a balanced life and generally work from 7 A.M.-4 P.M., an eight-hour work day—sometimes longer or shorter depending on the time of year and the amount of work (one hour lunch break; lunch provided).
Additional Requirements: *Able to stand and walk for long periods of time *Able to bend repeatedly and lift 50 pounds *Must hold a valid driver’s license * Must be a steady and reliable worker *Able to take direction and work unsupervised * Respect and understand the philosophy of Red Hill Farm
All farm workers are strongly encouraged to attend farming workshops/events throughout the region and read books and articles related to sustainable farming in order to stay abreast of current issues/trends in local agriculture.
Ideal candidate has at least one season of farming experience. Candidates with plans to farm long-term preferred. Tractor experience and small equipment knowledge a plus.
We require a workday at the farm for applicants. To apply, please send a letter of intent and resume before March 12, 2010 to redhillfarm@osfphila.org.
Position Two: Education/Outreach Coordinator & Seasonal Farm Worker
Position starts: April 13, 2010
Position ends: October 15, 2010
The farm education/outreach coordinator is an integral part of the CSA community. This is an exciting opportunity to expand the realm of Red Hill Farm into a source for local, sustainable food and agriculture education. In addition to duties listed under Seasonal Farm Worker, your responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to: recruiting community members and students for farm tours, developing lessons based on important farming topics, leading farm tours, providing valuable information to CSA members, and acting as a liaison between Red Hill Farm and the Sisters of St. Francis and its employees.
The education/outreach coordinator must have excellent communication skills. You must be able to work independently and on multiple projects at once. A strong desire to reach out to the community about local foods is important. Prior farming experience is required. Previous education experience is a plus.
The education/outreach coordinator will spend an average of 5 hours/week during the farming season on education/outreach tasks. The remaining 40 hours will be spent working closely with the head farmers on everyday farming tasks (including, but not limited to seeding, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and distribution of produce). This will ensure that the educator has a working knowledge of what is going on at the farm.
We require a workday at the farm for applicants. To apply, please send a letter of intent and resume before March 12, 2010 to redhillfarm@osfphila.org.
