Temporary Field Help Wanted

(This photo is from Lady Calvert on Instagram)

 

Two of our staff on the vegetable operation are about to be new parents. To give them a chance to enjoy this new life, we’re looking for a some extra help. We need someone for 32 hours/week, to help weed, harvest, mulch, twine tomatoes, and other tasks.  The position lasts 2 months, pays $11.50/hour and starts as soon as we hire. 

Maybe you’re thinking of becoming a farmer? Maybe you’d just like to fill a little time while you’re between jobs? Craving some hard work outdoors? This could be the job for you!

To apply, send a resume to cvaughn@cbf.org. 

This Saturday: Emergency Strawberry Rehab

We have a strawberry field that has recently been overcome by a plant called hairy vetch.  It's a lovely plant with purple flowers that adds helpful Nitrogen to the soil, but it's growing over top of the strawberry plants and keeping them from the photosynthesis they need to make sugars for their berries.  Yikes!  If you feel like joining us, pulling weeds is a job that's made much easier by more hands.  Come on over!  You're welcome any time this Saturday between 8:00am and 2:00pm.  Call ahead to let us know we should expect you (301-627-4662).  

And while you're considering lending us a hand, note that this Saturday is certainly not your only opportunity--we are happy for help every day of the week except Sundays.  You can find more information at www.cbf.org/csa-volunteer.  

 

Job openings: 3 new farm staff, April - November

We have half of our vegetable team already--me (Carrie Vaughn), Dave Vernon and Jenn Garvin.  Now we need to find 3 new people.  Here's the skinny:

• 24-40 hours/week, depending on the needs of the applicants
• Includes most Saturdays and Wednesdays; other days are flexible
• $10/hour
• No housing
• The job is perfect for someone who would like to learn how to farm--either to become a farmer in the future, or something related.
• We spend most of our days weeding, harvesting, planting, leading volunteers, and a wide variety of other field work.  It's tough, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes fun, and always busy.

You can find more details here.

 

Updates: we still want you back; split share opportunity at dupont; job opening Saturdays

1. RENEWING YOUR SHARE: We still have space in the CSA for past members, even though the deadline has passed.  We can't guarantee a slot for you anymore, but go ahead and register, and we'll take you on a first-come-first served basis until we've sold the last one in mid-March.  If you've already signed up and received an e-mail confirmation from us, ignore this note.  Your job is done.  
2. WANT TO JOIN AS A NEW MEMBER?  If you haven't been a CSA member of ours before, you can sign up at 5:00pm March 11th at this link.
3. PARTNER WANTED FOR SHARE AT DUPONT: One person is looking to split a share for pick-up at Dupont.  If you are similarly inclined, we would like to put you two together.  Typically, this means you would pick up a full share every other week, and pay half the price of a full share.  
4. SATURDAY HELP WANTED: We would like to hire someone who will work from about 7:30am - 3:30pm every Saturday from April or May through mid-November.  We pay $10/hour.  This person would help us harvest and direct volunteers in the morning, and monitor the share pick-up in the afternoon at the farm.  If you know someone interested, send them our way.  

Will trade help at pick-up for veggies

We could use some help at our CSA pick-ups on the farm:  Wednesdays 3-7pm and Saturdays 1-4pm.  We're looking for someone outgoing and friendly who can lift bins of up to 40 pounds, and can come reliably as often as every week or as seldom as once a month.  We'll need help setting up before the pick-up starts, welcoming the CSA members, re-filling baskets, and putting things away after it ends.  We can exchange one week's CSA share for each week that you work.   

Thanks everyone!  We think we've found enough help for our pick-ups.  But we're always eager for more help during the harvests (Wednesday and Saturday mornings) and doing other field work on other days (except Sundays).  No commitment is necessary, so join us when it works for you.  -Carrie

(Image via krossbow on Flickr)

 

U-Pick signs

We're on the lookout for the following items:

• A laminating machine; it doesn't need to make big signs, but they do need to be stiff enough to withstand some rain and wind--flimsy won't work.  (If you have access to one, but don't want to donate it, that's good too!  See below...)
• Roadside or yard signs made of corrugated plastic.  They often have two little metal legs, and you see them advertising housing developments and politicians.  We would like to re-purpose them as our u-pick signs.  We're hoping to velcro the laminated signs over top of the old message, so we can direct you to your u-pick kale, lettuce, and so forth. We're not suggesting you steal ones that are in use, but if you see some that are no longer needed, please pick them up for us. 
  

We're also looking for one or two people:

• Someone who likes to u-pick, and wants to help us post signs as needed to make the crops easier to find.  The sign posting is pretty easy!  It just requires some walking around each week to put a few up and take a few down.  If you have access to a laminating machine at home or at work, that could save us from finding one of our own. 

If you've ever tried to u-pick at the farm, you've noticed that it can be hard to find what you're looking for.  Bear with us!  We're know we have a problem, and we admit we need help. 

Thanks!

-Farmer Carrie

Want to Volunteer at the Farm Tomorrow?

 

Want to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather tomorrow on the farm?

We're in need of a few volunteers who want to come out and help transplant tomato plants to the fields. We're trying to get them in the ground before the next rain, which is looking likely for Monday. 

Transplanting tomato plants is a fun and easy job -- volunteers will ride on the back of the tractor. If you're able to volunteer, call Farmer Carrie at 301-646-0282 and she'll give you all the details. 

Happy Saturday!

 

 

Photo above via TheBittenWord.com 

Need a Tuesday afternoon helper

We have a great opportunity for someone who wants to be a regular, reliable, weekly worksharer, but doesn't want to mess with working outside in the dirt.  We need someone to help us display and give out shares to our members at our farm on Tuesday afternoons, 2pm until 6 or 7pm. 

This person must be able to lift bins that are up to 40 pounds, have a friendly personality, and be able to set up a neat, attractive display.  In exchange, we're happy to offer one week's CSA share for each week worked.  If you think this might be you, send us a note (clagettfarm@cbf.org).     

We look forward to hearing from you!

 We're still looking for a helper for this job. 

Job openings--Farm Crew, March through November

Haven't you always wanted to be a farmer?  Well you only live once! 

Clagett Farm is accepting applications for our farm crew for this summer.  We have a couple positions open--full or part-time.  We pay $10/hour for the first season ($12 for the 2nd, and up from there).  We'll need people who can work on Saturdays, work well with volunteers, and endure heat and humidity with a smile.  The job runs from March (or April) through November (or October--your choice).  We give special preference to people who have worked with us before, so that means you, worksharers!

If you're interested, send us an e-mail to clagettfarm@cbf.org with a resume and a few times when you're available for a working interview.  We'll respond with an application for you to fill out.  Interviewing with us is fun, because we sit around and chat while seeding trays of broccoli and cabbages. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

-Carrie

Top photo is Megan Caine, taken by Kolya Vishnevsky in 2006.  Bottom photo is Kristin Carbone, taken by Carrie Vaughn in 2007. 

Herb and flower beds--volunteers needed

 
Do you raise flowers at home?  Do you have a knack for landscape design? 

We are looking for someone who would like to help choose the flowers and herbs for the you-pick beds behind the washing station.  We need help designing which herbs and flowers to go where, choosing varieties, planning when and how they will be planted, and directing other volunteers each week to do the bed preparation, planting, weeding and other maintenance.  We can exchange each four hours of work for a share.  If you're interested, send an e-mail to clagettfarm@cbf.org.

In addition to a person taking charge of the beds, we can also use weekly help maintaining them.  The bulk of the work will be forking up new beds and weeding the established ones.  You can name which days and hours you would like to help, but we need people who will work quickly and effectively even when we are not there to help and encourage.  
 
Photos by Deborah Starobin Armstrong