Work Share Opportunities at Jubilee Farm

What is a “Work Share”?

This one's a whopper!

A Work Share is an opportunity to get a membership share in Jubilee Farm’s CSA by trading work instead of paying a fee. We have two kinds of work shares, a Harvest share, and a Market share. We hope many of you will consider a work share for next season. Like most kinds of farming, the work is rewarding.

1. Harvest Shares

Harvest Share people help out with harvest. In trade for a Couples Share, we ask for 4 hours of work each week—usually on the morning or afternoon of your pick-up day. In trade for a Full Share, we ask for 4 hours of work plus an additional fee of $200. The work is neither difficult nor strenuous, but you do need to be in good shape (or willing to get back into good shape!) and be willing to work. You don’t have to know how to harvest, we’ll show you what to do.

Outdoor work refreshes

Harvesting begins promptly at 8:00 am. Being dependable and able to make a season-long commitment (June-October) is very important. Obviously, things will come up like vacations or illness. The “dependability” we’re looking for is for people who will be here each week or let us know ahead of time if know they will need to miss (we can work around that), or will call to let us know if they are sick or if they will be late.

We also have the opportunity to work extra hours which you can “bank” against those times you know you will be gone for vacation.

2. Market Shares

Market Share persons wash harvested vegetables and put them in the pick-up area. Those who trade for a couples share will work 4 hours (10:00-2:00, or 2:00-6:00), and those who trade for a full share will also work 4 hours (10:00-2:00, or 2:00-6:00) and pay and additional fee of $200. You will work on your pick-up day. The work requires lifting. Please note that the market work share also goes through the noon hour, so market work share members will need to eat either an early lunch (before 10:00) or a late lunch (after 2:00). It also requires getting wet; market work share members need to bring waterproof boots and raingear. Market share people may be asked to so some harvesting at times.

Here again, dependability is very important, as is making the commitment for the whole season.

3. Children and work shares

It's worth it!

We are often asked if work share members can bring their children.  We have tried this at various times through the years, but after each attempt have come to conclude that for reasons of safety, security, and liability we need to limit this program to adults, and in some cases to older children.  We are willing to have children 11 years old or older accompany adults on a case-by-case basis.  These older children need to be able to work with their parent for the full four hour shift.  Some eleven-year-old children can do this, some sixteen-year-old children can’t.  If you have an older child you would like to work with you, please let us know in advance about your intention to do so.

If this sounds like something you would like to do, please contact us by e-mail at Jubileefarm.org. We will send you additional information and an application which you will need to complete to become a work share member.