Long Lane Farm Summer Farming Job Description and Application
“Long Lane is a collectively worked and collectively organized farm that uses ecological growing practices to nourish the land and people of the Middletown and Wesleyan community. We strive to collapse the boundaries between theory and practice, work and play, productivity and creativity, through experiential learning. Long Lane Farm is a site of open collaboration within our local community that demonstrates the vital importance of small farms in a just and sustainable food system.”
Job Description
Long Lane Farm is seeking six self-motivated, enthusiastic, creative, and hard working applicants for our summer farm positions.
Time Commitment
Preference may be given given to applicants who are able to commit to the full summer, but partial applications are also welcome.This is a minimum 40 hours of work per week position, though it should be noted that the demands of farming do not always align with the traditional work week. A mandatory orientation will take place near the end of the academic year.
Responsibilities
- Small-scale cultivation of vegetables and poultry (chicken and duck) management, with weekly harvests for Wesleyan’s dining hall and donations in the local community
- Collective organization and communication
- Maintaining and running weekly Community Food Project (CFP) sessions, usually on Saturday mornings, which involves engaging with community members, especially young kids
- Operating a stand at the North End Farmer’s Market in Middletown each week, beginning at the end of June on Fridays from 10am to 2pm
- Engagement with local farmers, including opportunities to volunteer at Wellstone Farm in Higganum
In addition, you can be expected to be exposed to and responsible for the following:
- vegetable seeding, transplanting, cultivation and harvest
- washing and post harvest handling
- hoophouse management
- poultry care including pasture management
- field preparation through broadforking, hoeing, and raking
- seeding in flats for fall transplanting
- taking care of and maintaining tools
- pest and weed management
- irrigation, especially in the hoophouses
- soil fertility
- finance and record keeping
- small maintenance and construction projects
- maintaining the appearance of the farm
- cultivating community relationships
Once you have been hired for this position, you are expected to work regularly at the farm during the spring semester, attend weekly meetings, and attend a mandatory summer farmer orientation in May.
Calendar
A schedule of tasks includes, but is not limited to:
Late May/Early June:
- finishing field preparation through broadforking, hoeing, and raking
- transplanting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other solanaceous crops
- trellising tomatoes and pole beans in the field and hoophouses
- transplanting and seeding squashes and melons
- seeding beans and other legumes
- harvest for Bon Appetit and regular donations
- poultry care, including rotational management of the ducks (throughout the summer)
- weed management – hoe! hoe! hoe!
- mowing grass up to fifteen feet from vegetable plots (throughout the summer)
- setting up any irrigation deemed necessary
Midsummer (Late June to Late July):
- selling at the North End Farmer’s Market when it begins in late June
- beginning the CFP at the end of the kids’ school year in late June
- succession planting of bolted greens
- start fall greens and brassica for transplant in flats in early July
- harvest for market, Bon App, regular donations, and CFP
- slope management, including a midsummer scything of grasses
- weed management – hoe! hoe! hoe!
Late Summer (August):
- selling at the North End Farmer’s Market
- continuing the CFP
- transplanting fall greens and brassica in early August under row cover for flea beetle protection
- harvest for market, Bon App, regular donations, and CFP
- weed management – hoe! hoe! hoe!
- establishing and beginning to implement fall cover crop plan
- beginning to prepare hoophouse plots for seeding of fall greens in late August
Finances and Compensation
Applicants are responsible for applying for grants to stay over the summer. Applicants should be in conversation with the collective about which grants they are applying for, and should apply to as many as possible. The first round of Grant applications are due in mid-February. The collective will assist in writing these grants. Grants are historically for $4,000 each and the summer farmers will also be compensated with vegetables grown at the farm and eggs from our birds. Each farmer is entitled to two weeks vacation.
Some possible funding sources include:
(however there is no guarantee that members of the collective will receive these grants)
College of the Environment Grants (applications due in mid-late February)
2 Positions provided by Bon Appetit
Summer Experience Grant (work-study and rising juniors/seniors only) due in March
Green Fund
Davis Projects for Peace: http://www.wesleyan.edu/patricelli/grants/peace.html
Other possibilities via the Career Center: http://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/students/grants-and-fellowships/index.html
Past summer farmers have also received grants from The Rockfall Foundation.
A “Summer Experience Grant” is available from Wesleyan for individuals with work study designation.
Options regarding can be discussed further by reaching out to Makaela Kingsley in the Patricelli Center (mjkingsley@wesleyan.edu)
Those staying over the summer are responsible for obtaining housing, although the collective will assist with suggestions and will help to locate adequate housing.
Application
Please answer the following questions as thoroughly but concisely as possible. A few sentences in response to each question will suffice. Priority application deadline is February 7th, 2016. They should be submitted to weslonglanefarm@gmail.com
- What prior work or farming experience do you have that might help you fulfill your responsibilities as a summer farmer?
- Why are you interested in this position and what would you contribute to Long Lane Farm (specific farm knowledge, experience with tools, market experience, working with kids, etc.)?
- What experience do you have working or living in a collectively structured environment?
- Are there any projects you would like to implement on the farm?
- What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses relative to this work?
- What are your personal goals as a farm worker?
- Can you commit to staying the whole summer (with about two weeks vacation time)? Will you need to take your vacation at a specific time?
- Do you have a car?