THE LICKING CREEK BEND FARM is seeking seasonal FARM STAFF and a FARM MANAGER for an ENVIRONMENTALLY-SUSTAINABLE, PESTICIDE-FREE and WORKER-RUN farm in southern Pennsylvania. This is a live and work, on-the-farm position. We have been bringing our produce to the DC/MD area for 53 years.
Farm Manager position will be discussed separately although we expect candidates to have farm management or related management experience.

The Farm: Licking Creek Bend Farm is a 60-acre mixed vegetable, fruit and Christmas tree farm in its 53nd year of operation located in the foothills of the PA’s Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania right on the border of Maryland and West Virginia. 2-hours from Washington/Baltimore/Pittsburgh. Beautiful farm near C&O Canal in a valley – swimmable creek. Free WiFi. Close by biking, hiking, and close to The Appalachian Trail. Near Berkeley Springs, West Virginia and Bluegrass and folk festivals.
The Ideal Candidate:
We are looking to several seasonal (March-December) and year-round staff. For students, the time frame is individually agreed upon. We value education and learning, so we are happy to support any internship, college capstone project or thesis research; please share details during your interview. See below for details on salary that includes your own room, board (food), utilities, internet, wifi, Workman’s Comp.
Those who want to get their feet wet learning the basics of growing healthy food will want to apply. We also want to strongly encourage those who are searching for roots in this industry; and who will approach this opportunity with a deep sense of purpose.
This experience can lead to careers in nutrition, food policy, and other related fields.
Our farm market season started in May and goes through just before Christmas with ample work in the winter to close out the season and spring to care for the property and prepare for the coming season.
What you will learn
The basics of sustainable fruit and vegetable farming including:
● Specific growing techniques used for each variety of crop
● Use of organic products
● The composition and mechanization of a drip irrigation system
● Soil health and biology
● Compost making
● High tunnel production
● Pest and disease control
● Crop rotation
● Operating small power tools
● General year-round property maintenance
● CSA preparation
● Working Farmer’s Markets
● Elementals of Beekeeping
● Farm Management
● Reaching out to low-income communities
● …and lots more
HOW TO APPLY: Please email us at esiegel2@igc.org and include a
● COVER LETTER. Please include why this opportunity interests you, why you want to work on a farm and what you can bring to the position.
● RESUME and three REFERENCES
No prior experience is required for staff positions. We negotiate separately with experienced applicants. Farm work has no specific hours – it’s a “get the work done” with peak and slower times as the season progress.
Applicants must be:
● In good physical shape, this means no major allergies to things you’d find on a farm.
● Have strong energy and work ethic
● Able to handle rural environmental conditions (heat, cold, rain, bugs)
● Work cohesively and productively as a farm team
We stress that candidates:
Should feel confident that they can thrive in an environment where hard work, maximum effort and responsibility are expected from every staff member. Time sensitive deadlines such as planting, nurturing, harvesting are a routine occurrence on the farm which sometimes means working extra hours to make sure these are met.
Due to the nature of farm work and the use of tractors, heavy equipment and power tools on the property, we have a strict zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.
Work description and learning opportunities:
Main tasks will include:
● Seeding
● Transplanting
● Weeding
● Mulching
● Harvesting
● Pruning
● Mowing
● Spraying
● Weed whacking
● Compost making
● Trellising
● Beekeeping
● Other farm tasks and projects
● Work at our farmers markets on a rotating basis
● …and lots more
Worker Run:
We are unique worker run farm. This means that under the leadership of the owners and manager the team is given a tremendous amount of responsibility and initiative. Employees are seen as equals and valuable members of the team who, after proper training, are given autonomy, responsibility, and trust in their opinions and decisions in how to “get the job done”. The planting, nurturing and harvesting are on the plants’ schedule, not ours. Each variety has its own growing time frame, so the planting has to get done in a timely manner, then the plants have to be weeded, nurtured and cared for during their growth, and harvested when they are ready and for each farmers market.
Candidates must be able to work maturely and responsibly with a team and have the ability to take responsibility and ownership for their role in the farm team.
Compensation:
All staff have their own room/board/utilities/wifi/internet.
● First 2 months – $1,100/mo
● Raised to $1,600/mo
● Second year staff start at $2,000/mo
● Minimum season commitment required (negotiable).
● Workman’s compensation
● Staff is provided with a monthly shared stipend for vegetarian food staples and produce grown on the farm.
● Health Insurance – if you don’t have your own health insurance, we will work with you to provide up to $200/month for an individual premium health plan with a local insurance provider.
Living accommodations:
All employees live on the farm, save money on Rent, Utilities, Transportation / Commute, Food, and other living expenses!
Accommodations are:
A private room in a fully modern, furnished, and solar-powered shared farmhouse
Or a private cabin
Kitchen and bathrooms are shared
Employees are expected to share responsibilities for the upkeep and cleanliness of the house and be able to share living space well with others.
Surrounding area:
The farm is located in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in southern Pennsylvania on the border of Maryland and West Virginia.
The property hosts:
● A swimmable creek
● Beautiful views, star gazing
● Communal meals (team organized)
● Lots of woodland and space for long walks.
● Near the farm:
● The spa town of Berkeley Springs
● The C&O Canal
● Washington DC and Baltimore are a two hour drive
● Many opportunities for hiking and biking
● Blue Grass and Apple Butter Festivals
● County Fairs
Requirements:
Applicants need to be:
● Fully covid vaccinated – this is because staff live in the farm house, and to be considerate of our customers.
● Authorized to work in the US without sponsorship
● a valid driver’s license and clean driving record
● Non-smokers
● Refrain from using drugs and alcohol while at the farm
● In good physical shape
Thank you and we hope to hear from you and welcome you as a part of our team.

Category:
Jobs, Internships & Opportunities
Region:
Other
Address:
928 Donahoe Lane

Needmore, Pennsylvania 17238
Contact Name:
Michael Tabor
Contact Email:
esiegel2@igc.org
Date Posted:
12/30/2024