It’s February. You already knew that, didn’t you—every store reminds you of it: the month of wine and flowers and chocolate.  The month of love and romance. For us though, it’s the time of re-birth of the family.  A family we get annually.  A friend of ours refers to this annual family as the “farmily”. Each year, we “adopt” a new crop of aspiring farmers, work hard together under some pretty intense conditions, sweat, laugh and cry together, get to know each other as well as (or better than) family, only to find ourselves waving and smiling at the end of each season as they drive off into the sunset-into their own lives and endeavors.  And then February comes again and we begin finding our new family.  It’s all part of the farming cycle.  New seeds, new faces.

Working at Tumbling Shoals Farm

Working at Tumbling Shoals Farm is both rewarding and challenging.  You can expect long days in the field in the heat, rain and sometimes cold, repetitive tasks, getting dirty, lots of bending over, sore muscles, sore back (did I mention lots of bending over? ), working together as a team, sometimes working individually, education through experience, eating lots of tasty fresh from the field organic produce, and an occasional rainy day off.

Tumbling Shoals Farm is very diverse so the tasks vary greatly.  Your main farm task is harvesting and all the washing, grading, weighing and packing that goes along with preparing to sell our produce at three farmers markets and through a CSA.  You will also do some planting, transplanting, cultivation, thinning, pruning, trellising, etc.  You may also process flowers and assemble bouquets. Helping sell at the Saturday Watauga County Farmers' Market in Boone every other week is perhaps the most rewarding part of the work.

The main benefits of working at Tumbling Shoals Farm are well, it’s a paid position plus free housing AND you get lots of free fresh from the field organic produce (mostly seconds or overproduction), working outside, staying in shape through physical labor, learning through experience how food is grown and how a farm system works.  Wireless (albeit really slow and with limited capabilities) internet, laundry facilities, and electricity are included with the free housing. 

Our needs from you:

Flexibility-although we have been farming for several years, we are still developing our system here on this piece of land which means sometimes we will change things mid stream.  We are a small team and so accommodating everyone's personality traits often requires a bit of personal flexibility.

Dependability-of course, we need to be able to rely on you to be here working hard when we need you.

Engagement-we need you to care as much as we do about the quality of food that we grow for our customers, this is key to our success. People who are interested in agriculture as a career are given first priority.

Motivation- while you will usually be working with us, sometimes we need you to complete tasks alone.  Self motivated people are very valuable.

Communication- communication is the key to our success as a team.  We need you to be able to communicate effectively your needs just as we need you to understand our needs.  If we are not communicating effectively, we need you to be able to tell us that! Because we are a small farm with such a small work team sometimes working in harsh conditions, interpersonal communication is a must!

A valid driver's license- we will need you to make some produce deliveries during the season.

Compensation:

This is an hourly wage position: $8.00/hr. (Plus housing)

Hours and dates:

Arrive and unpack March 31 and April 1st, begin work April 2nd. One position is April through August.  One position is April through October. Employees work 40 hours/week (5 days, 8 hours/day).  Days on/off vary as to whether you are working at farmers' market or not, but either you will have Sat-Sun off or Sun-Mon off.  Days off without pay are, of course, permitted, with advanced notice.

If you are interested, please contact us (Shiloh or Jason) by email or phone to set up an interview:

farmer@tumblingshoalsfarm.com or 336-452-2920

2012 Shares are now available! Contact us for details!

A share in the harvest of Tumbling Shoals Farm is a box of the absolute freshest, quality, certified organic fruits and vegetables delivered each week to locations in Hickory or Wilkes County or for pick up here at the farm in Millers Creek.  Shares cost $500 and are delivered from May into September.  That's about $25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables for 20 weeks! Think it's too much food?  Can't find a neighbor to split it with?  We are offering a very limited number of half shares this year for $300 (get your deposit in early!).

Your weekly share of the farm's produce will contain a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on our farm without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides using only the most sustainable growing practices. An example of a mid to late July full share might be:

•    2 pound tomatoes •    1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes •    8 ears sweet corn •    1 pound potatoes •    1 pound green peppers •    1 pound onions •    1 pint okra •    1 pound green beans •    1 pound cucumbers

Our produce is harvested at the peak of ripeness, flavor and nutritional content. Not only does the food taste better than what you find in the grocery store,  it is better for you and your family.

Each week, we'll also provide you with our favorite seasonal recipes and an email newsletter so you can keep up with the happenings at the farm.  Check out our seasonal availability calendar to get an idea of what to expect.

Low income share support: your can help subsidize a low income share by kicking in an extra $15 with your registration!  That's $15, just once, and it can go a long way toward helping someone less fortunate eat great too.

2012 shares are now available.  Contact us for more details or download the registration form below and mail it in with your deposit!

How to sign up:

Download and print our registration form here. 

Complete the form and mail with payment to:

Tumbling Shoals Farm

841 Sand Ridge Road

Millers Creek, NC 28651

If you are unable to download the registration form, contact us and we'll mail you a printed brochure.

2012 shares are now available, contact us for more information or download the registration form here

What does a share cost?

Harvest Shares are $500 for the entire 20 week season.  That’s $25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables each week. The share must be paid in full by April 2nd, 2012. A $100 deposit is required to hold your share before that date. We are offering a very limited amount of half shares this year: the total cost for the season for a half share is $300.

What happens if I don't pick up my box?

If you'll be away and can't pick up your box, let us know in advance and we'll issue you a $25 credit ($12.50 for 1/2 shares) which may be used at any time here at the farm, to add to another week's share, or to be spent at farmers market at any time.  If we don't know in advance that you'll be away and you don't pick up your box, we'll donate it to the local food bank.

How much produce will I get each week?
 
$25 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables is based on our market prices. Plus you share in any bumper crop abundance.  This generally includes 6 to 10 items.  If you are a large family eating a primarily vegetarian diet, you might consider ordering more than one full share, and if you are a small family, you may want to consider splitting the share with a friend or neighbor. An example of a mid to late July full share might be:

•    2 pound tomatoes •    1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes •    8 ears sweet corn •    1 pound potatoes •    1 pound green peppers •    1 pound onions •    1 pint okra •    1 pound green beans •    1 pound cucumbers

How many people does this feed?

The Harvest Share will feed two adults with a healthy appetite for vegetables (this does not include vegan adults—vegans might consider purchasing 1 ½ or 2 shares). It will accommodate two adults with a moderate vegetable appetite along with two or so kids.  If you are uncertain about being able to use all the produce, you might find friends to split the share with, either by divvying up the box each week or taking alternate weeks for the entire share, or you can purchase a half share.

Are there half shares available?

Yes! The cost for a half share is $300.We are limiting half shares this year so be sure to get your deposit in early for a half share.

What types of vegetables can I expect to find in my box?

It depends on the season. Check out the harvest calendar to get an idea of what to expect.  The harvest calendar includes our core crops; we also grow many new crops that we’ll throw in for a taste bud tease!

When can I pick up my box?

To find out when your box will be available for pick-up, please see our Locations page.

How can I find directions to my pick-up location?

Please see our Locations page for addresses and directions.

Can I give a gift of membership?

Giving the gift of a CSA Membership to a friend or family member is a wonderful idea. We can provide a custom gift certificate and a packet of information for the recipient. Sign them up!

How does the low income share support work?

By giving an extra $15 (one time) with your registration, you help to subsidize a share for a less fortunate family.  The more members who help, the more low income share we can offer!

When visiting various unnamed retired folks, I found myself amazed at how breakfast and exercise could take up an entire morning, dumping us off dumbstruck at noon.  Until, that is, we found ourselves sort of retired (albeit not entirely and only temporarily) and lo and behold! Breakfast and exercise does indeed take up an entire morning, dumping us off dumbstruck at noon. But today, mind you, I’m plowing through my “to do” list with unfettered fervor as we plant our first seeds in the greenhouse.  Yep, you read that right: today, the season begins.  Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration.  While starting seeds does indeed signify the start of the season, it’s not like we jump in that shocking cold stream polar bear style.  What it is though, is a slight sigh of resignation that we are now pretty much home bound.  At least overnight that is.  Someone has to be here to take care of those little baby plants: let them out to play in the morning and tuck them in at night (and they don’t make car seats large enough to accommodate those little chubbers).  It’s kind of nice, really, this whole seasonal “parenthood” thing.  Where we get to live the retired life (which this year even included travel to Florida) for a month, reflecting on our past year’s life and enjoying the fruits (canned, dried, or frozen) of our labor and then ease back into that whole 24/7 gig.

Soon I will look like this!  (the seed catalogues are beginning to roll in already)

I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that November was not yet vacation time.  But enough of me wanted to dream of sleeping in, lazing around, reading novels, traveling, etc. that I grew into the idea.  So imagine my surprise when November wasn't yet vacation time!  Don't get me wrong, we like to ease into the winter "schedule" around here.  So while we are still working, that work doesn't generally begin until 10 a.m. and usually ends around 4p.m. or so  (all dictated by the sunshine and weather of course!).  But still!  Working in November.  I might have to overcome this habit.  However, all the "putting the farm to bed" tasks have been completed save for moving the tomato umbrella which we're halfway done with.  And then there are those pesky "winter projects" that we've severely limited this year.  So really, I'm looking at some pretty good rest and restore time this winter, which suits me just fine.  Don't mind if I do disappear for a while (and bury my nose in some seed catalogues). 

Restore and Renew.  That’s what the winters are for.  Like professional athletes, we use the off season to restore worn out bodies and renew our inspiration: to be physically and spiritually ready for the next season.  When you have an intense seasonal work schedule, sometimes it takes missing the work to remember how great it is to do something you love for a living. Along with the tired out bodies, we rest and restore the tired out equipment: fix the fixable things, replace the unfixable things. In the winter, we renew friendships we forged sometime along the way to where we are now.  We rest and exercise muscles we need for the work of the next year.  And we restore our inspiration by learning from other farmers, reading farm articles and perusing seed catalogues.  Barbara Kingsolver said it well in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle when she said, “I have seen women looking at seed catalogues with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they are feeling because that’s how I read the seed catalogues in January.”  I can relate to that.  We’ll miss you all, but will also enjoy our annual trip into winter oblivion as well.

I know there’s a scientific explanation for all of this, but I prefer the majesty.  It’s as if some playful child cracked open several different cans of warm colored paint and spilled them all at the top of the mountain, and they are oozing their way down to us.  And then we’ve had days of perfection like yesterday and this whole weekend to make sure we can get outside and feast our eyes.  Once again, nature conspires to pleasure us.  Just in case we were tempted to feel gloomy about the winding down of the growing season (I’m not) and the approaching cold and potential wetness, nature stuns us into submission with its magnificent light show.  We’ll all be sure to ease into winter now with a smile pasted on our faces. Okay, I say, bring it on, I can head into winter this way.

I’ve always thought that change was slow.  You know, evolution, the shifting of tectonic plates, that sort of thing.  But some changes seem to happen overnight.  Take the leaves, for example.  I always thought of the changing of the seasons to be one day on the calendar, but a slow easy process practically.  Yet I swear there was no color in our little valley yesterday.  But today there was a burst of vibrant color that rocked across the landscape.  Geez!  I get the point!  Autumn is here.  It’s time to box up those shorts and tanks and bust out the long underwear.  It’s time to throw that extra blanket on the bed, stock up on decaf teas and firewood (well, okay, we should have done that last year, but oh well), and switch to heavier reading material.  It’s only a few weeks before our lives make the bizarre shift from rural farmer to more urban style gym member, yoga class attendee, and football-in-the-bar watcher. That's still a few overall weeks left though.