Paid Orchard Farm Seasonal Internships in Leelanau County, Michigan

Join the Farm

Location: Hallstedt Homestead, 8227 N. Matheson Rd., Northport, MI

Job-Type: Full-Time, seasonal (see specific needs below) No experience is needed, we will teach you!

Company Description: We are a first-generation farm consisting of 14 acres of sweet cherries. Our farm is run by husband and wife, Phil and Sarah. We sell eight varieties of premium, sweet cherries, planted 2010-2012, with four additional varieties added 2022. We sell our cherries in the Northport farmer’s market, cherry CSA shares, Michigan wholesalers, and are entering the retail market in various venues (Cherry Republic, direct shipping). We are composed of modern varieties, resulting in a larger, more flavorful cherry from a tree that is accessible and easier to pick! We have made our orchard to be one where families can participate with the growth and harvest of this unique, tasty, nutritious and beautiful fruit. Cherries only thrive in specific climate conditions near the 45^th parallel and unlike apples, the delicate fruit are impossible to store. Fresh, sweet cherries are thus available only the months of July and August. We practice sustainability as much as possible and stay within our growing season capacity.

With approximately 6,300 cherry trees, we are continuing to develop our homestead and take pride in our work. We want to continue to build our home and develop effective infrastructure for our pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest. We are always open to new ideas and solutions to making our farm more welcoming and offering opportunistic employment to fit your needs while creating a comfortable space for folks to work and gather together. Join the team!

Job Description:

We are offering 3 intern positions. No prior experience needed; we will teach you!

• Interns are responsible for:
  • Assisting orchard manager and owners by executing all agriculture operations at the site. Tasks include but are not limited to mowing, picking, processing, assisting with distribution partners, weeding, pruning, farmer’s market, u-pick operations, etc. The interns are needed approximately:

    Two interns: Early May – August 20 (40-60 hours per week)

    One intern: July 12 – approx. Aug. 20 (6 weeks) 40-50 hours per week

    NOTE: We have some flexibility ~ do not rule us out if these dates are not a perfect fit!  We can also try to work around family vacations.

Compensation:

• Starting at $12/hour. We also can house up to two, including meals; compensation starts at $10/hour.

Minimum requirements – must be able to:

• Lift 25 lbs.
• Be flexible with some long days during the cherry harvesting season, approximately 7/12 – 8/21
• Enjoy working with the public (i.e., in the U-pick areas and farmer’s market)
• Open to learning and improving orchard and sales operations
• Social media, internet and photography skills are a plus!

Additionally, we may “farm” you out as you desire to other local farmers, florists, etc. if you wish to learn about different areas and/or desire additional hours.

Please contact:

5/18/22