Open Positions
Harvest Crew
JOB DESCRIPTION
Champlain Valley Hops is seeking hard working individuals to join our farm crew for hop harvest. Hop harvest (mid August - late September) is kind of like launching a rocket; there is a lot of careful planning, it goes by really fast, and you only have one chance to get it right. Each of the ten hop varieties we grow has a unique harvest window. When we determine that a variety is ready for harvest, bines are cut down in the field and brought to our own site processing facility where hop cones are picked, sorted, dried, baled, and moved into cold storage.
Our harvest crew will assist in loading our Wolf picking and sorting machines and doing quality control on sorted hop cones. Some crew members will load and unload drying bays and will be responsible for baling dried cones. All of this work will take place in our on farm processing facility in Starksboro, VT.
Hours can vary depending on the weather and cone readiness. Harvest days start at 7am and average 10-11 hours, M-F for our ~40 day harvest period. Candidates should expect 50+ hours of work a week during harvest and should have some flexibility to work longer days as needed.
Like most agricultural jobs, hop harvest requires long work days and physical, repetitive work. While farming experience is always helpful, it is not required for this position. We will consider any applicant that is hard working, has a positive attitude, and believes they have the physical ability and endurance to do the work.
We recognize that hops have very little (recent) history in New England, and that applicants may not have direct experience with them. We’re more focused on finding crew members who are willing to work hard, learn new skills, implement detail-oriented tasks, keep a productive pace, and work as a team. Our goal is to create a safe, fun, and inclusive work environment for our staff.
JOB REQUIREMENTS / DESIRED SKILLS
Ability to perform repetitive physical tasks
Ability to be on feet for long periods of time
Ability to be ready to start work on time
Desire to get your hands dirty
Detail oriented
Dedicated, positive attitude
Works well as part of a team
Adequate clothing and footwear
Safety mindset: understanding and adherence to safe work practices
Compensation: $18/hour plus end of harvest bonus (typically an extra $1-2/hr depending on performance).
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please send a resume, your availability, and an explanation as to why you are interested in this position to max@champlainvalleyhops.com.