Applications now open for the Spring 2019 harvest season.
Important Dates:
Spring Harvest Season: April 29 – June 28 (9 weeks)
Application Deadline: Monday, April 15.
*Returning Crew members must re-apply.*
Tuesday Crew Orientation: Tuesday, April 23
Friday Crew Orientation: Friday, April 26
The Farm-to-Home Harvest Crew is a therapeutic-vocational program in which individuals receiving services at the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health harvest and pack these produce bags in a supportive environment and have the opportunity to socialize with peers and staff during lunch.
Is this a job?
A position on the Farm to Home Harvest Crew is voluntary, but treated like a job. There is no pay, but there are benefits:
- A bag of farm produce to take home each week
- Vocational skills training
- Resume builder
- The opportunity to give back to the community by making nutritious food accessible to others
- The opportunity to connect and collaborate with other clients on the crew
- Lunch as a group and the opportunity to practice cooking skills.
How is the program structured?
- A single crew of 2-3 individuals works together each week for the entire season.
- Crew members arrive 10 minutes before 9AM for a brief gathering, announcements, and settling in.
- Harvest is completed in a focused manner between 9-11:30AM.
- At 11:30, crew gathers in farmhouse for lunch, preparing one item from today’s harvest together. Lunchtime is an opportunity to relax by yourself or catch up with one another.
- At 12:30, the harvest is pulled from cold storage and packed into produce packs for delivery to other clients by UNC CECMH staff.
- Clean-up, wrap-up, and departure by 2PM.
What are the requirements?
While no experience is necessary to apply, applicants must meet certain requirements. Crew members must be able to:
- Make a weekly commitment for the full 9-week season
- Be on your feet for up to 3 hours at a time, including some bending and squatting and light lifting
- Work outdoors in all weather
- Have a reliable way to get to the Farm or be able to get to Carr Mill Mall to access the Farm shuttle.
What skills will I practice?
Hard skills:
- Recognizing crops and judging their readiness for harvest
- Harvest technique as practiced by market farmers
- Post-harvest handling for shelf-life and food safety
- Bunching, bagging, and packing CSA-style produce shares
- Weighing and record-keeping
Soft skills:
- Attention to detail
- Following verbal directions and step-by-step processes
- Working as a team
- Accomplishing a task on a time budget
- Punctuality and reliability
How can I apply?
Print out the file below, fill it out and return in person, via postage or email to our Program Manager below:
A paper application is also available and can be sent via postage or email.
Matt Ballard
Program Manager
matthew_ballard@med.unc.edu
Office: 919-445-0665
Cell: 919-533-9397
Upon receipt of your application, you will be contacted for an in-person interview with Jessamine Hyatt, Farm Manager, and Matt Ballard, Program Manager.