We are seeking a Field Assistant for our 2026- 2027 season to join our team of 2 full time and 2 part time crew members. Our team is dynamic, hard-working, kind and knowledgeable. We strive to explain what we’re doing thoroughly, vary tasks throughout the day, and create a meaningful experience for everyone on our crew. This is a 33 to 40 hour per week position.
Ideal candidates for Nicoya Farm will:
- Have 1 year preferred experience farming or working in related agricultural, environmental or other outdoor work.
- Be committed to food justice in our food system and aligned with our farm’s mission (at bottom of job post)
- Be comfortable working outside in all weather conditions for 5- 8 hours a day
- Be available August 2026 through June 2027
- Have experience working in team settings (like trail crews, sports teams, restaurants) and have enjoyed the dynamic therein
- Be able to follow instructions from the owners or experienced co-workers
- Have a positive attitude and a sense of humor (most of the time – we’re all human!) and a commitment to doing good work
- Be interested in agriculture and learning about why we do what we do
- Be considerate of co-workers and our friends, family and neighbors with whom we share the land
- Be flexible with changes in routine due to mother nature’s unpredictability
- Be able to lift 40 lbs.
As a Nicoya Farm employee you will:
Be involved in most aspects of vegetable production including seeding, planting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting and washing. These are back straining, sometimes tedious jobs, done in all kinds of weather. Interested employees may also help us sell at farmers markets and help lead volunteers. Workers are on the farm five days a week between Monday and Saturday (we work with each crew member to set the exact schedule).
We work together from 7am-12pm with additional afternoon shifts scheduled following a lunch break.
We go to 2 nearby farmers markets, one on Monday afternoons and one on Saturday mornings.
We delegate tasks and management opportunities based on the skill set that an employee brings to the job (construction, marketing, tractor driving, farm education, etc.). We are interested in growing growers and happy to expand responsibilities and pay over time.
Management principles:
We try to keep workers interested and engaged by varying tasks, changing up work crews, assigning harder jobs in the morning, and by explaining why we’re doing what we’re doing. In turn, we expect workers to become more efficient and proficient at their jobs over time and be conscientious about how their actions affect the farm and other members of the crew.
We want this to be a meaningful experience for our farm crew. Although this will be our seventh season farming in Gainesville, Nicoya Farm is in its 11th season and we bring over 20 years of farm education experience to our operation. We feel supported by our customers and connected to our community of farmers, chefs, brewers, bakers, herbalists and food lovers and we extend those connections to our farm crew. The Field Assistant may have opportunities to glean and donate excess produce to food distros, lead volunteers, help lead field trips and farm tours or sell produce at neighborhood markets. Employee retention from season to season is our priority and we make time for occasional check- in’s throughout the season.
Compensation
Starting pay is $18 per hour plus veggies from the farm.
If interested in applying:
Please send a resume, 2 references and letter sharing WHY you want to work at Nicoya Farm to nicoyafarm@gmail.com
We can also provide references for us upon request, so you can ask former employees what it is like to work with us.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds, focusing on your skills and potential. Thank you for your interest in Nicoya Farm.
Nicoya Farm is a small vegetable farm in Gainesville, Florida with a vision of building reciprocal and reparative connections to the land while providing nutritious food to our community.
Nicoya Farm is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in all elements of our work.
Volunteer Days, Farm Tours and Field Trips
Join us Wednesday mornings, between 8am- 12 pm, from October to June to help us plant, harvest, weed, seed and much more! Email or call before you make your first trip out to the farm and we will share additional details! Please bring water, a hat, and any desired provisions for a morning on the farm. We love to send volunteers home with a share of the harvest!
We offer work- trade positions on the farm for folks interested in making a weekly commitment to join us for a morning of work. In exchange, we send you home with a generous share of the harvest. Note: there is some variation in the amount of produce we have available from week to week and from fall to spring. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to gain hands- on experience and instruction or for someone who wants to enjoy the therapeutic nature of hard work in the elements! We are big proponents of the barter economy!
We often host volunteer groups on the farm, which can include a brief farm tour, tastings, and reflection. Email or call to schedule your group!
Farm- based education has always been central to our work and we are excited to offer field trips throughout the season. We have twenty years of experience leading educational farm tours, field trips and workshops on a variety of topics to groups of all ages. If you’re interested in bringing a group or class to the farm, please call or email to discuss.
Nicoya Farm 