Our Table Cooperative- FULL FOR 2024
POSITION: 1 FULL TIME
APPROX START & END DATES: May 1-September 30
HOUSING NOT OFFERED
WAGE: $16.50/hr or DOE
LOCATION: Sherwood (Portland Chapter)
VEHICLE REQUIRED? NO
ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Yes
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, some Spanish
Our Table is entering its twelfth year of production in the Portland area. We farm on 58 acres of land about 20 miles south of Portland. We raise a variety of crops, including vegetables, blueberries, strawberries and apples. A year-round creek, a large pond, varying topography and a lovely view of Mount Hood. Our Table has the unique perk of operating an on-site grocery store and kitchen, which provide locally sourced food to the surrounding community and a venue in which to host events like farm dinners and stone-fired pizza happy hours. The farm has easy access to both town and country. Nearby are the towns of Sherwood and Wilsonville, with parks and restaurants, and also the sprawling vineyards and hills of Yamhill County. The farm crew consists of six to seven people between annual and perennial productions, and the store/kitchen employs another ten.
We grow vegetables intensively on 3 acres, with an additional 3 acres cultivated in annual cover crops. We use no-till, raised bed practices in the production fields, 4 hoop houses, and 6 caterpillar tunnels. The perennial side of the farm includes fruit and nut trees, 8 acres of blueberries, 4 strawberry tunnels, and beekeeping. We supply produce weekly for a seasonal CSA, and our other sales outlets are through stores (including our on-site store) and restaurants in the larger Portland metropolitan area.
TRAINING & EXPECTATIONS
Apprenticing at Our Table includes an all-encompassing vegetable farm experience. Candidates can expect to be involved in the entire life cycle of growing vegetables, including bed preparation, seeding in the propagation house, transplanting, direct seeding, cultivation, harvest of over 70 varieties, and washing/packing of produce. The apprentice would participate in practices of tarping, composting in several forms, mulching, and other methods involved in regenerative soil practices. The Apprentice would have the opportunity to be trained and to use equipment such as a BCS, front-loading tractors, flail mowers, a JANG seeder, irrigation risers and pump, among others. The Apprentice will have access to the seasonal planting plan, as well accounts, sales, and farm financials for a comprehensive understanding of the logistical side of farming. Finally, the Apprentice would be responsible for tending the CSA pick-up tables for our members on Wednesday of every week.
Our Table is offering an Apprenticeship from May 1 through September. We have some flexibility on specific start/end dates. A work week will average 40 hrs a week. Daily start times vary seasonally and according to daylight, but a typical day begins at 6.30 a.m. and ends when the work is done, usually by 3 p.m. On Wednesdays from June-September, the Apprentice will work a slightly later shift (10.30 a.m.-6 p.m.) in order to staff the CSA pick-up on farm.
Because Our Table runs a relatively small production, members of the annual crew are often working side by side. Andrew and Karen are farm co-managers and oversee different aspects of the business. Candidates can expect to work alongside Andrew on a daily basis, learning core concepts and daily functions. If the Apprentice has a desire to master a particular skill or to gain responsibility in specific areas (irrigation, cultivation, compost, etc), we welcome that sort of ownership. There are constant opportunities to ask Andrew, Karen or any of the other crew members questions pertinent to the farm operation or planning. Over the years, Andrew has developed a love for studying soil science, integrating both humor and efficiency in daily workflow, and mastering a comprehensive knowledge of systems he encounters on the farm. Karen holds a wealth of information about the cooperative model, the CSA, sales, and the history of the farm. The crew holds regular check-ins as a group. Reading material will be provided and encouraged.
COMPENSATION & ACCOMODATIONS
We are able to offer an Apprentice a wage of $16.50/hr or more depending on experience, as well as a few other benefits such as discounts from our on-site grocery store/kitchen and produce and fruit from the farm. Apprentices will accrue paid time off hourly.
Opportunities are available to participate in farm events, educational activities, and various other projects at the Cooperative.
We are five minutes from Sherwood, OR, a town of 20,000 people, and within easy driving distance (20 miles) of the greater Portland metropolitan area. Apartments, rooms, and shared housing options are plentiful in the area.
No vehicle is required to fulfill an Apprenticeship at Our Table, but an apprentice would be responsible for their transportation to and from the farm.
QUALIFICATIONS
Our Table is seeking an Apprentice who is detail oriented, enjoys working in a group, and is motivated to streamline learning and workflow. Communication and cohesion in our crew are highly prioritized, as is the ability to listen to one another. The work is mostly physical, but requires a sharp mind, good judgment, and a great sense of humor. We would prefer to welcome someone with prior vegetable farming experience and a general interest or commitment to this kind of work beyond a single experience. The Apprenticeship involves daily lifting (up to 50 lb.), bending, walking, etc, with almost all of the time spent moving or on your feet.
EQUITY & INCLUSION
At Our Table we are dedicated to impartiality in processes and relations in all aspects of the cooperative. We value an atmosphere of belonging and ownership devoid of any judgment. We encourage open communication, speaking up, regular morale check-ins, and desire to foster a space that is not only all-inclusive and comfortable, but one that allows both individuals and the collective to thrive.
Our Table Cooperative farm crew