Come farm with us! We have one position available currently for an apprentice or field crew.
Common Thread CSA is a 17-acre vegetable farm in Central New York that grows mixed vegetables using sustainable methods for on farm and delivered CSA, and some wholesale. Operating at this scale, we use a mix of hand and mechanized techniques, offering a wide variety of skills for farmers to learn and hone. We are a family farm with two farmer/owners with over 20 years of experience growing vegetables for CSA. We enjoy sharing what we know with– and learning from– our farm crew. Our scale allows motivated employees to learn and practice a wide variety of skills. We prioritize soil health, using a permanent raised bed tillage system and planting about half the farm to cover crops. We work to make our food accessible to all by running a sponsored share program and donating food to local soup kitchens and food pantries. We work to build a positive and safe workplace and welcome diversity of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, age, family status and religion. We take COVID seriously on the farm and take precautions to keep our staff and members safe.
Apprentice Positions 
Come learn with us! We have mentored dozens of future farmers, farm educators, and community food advocates over the 20 years that we have been managing farms. We love to farm with, learn from and share information with others who have also “caught the farming bug”. Farm apprenticeships are full time, full season (8-10 month) positions on the farm focused on learning a variety of skills necessary for running and managing a farm while working on the farm. Apprentices are involved in all aspects of the farm for a full growing season including greenhouse work, transplanting, harvest, wash and pack, weed management, CSA distribution, tractor work, pest control, general farm maintenance and more. We help farm apprentices build agriculture knowledge by setting up biweekly evening education sessions and field trips on topics such as soil management, cover cropping, business planning, weed identification, CSA management and more as well as setting up field trips to other farms in our region. We pass on information about farmer education events going on in our county and region and make sure that interested apprentices have time off to attend community events that conflict with work time.
Previous experience with gardening, landscaping or farming is preferred. We seek apprentices who already know that they love doing physical work outdoors and are curious to learn all aspects vegetable farming. The scale of our farm creates a lot of opportunities for motivated apprentices to learn a wide variety of skills and we love to teach apprentices who are eager to learn. We encourage apprentices who enjoy the farm work to return in positions of greater responsibility in future years.
Field Crew Positions 
Field crew may be part or full time on the farm for the summer, the fall, the full season or year-round. Field crew members help with greenhouse, harvest, transplanting, packing, deliveries, and general field work. We look for positive team members who enjoy working outside; are detail oriented; enjoy the athletic challenge of fast paced physical labor; and find joy and meaning in growing healthy food for their local community. Previous farming experience is helpful but not necessary to join the field crew although positive previous experiences doing physical labor outdoor is helpful to be more certain that it will be a good fit.
Crew members with previous mid-scale vegetable farming experience and/or who are able to commit to a full time schedule will be given more leadership and responsibilities and wages will start higher. Being a member of the crew is a good option for those who enjoy working on the farm but don’t have the time or interest to do a farm apprenticeship or management position.
Farm Management Positions
We seek farm team members who have at least two seasons of prior experience on vegetable farm(s) similar to our scale, have good communication skills, enjoy working as part of a team, and are excited to help produce healthy veggies for local communities. While the job descriptions below lay out primary responsibilities, all positions require flexibility in responding to the needs of the farm and all on farm management positions will provide crew leadership for other tasks as time allows. Applicants who are interested in these positions, but who have less than the required experience are encouraged to start as farm apprentices as a stepping stone to a management position. If applicants have a good amount of experience but can’t commit the time needed for a management position, they are encouraged to apply for field crew where they can have a more flexible schedule but we will consider their prior experience when setting their pay rate and assignments. Farm management positions include Harvest Manager, Assistant Harvest Manager, Wash and Pack Manager, Greenhouse Manager, Assistant Office Manager, and Assistant Field Manager.