| Job Title | Location | Type | Compensation | |
| Farmer/Farm Worker | Ivory Silo Farm, Westport MA | Part-Time | $16-18/hour | Learn More: deelevanti@gmail.com |
About the Position: Seeking part-time Farmer/Farm Worker at Ivory Silo Farm
March – November; 2-3 days/week (3 preferred, open to seasonal flux; some
flexibility on day of the week with a regular fixed schedule); Pay
commensurate with experience.
About the Farm: We are located at Ivory Silo Farm where we lease ~7 acres of
farmland in Westport, MA. 2026 is our 12th year in operation. We grow on
anywhere from 1-5 acres each year with two high tunnels and a large amount of
retail plants grown in our prop house.
Our market farm grows primarily for sale to restaurants with whom we work
closely and have long term relationships. We consider our chefs to be an
integral part of our operation, and work to curate a selection that inspires
them and provides them with outstanding ingredients they can’t find elsewhere.
We deliver to Boston once a week, with local pick-ups and deliveries.
We grow plants for retail sale mainly in the Spring, offering a wide range of
veg, herb, and flower varieties sourced almost entirely from small seed
companies and small scale seed growers. Our selection includes annual and
perennial flowers for bedding, fresh cuts, dried arrangements, varieties to
support beneficials and other pollinators and birds and some native species;
culinary and medicinal herbs; heirloom veg and newly bred open-pollinated
varieties. Nursery comprises ¼ of gross revenue sold on the farm in 7 weeks
from April-June.
This position will assist in all aspects of day to day operations, working
side by side with Dee, and also independently. In the Spring, our work is
heavily focused on seedling production, overlapping with field plantings which
continue into Summer. Our crop plan leans heavy into Summer and Fall
harvested crops, with storage veg and winter greens production dovetailing us
into Winter.
Basic skills required for this position include all aspects of farm work,
including greenhouse work seeding, potting up, moving trays and labeling
plants for sale, transplanting on hands and knees, various tiers of weeding
with hand tools, harvesting all sorts of crops, interacting with gardening
customers, operating gas powered equipment, erecting deer fencing, supporting
with irrigation set-up, laying row cover, etc. This position requires that
somebody be comfortable reading and following spreadsheets (or willing to
learn) and participating in record keeping during all phases of production. I
ask that folks are fully engaged while at work, and are capable of both
working quickly as well as anticipating next steps in the work flow. This
person will work both in a group and alone. This person would be able to
receive constructive feedback, ask questions, and also provide feedback to me—
open communication helps us all do better and strong communication skills are
highly appreciated! Maybe it goes without saying, but farming is an all-
weather occupation: we work in all conditions and proper gear is required. We
expect to do some on-the-job training, and especially to train on our
preferred techniques and established systems. The goal is that this person
will be able to work together side-by-side with Dee as well as independently,
take on ownership of certain tasks, and become an integral part of our
operation!
We grow using organic methods (Certified by Baystate), striving to improve
soil health and biodiversity within our farming system and to practice human-
friendly farming. Our variety selection is focused on unique vegetables and
herbs that are not restricted for use or propagation in neither legal or
botanical terms. This includes heirloom, open-pollinated crops, and variety
bred by small scale or independent breeding work. Our sister organization,
Freed Seed Federation was fostered at Ivory Silo and now operates on another
property just down the road. The variety selection we grow with our crops and
plants for sale reflects this! We do engage in seed saving, variety trials,
and grow some of our own seed at Ivory Silo. The focus of this position is to
support market crop production (veg and herb) and the retail plant operation.
Pay includes 3 days paid time off, $50 gear stipend, produce and plants from
the farm, and a bonus here and there (cash, books, or tools). We aim to
compensate people fairly and acknowledge that we are working with a broken
system when it comes to parity for farmers. We have paid people in the range
of $15-$18/hour.
Long term I may be looking for more of a farming partner
than an employee, if this is interesting to you please reach out!
For more information, or to apply, please email deelevanti@gmail.com <mailto:deelevanti@gmail.com>