Located in the beautiful Berkshire foothills of Western Massachusetts, our farm milks 30-40 grass-fed cows throughout the year. Our mixed herd (primarily Jersey and Brown Swiss) is rotationally grazed on 200 acres of pasture during the summer, and fed local hay in the winter. We also raise a few grass-fed beef cattle and whey-fed pigs. The health and welfare of our animals and the land are of primary importance to us.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Join our team of thoughtful, talented individuals who are dedicated to the production of good food, on our evolving, mission-based dairy farm in Williamstown. Farmers’ markets are a key component of our business and to bringing our cheeses and meat to members of our local communities. Our team is able to staff 3+ markets per week and we need one or two more team members to help us get to the rest of the markets we typically attend.
If you are passionate about supporting small businesses, local & sustainable food, and talking about delicious cheese, this will be an enjoyable role for you! Good communication and organizational skills, ability to work well in the energetic outdoor environment of markets, and positive and pleasant customer service are critical for this role. An ideal candidate has experience in FOH or sales roles, is efficient, responsive, flexible, and calm under pressure. If you are a problem solver, a people-person, and enjoy working independently and on a small team, then this position might be right for you!
Staffing a market requires picking up products, table, pop-up tent, and other market materials from the farm; driving to the market and setting up, providing excellent customer service for the duration of the market; breaking down the market set up, reloading the vehicle and bringing materials and any inventory back to the farm.
REQUIREMENTS
-Ability to meet physical demands of the job — standing for long periods of time and working outdoors, bending, lifting and carrying up to 30-40 lbs (heaviest thing is a cooler full of cheese)
-Arriving on time to set up at each market; breaking down and reloading vehicle at designated time; ability to follow directions and guidelines of each Farmers’ Market manager.
-Interest in enthusiastically selling our products and positively representing the farm as the sole staff member at the market
-Operate a cashbox and Square POS and responsibly handle a variety of payment methods, including cash and credit/debit cards
-Weekend availability required
-Must have a valid Drivers’ License and your own reliable transportation. A farm vehicle will be available for some markets, but may not be on days when we have multiple staff members attending different markets. Mileage will be reimbursed when using personal vehicles. Applicants who are able to drive a manual transmission will have more access to a vehicle.
– Ability to work independently. Sound judgment.
Seasonal Farmers Markets run from May through October, but year-round help would be appreciated as we do attend a number markets throughout the winter. The number of markets that the market team member attends can be flexible for the right candidate(s), so please apply even if you are only able to work 1-2 markets per week.
Farmers Markets + Times
9am-1pm Saturdays — Pittsfield, MA
1:30-6:30 pm Tuesdays — Northampton, MA
3-6 pm Thursdays — West Stockbridge, MA
9am-1pm Saturdays — Great Barrington, MA
9am-2pm Saturdays — Troy, NY
10am-2pm Sundays — Schenectady, NY
Other markets we attend or may attend:
3-6 pm Fridays — Sheffield, MA
1-5 pm Fridays — Lenox, MA
9am-1pm Saturdays — North Adams, MA
Wages paid hourly, starting at $15/hour. You also receive a 20% discount on our pasture raised beef and rose veal, and our whey-fed pork, as well as all products in our farm store. Staff also have complimentary access to a “seconds” section of the meat freezer, where meat with broken vacuum seals or freezer burn is stored, as well as access to ordering groceries at cost. These additional food benefits typically add up to savings equivalent to a $1-2/hr increase in pay.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send your resume and a short cover letter describing your interest in this role and in working with Cricket Creek Farm to Anna at anna@cricketcreekfarm.com. Highlight any previous experience working farmers’ markets, retail, or sales, or in working with a small business.
We look forward to hearing from you!
This post was edited on 5/10/23; if it is still up, we are taking applications!