Listing Information
Currently Hiring
YesNumber of Workers Sought
2Type of Farm
VegetableMarketing Strategy
Farmers' Market, WholesalePaid
YesPay Rate
$15-$18/hr, depending on experience, plus access to veggie seconds for personal use.Do you have a website, social media account, or job posting anywhere else?
YesDescribe yourself, your family, background, farming experience, philosophy, goals and interests
Kitty here. The humans on this farm are myself, my husband Nick and our one year old daughter Penny. When I'm not farming, I also work as a writer and backcountry educator. I have over a decade of experience in farming and agricultural pursuits around the pacific northwest and western Montana and am the primary full-time farmer in this operation. I studied sustainable agriculture and education in undergrad, have my permaculture design certificate and love all things outside, plant and food-focused. Nick got a later start on his interest in growing food, but has jumped in with enthusiasm since we started Long Step a few years ago. With a background in aerospace engineering, he brings to the table talent in building projects, tool design, planning and an ongoing effort to bring order to the chaos that is a Montana growing season. We met years ago while each solo thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and have been walking alongside each other ever since. Penny is the newest addition to the farm, born at the end of the 2021 farm season. She might not help much with carrying heavy totes this year but she’ll definitely provide entertainment.Describe the physical setting of your farm and the nature of the community in which you live
Frenchtown is pretty small but we live about 20-25 minutes outside Missoula, which has tons of trails, restaurants, shops and community.Describe your farm operation
We’re a small, family-run diversified veggie and herb farm based on the same 5 acre property as our home in Frenchtown, Montana. We’re certified organic and grow intensively in a permanent bed, no-till system. No-till means we focus on soil health and ecological balance in our growing systems, planning for the long term productivity and vitality of the land. We’re invested in curiosity and believe strongly that no question is a bad question. We pride ourselves on our interest in experimentation and staying open to new methods, as well as fostering community and supporting our local food systems in whatever ways we can. We currently do primarily direct sales at Saturday Clark Fork River Market and Tuesday Missoula Farmers market. For more info, you can find us on Instagram @longstepfarm and follow our weekly substack newsletter, Long Step Chronicles.
Describe the work to be performed by applicant
The work this season will be split between two employees but will be some combination of harvest and other farm tasks, depending on the experience and strengths of the team we hire this season. Other farm tasks may include but aren’t limited to weeding, transplanting, bed prep, trellising, pruning and more.No-till means we’re fully dependent on hand tools for bed prep, weeding and planting. While no tractor use in the beds might sound intimidating, it’s also a unique opportunity to be in closer contact with the soil, try out some cool power-drill-driven-tools and be a part of the burgeoning no-till, small-scale organic community.
What do you expect of a worker?
You are curious, a hard worker and a good communicator. You are physically able to carry out tasks such as standing on your feet all day, bending over and lifting up to 40 lbs. Experience in farming is a plus, though more important is that you’re willing to show up and work hard outside in the rain, sun or sleet, while generally keeping a good attitude about it. We value education around here, so are always excited to talk through our systems, include you in problem solving and generally support you however we can.Each of our positions this summer will be part-time - we'll decide exact hours once we figure out our team to accommodate schedules as much as possible.