Job Opportunities
Farm Hand
Check VA
Kat The Farmer LLC is hiring a part time seasonal Farm Hand to assist with farming operations approximately one day per week on our Certified Naturally Grown salad-centric farm in Check, Virginia.
It’s a great position for someone that enjoys plants, the outdoors, and the physical labor involved in farming. The farm hand will report to Kat, the farm owner, who will provide training and oversight, but the tasks may often be independent in nature, with some opportunities to work side by side and share in the work. Great communication is key, as is the ability to work with makeshift systems, and help to improve upon them over time.
On a small farm the tasks can be quite varied. A typical day might include washing nursery trays & harvest totes, weeding, planting, pulling out old plants, seeding microgreens, watering, mulching, composting, fertilizing mowing and the odds and ends that are needed on a farm. Growing season runs March through October. Extra shifts working in the value added kitchen are available from time to time, and this position could be combined with the kitchen tech position for the right person.
Working interviews will be held with top candidates.
Compensation
$15.00/hour 4-8 hours per week (day of week TBD)
Paid lunch breaks + farm produce included
Requirements
Valid Driver's License
Great work ethic and attitude in all sorts of jobs and weather conditions
Ability to work independently and execute fine details.
Must be able to lift 50 lbs while walking, bend and stoop in various positions throughout the day.
Must be able to pass drug screening
Non-smoking workplace
Interest in local food, salads, farming or gardening
Prepared Foods Tech
Check VA
Kat The Farmer LLC, a salad centric farm and food company, is hiring a part time seasonal Prepared Foods Tech for its food company’s kitchen operations. The prepared foods tech will fulfill orders for our prepared foods line, maintain inventory of ingredients used in value added products, facilitate delivery, and keep good records and sanitation compliance. This position will work closely with the Farm Owner and gradually function more independently over time. This position can be combined with the Farm Hand position for the right candidate.
The tech will also be responsible for significant ware washing, cleaning, knife sharpening, organizing, taking inventory, making estimations and perhaps developing new product lines and helping with market harvest and packaging when time allows.
Kat The Farmer is a small farm and food company focusing on high quality, small batch and clean ingredients. The Farm is based in Check, VA and the prepared food tech will operate out of the Farm location as well as out of Riverstone Organic Farm’s Commercial kitchen.
An ideal candidate will have a great attitude, ability to hustle and be detail oriented and methodical at the same time. Ability to develop a functional workspace out of any makeshift set up is a key asset. Great communication skills required.
Typical work week will be Fridays 9am-3pm. A typical day may start out by making dressing or pesto, portioning ingredients for salads, making prepared salads, printing labels, and preparing invoices and re-ordering supplies before delivering orders to roanoke. Some days may include longer days or additional shifts when orders or harvests require it. Main kitchen production season is April thru October.
Compensation:
$15/hour 6-8 hours per week (Fridays)
Paid lunch breaks + farm produce included
Requirements
At least 1 year of experience in commercial kitchens
Knife skills & kitchen know how
Ability to use google workspace (sheets, docs, drawing, gmail)
Hustle and time management
Experience in safe food handling
Ability to do quality control
Can follow formulas, do basic math and recipe calculations.
Keen eye for portioning and consistent presentation.
Valid Driver's License
At least 21 years old
Positive, flexible, can-do attitude and willingness to learn.
Ability to work independently and execute fine details.
Must be available Thursdays consistently April-October, with some winter work ad hoc
Must be able to lift 40 lbs, bend, and stand for 8 hours
Clean and professional attire (protective gear provided)
Must be able to pass drug screening
Non-smoking workplace
To Apply
Email us and provide the following
1. Letter of interest (including availability, qualifications), 2. Resume, and 3. Two professional references
Kat Johnson, Farm owner
Katthefarmer@gmail.com
More About The Farm
Kat The Farmer LLC is a salad-centric farm and food company based in Check VA. The ¼ acre farm is known as ‘The Farmlet’ and produces Certified Naturally Grown Greens, Herbs, and Vegetables. Farm-grown and locally sourced products are showcased in a line of value added products including prepared salad, wholesome salad dressings, and other seasonal offerings. Kat The Farmer is dedicated to providing fresh ingredients as the key to a sustainable, healthy community because we believe the world's best salads are always locally grown.
The Farmlet was started in the spring of 2021, by Kat Johnson. Kat brought almost two decades of organic farming experience together to build this small and mighty farm on her small mountaintop property. She grows primarily in passive solar high tunnel structures and harvests about 9 months of the year to create a seed to salad bowl experience for a supportive [and growing!] group of customers. Her vision for the farm is to create fulfilling work that supports her family, while promoting and fortifying the larger community of food producers, and educating customers by sharing delicious, colorful, healthful and inspiring foods.
Our Products & Programs
Kat The Farmer provides salad ingredients, prepared salads and value added products to customers of the Blacksburg Farmers Market nearly year round. The farm also offers select products to wholesale customers in Roanoke. The Farmlet also has a small farmstand where customers stop in to shop directly from the farm.
Vision
The long range vision for Kat The Farmer is to create a thriving value added business that can drive demand for more locally grown ingredients. As our business grows it can create and grow markets for new and established local farmers to sell into profitably. Future plans may include a farmers’ cooperative delivery service, a commercial farm kitchen, and maybe one day an incubator farm to train new farmers, or ability to offer small farm loans to our producers. As we grow into this vision, and find the people, places, and resources needed to get there we hope to provide meaningful work to our staff, good wages, and lots of access to learning from the natural world.
Our Business Values
Connection - We believe that the connections we make with our community of suppliers, customers, neighbors, and service providers are of the utmost importance. The truth is we can’t do this alone- and that we all depend on one another to thrive. We cherish the opportunity to connect authentically and be a supportive and dependable member of the greater community.
Sustainability- We strive to create a business that can last without degrading the environment around it. This includes our land, our human resources, our physical health, our global health and financial health.
Quality- Creating products that are exceptional quality takes a lot of hard work, but it's worth it! We must select the right varieties and ingredients for flavor, color, vigor, and sort out anything that doesn’t meet our standards. We must handle our crops and products with care. We must always be working in line with food safety requirements. We must handle and store products properly so that the shelf life is extraordinary.
Efficiency - We believe that having the right tools, processes, and design we can find ease and enjoyment in any task and thereby eliminate wasted energy and resources on the farm. We are always looking for ways to add more efficiency on the farm and are willing to experiment and improve constantly.
Natural Growth- We believe that there is great potential to grow this business, but we want to do so at the right time and in the right way. We want to be in tune with our customers' needs, and prepare the business to seize the right opportunities when they arise.
Individual Growth- This business is not possible without the dedication of individuals who are ready to try hard, make mistakes and seek the next opportunity to learn in a supportive environment. We must advocate for our needs, take good care of our bodies, our minds, and look out for one another.
Growing Ethics
We focus on soil health as the base of everything we do.
Most work is done by hand, although we also use a small tractor and practice minimal tillage.
No GMOs or Treated Seeds, never ever.
No Synthetic Chemicals, only naturally derived inputs.
Annual Peer-Farmer Inspection, required as part of Certified Naturally Grown
Contaminant Free (field, pack shack, and practices are designed with food safety in mind).
Pollinator Friendly habitat is maintained to invite pollinators and beneficials to forage on the farm.
We are dedicated to learning from other farmers and sharing our own experiences openly so we can all grow better.
Full Transparency: customers who are curious about fertilizer, seed variety, or cultural practice- Just ask!
The Loop
Kat regularly shares stories, news, and techniques from the farm via a weekly email newsletter, instagram & facebook accounts, as well as a YouTube channel and Farmer Blog.
@kat.the.farmer @katthefarmer www.katthefarmer.com katthefarmer@gmail.com
