JOB TITLE
Farm Assistant
 
SUMMARY 
The farm assistant helps with crop production as well as distribution and marketing.  They will be  responsible for CSA deliveries, restaurant deliveries, vending at farmer’s markets, and assisting with all aspects of crop production and distribution.
 
QUALIFICATIONS
 

• Strong work ethic
• Minimum of 1 year experience on a commercial farm                      
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. regularly, bend at the knees and back, and walk throughout the day
• Accurately follow directions
• Be friendly and helpful with customers and staff
• Enjoy cooking and talking about it
• Ability to work outdoors for 8 hours at a time
• Clean driving record

DUTIES

• Help with planting, harvesting, and cultivating field crops
• Help with washing, sorting, weighing, and packing produce
• Deliver produce to CSA drop-off points and restaurants
• Vend at farmer’s market
• Other miscellaneous duties as assigned by supervisor

 
WORK RELATIONSHIPS
Supervised by farm owners.  Works closely with farm owners and other farm workers.  Once well trained will be given sole responsibility of some tasks.
 
HOURS
Tentative Schedule through December:
Tuesday               12 - 5; Tuscaloosa CSA deliveries
Wednesday         7-3; Field and packing shed work
Thursday              8-4; Birmingham deliveries
Friday                   7-3; Field and packing shed work
Saturday              5 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Birmingham farmer’s market

After December the schedule will become more flexible with 1 farmer's market on Saturdays, restaurant deliveries on Thursdays, field work, harvest, washing, packing, and infrastructure work in between.
 
 
COMPENSATION
Starting at $12/hour with the possibility of a performance-   based raise 
Access to an abundance of high quality, delicious produce
Access to our vast library and educational resources
Opportunity for advancement

Email margaretann@snowsbendfarm.com for an application.

What do you think of when you think of a farm?  A wide open landscape, rolling fields, maybe a tractor and some livestock?  It is very romantic, yes?  It does have it’s moments of bliss, but we are usually too busy to notice.  Another concept that many associate with farms is work.  I often hear “it must be a lot of work”.  It is a lot of work, but work doesn’t bother most farmers.  The hard part is making the farm profitable and income predictable.  That is where Community Supported Agriculture saves the farm!

There are many unknowns in farming. When will it rain? When will it stop raining? Will the squash bug wipe out the squash this year?  Will the coyotes eat all the watermelons?  The CSA takes some of the guess work out of this high risk occupation.  The farmers markets and restaurants we work with are great, but if it rains on a Saturday and no one shows up to buy the produce, then we suffer.  Restaurants can close for a week, hit a slow season, or have a new chef  come in and not be familiar with us and our product.  The CSA is the back bone of our farm and Snow’s Bend Farm likely would not exist without the support of our members.

“CSA members are supporting a regional food system, securing the agricultural integrity of their region, and participating in a community-building experience by getting to know their neighbors and who grows their food. (Irvine, Karabinakis, and Portmess, Eating Local – healthy farms, healthy communities, healthy you, 2003)”.

​The Definition
​
Community: 
a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals

Support: 
give assistance to, especially financially; enable to function or act

Agriculture: 
he science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food and other products

Our CSA is a group of people that share an interest in good food and want to ensure that small farms like ours exist.  They enable us to lease the land, buy the seeds, hire and pay skilled workers, and provide for our family through farming.
Members make a financial commitment to the farm and in return receive a weekly share of our harvest.

Our very first melon harvest!

​The Gratitude

A bounty of thanks to our CSA members for allowing us to farm for you!  Many of you have been members since the beginning, when it was just David and I, some soil, seeds and a shovel.  We were very young, idealistic, and capable of changing the world all on our own, one carrot at a time.  We now know that we cannot do it alone, but need our community and their support.  You are all enablers in Snow’s Bend Farms existence.  Thank you!

If you are not a member, but are interested, please visit
http://csa.farmigo.com/join/snowsbendfarm/2016
​​

Our first CSA beet harvest our first year

Glazed Turnips with Brown Butter and Sherry Vinegar
From Root to Leaf by Steven Satterfield
1 bunch white turnips
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more if needed
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Trim off the tops from the turnips and reserve for another use.  Wash and trim the turnips roots.  Slice them in half if small, or quarter them if large, and set aside.
In a wide skillet over medium-low heat, cook the butter until foamy.  When the foam subsides, watch closely as the bits of milk solids on the bottom of the pan begin to brown.  When lightly browned, immediately remove the skillet from the heat and set it on a cool surface to stop the cooking.
Add 2 tbsp. vinegar to the browned butter and return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat.  When the mixture begins to sizzle, add the turnips and season with salt.  Keep the turnips moving either with tongs or by shaking the pan so that they cook evenly on all sides.  When they begin to brown and the sauce is reduced to a glaze, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.  If the butter separates, just add a splash of vinegar, and it should come back together.

Roasted Strawberries
From Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
“There are few things better slathered on a flaky buttered biscuit, hot crepe, or piece of bread.”
8 ounces small to medium strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon port wine
A few drops balsamic vinegar
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven.
It is important to use a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish for this recipe – you don’t want the juices running off the sheet onto the floor of your oven.  If you are using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper.
Cut each strawberry in half.  If your strawberries are on the large side, cut them into quarters or sixths.  Add the berries to a mixing bowl.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt.  Pour this over the strawberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast for about 40 minutes, just long enough for the berry juices to thicken, but not long enough for the juices to burn.  Watch the edges of the pan in particular.
While still warm, scrape the berries and juices from the pan into a small bow.  Stir in the port and balsamic vinegar.  Use immediately or let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Makes about ½ cup

The Swiss Charmer from Your Neighborhood Farmer
Kyle Platt
​
Rip chard greens off stems and tear into 2-3 inch pieces. Set aside.
 
Cut the remaining stem into 1/2"-1"pieces.
 
Take olive oil, onion, garlic, and cut chard stems and sauté in a pan on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
 
Add Chard greens and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly wilted, turning often.
 
Add one cup of chicken stock per Swiss chard bunch and bring to a simmer.
 
Cover pan, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
 
Uncover and add several dashes of balsamic vinegar and sea salt to taste.
 
Stir pan, turn off heat, and recover allowing the pan to sit on the burner.
 
Allow the pan to sit covered for 5-10 minutes.
 
Enjoy!
 

Snow's Bend Strawberry Recipe Contest!
Submit your favorite strawberry recipe and win prizes ranging from a $50 Snow's Bend farmer's market gift certificate,
a weekly bouquet, Snow's Bend t-shirts, or other prize!
 Deadline for submission is May5th and results announced May 10th.  
Good luck and good eating!

Click here to enter!
#snowsbendstrawberries

​SNOW’S BEND FARM INTERNSHIP
May – August 2016
Learn the basics of organic farming the best way possible – through experience.
The work will include harvesting, washing and packing produce, working at the farmer’s markets, cultivating, planting, pest management, trellising, and more.
Once a week we will provide a farm lunch and discussion on topics including fertility and cover crops, planting, greenhouse management, small and large equipment, pest management, weed management, CSAs, marketing, irrigation, the business side of farming, and more.
Interns will have full access to our library that includes several books on each subject.
20-25 hours or work per week
Bi-weekly stipend of $300 (negotiable, depending on experience)
Call or email for more information
205.394.3561; margaretann@snowsbendfarm.com

B-Metro article featuring Snow's Bend tomatoes!


http://b-metro.com/tomatoes/22631/

...Organic, that is!

August is typically our bleakest month, but not this year.  After a sweltering July, many of our late summer crops are looking better than ever.

Okra, an August staple, is beginning to produce in large quantities.  The variety pictured is 'Red Burgundy', an heirloom variety that cooks and tastes just like the typical green varieties. Okra is a member of the hibiscus family and has gorgeous flowers.  It is a favorite of hummingbirds and bees.

Melons are necessary for surviving an Alabama summer.  These cantaloupe are days away from ripening.

We are always testing new crops for the August heat.  Arugula and edamame are two that have passed!

The winter squash harvest has begun!  So far we have brought in the butternut and orange kabocha for curing.  There are still pumpkins, green kabocha, spaghetti squash, and delicata to go.

There are still cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, basil, flowers, and more being harvested.  Visit Find Our Produce for information on where you can get your hands on some.

Fall is just around the corner and we are busy planting more cooking greens, salad greens, root vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs, and more.

As the seasons change, so does the produce we have to offer.  There is a nice overlap this time of year, with many spring crops still in peak harvest and a few summer ones just beginning.  We are selling at all 3 farmer's markets now, so come by and find something delicious to eat!
Tuscaloosa River Market, 
Pepper Place Farmer's Market, and Homegrown Alabama.

Squash is here!  And tomatoes almost are!

Lettuces will only be around for a few more weeks!   Soon it will be too hot for them.  Enjoy them while you can. 

Cooking greens, such as Rainbow Chard, may not last much longer in the heat either.

We will begin digging up carrots next week.

Rattlesnake beans in mid-trellis.

Strawberry blossoms are a true sign of spring beginnings.  It takes approximately 4 weeks for a blossom to become a ripe berry.  The first real harvest is typically mid-April.

Baby lettuces are thriving in the greenhouse, as are all of our other greenhouse grown crops.  

fennel

rainbow chard

Kale, freshly transplanted, easily adapts to life in the fertile Tuscaloosa Choccolocco soil on Snow's Bend.

This is the fall 2014 garden plot.   There are still crops to be harvested, if you know where to look!  Cover crops of crimson clover, peas, and rye are taking over.  You can also see the fall crops flowering and becoming the perfect farmscape to attract beneficial insects and provide habitat for them.


I will soon post pictures of the growing crops that were directly seeding into the soil, but for now a few more greenhouse pics:

bok choy

tomatoes

head lettuces

eggplant

peppers