Fireside Farm is a diversified veggie and grain farm in Loudoun County, VA. We use organic & regenerative methods to grow our crops. In 2025 , we will grow about 6 acres of vegetables and 2 acres of grain. The farm is managed by Stacey Carlberg and Casey Gustowarow. You can learn a bit more about us in this video.
We are passionate about soil health, inspiring new growers and sharing food with our community. We enjoy growing high quality produce for our crew, customers and local community. We sell the majority of our produce through 2 farmer's markets, wholesale relationships with a few excellent restaurants in DC and to neighboring CSAs. In 2021, we started making pizzas with our veggies and grains to help our customers connect to the importance (and superior taste) of local food and farmland preservation.
We are striving to create more permanent jobs on our farm for more than one season. We are looking for workers to join our farm family and all the ups and downs it may hold for the growing season. If you like it here and we like you, there are opportunities to stay for multiple years with added benefits (including winter work, retirement contributions and educational opportunities). (If you have already tried farming and know you like it - let's see if you like it here!)
About the managers: Stacey and Casey have been farming for 17 years. They both have ecology/biology backgrounds and found farming to be a career that meshes with their desire to improve the environment. They were managers at Potomac Vegetable Farms for 4 years and The Farm at Sunnyside for 6 years. Stacey loves creating beautiful market displays, coming up with more efficient farm systems and training new workers. Casey loves growing a wide diversity of crops (especially hot peppers and radicchio), cooking and investigating ways to improve soil health.
It is the intention of the managers to steward the land and our employees to the best of our abilities. More information on our website.
We currently lease 2 parcels of land to grow crops and closed on our own piece of land in 2024. In 2025, we will still be farming our leased land while starting to build out infrastructure on our new site.
Job description
-->We seek 2 more full-time workers for 2025 <--
You will join our staff of 2 managers, 3 full-time returning workers and a rotating cast of part-time characters.
About the job: Workers will be involved in most aspects of farm work, including planting, weeding, harvesting, processing and marketing vegetables. These are back straining, sometimes tedious jobs, done in all kinds of weather. Interested employees may be able to help with pizza events.
Our hours are typically 8 or 8:30 until 4 or 5 with a 30-45 minute lunch break. Workers are on the farm Mondays-Fridays with a half day on Wednesdays. Saturday market coverage is determined a couple of weeks in advance for interested employees. Seasonal farm workers have unpaid vacation time and can request time off for vacation or special occasions. (We don't want you to miss your best friend's wedding!)
First year workers receive some individual areas of responsibility which may include: high tunnel management, wholesale packing, wash and pack room oversight, golf cart maintenance. Returning workers receive more responsibilities including market management, wholesale management, tractor driving and field management.
Compensation: Hourly pay DOE ($14-$16). Access to vegetables and pizzas. We will pay for returning employees to attend a farm conference or other relevant educational opportunity. After 3 seasons, employees are eligible for retirement benefits.
We have housing available for rent: a tiny house on-farm, a neighboring house to one leased site or we can connect you with other farmworkers in a group house.
Please visit our website for more details about the job.
Ideal candidates need not have farm experience, though it is ok if you do. Some of our best employees are those that have done some physical labor in the past, have worked in team settings before (i.e. restaurant jobs, trail crews, camp counselors, etc.) or have played team sports.
Key qualities include:
-ability to follow instructions even if you have other ideas about how to do a job
-a positive attitude and commitment to doing good work (asking "what else can I do?")
-enjoyment in working as part of a team (in sports or in previous jobs)
-experience working outdoors or doing physical labor
-desire to learn about agriculture and why we've chosen our methods
-patience for some unpredictability in your routine (Mother Nature does what she wants.)
-willingness to unplug a bit (if you need to 'gram every hour, this is not the job for you.)
-excitement to be part of an eventful farm community
-making time to take care of yourself (you know: eating well, hydrating, sleeping, journaling, playing music, yoga, doing your laundry, taking a vacation)
We are looking for people to start in March/April/May and stay through Sept/Oct/Nov minimum.
Please send a resume, 2 references and a letter/email about WHY you want to work at Fireside Farm SPECIFICALLY to stacey@farmfireside.com
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