2026 Farm crew positions

Before applying, first read and understand this entire page. Contact us if you have any questions.

Glade Road Growing is a small, family farm in Blacksburg based out of our home. We grow certified naturally grown vegetables year-round as well as pasture-raised pork and poultry, and sell directly to the public through our farm stand and farm share. Besides ourselves, we hire 5-10 additional people to help us. Many of our employees return for multiple seasons. Our farm business provides a livelihood for our family and our staff, which we take seriously. Like most small farms, ours is a continual work in progress.

All our positions require the following:

• Positive attitude
• Responsible and reliable
• Teachable
• Committed
• Comfortable receiving corrective and demonstrating feedback
• Adaptable and flexible with necessary plan changes due to weather, market, crew dynamics, etc
• Excellent physical fitness, range of motion and stamina
• Physical strength to lift 40 lbs without injury to yourself
• Can maintain your own physical and mental health
• Awareness for safety of self and others
• Can work fast to set a standard for others
• Can keep busy and not be distracted by cell phone or the adjacent brewery
• Has reliable transportation to arrive on time every day
• Comfortable working around children (our own and those that visit during camps/tours)
• Comfortable working around our large farm dogs (no other dogs permitted on the farm ever)
• We require shirt and shoes worn during work
• Note- we do not allow the use of earbuds or vaping during work

Benefits to working here (besides starting wages listed) include:

• Fun and positive work culture
• Home-made lunch provided (M-F, 12:30 pm)
• Free produce for you/your family’s home consumption
• Discounted farm meats available in staff freezer
• Discounted meals and drinks at Rising Silo Brewery (no alcohol use permitted during work)
• Wage increases and bonuses with proven competency

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First, read and understand this entire webpage. Contact us if you have any questions.

The work is physically and mentally demanding, but rewarding as well.

Being available for the full time frame listed for each position is important to us. Do not apply if you are not available for the full time commitment listed with each position. We allow up to 7 pre-arranged days off on a case-by case basis.

Upon hire, we do a paid 2 week trial period. After the trial period we’ll do a review together with you on work performance and trainability and determine if employment will continue with you for the season.

If you’re interested in applying, please fill out an application here, specifying the specific position you are interested in. If you are applying for multiple positions, fill out a separate application for each one.

We do background checks.

Have ready 3 work references upon request.

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Current Openings

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2026 Vegetable Wash-Pack Assistant

(part-time, seasonal, approx. 25 hrs per week, starts April 13 (flexible) through minimum Nov 1; starts at $16/hr) – can be combined with other positions to create full-time work

Our vegetable wash-pack assistant works under the direction of our farm’s packhouse manager to support the full timeline and tasks from receiving fresh produce from the harvest crew all the way to delivery to our farm stand customers. The wash-pack assistant is a crucial person on our team who ensures that vegetables from the field are washed, cooled, packed, and presented to deliver the best product possible for our customers, and as efficiently as possible for us. This position requires physical stamina to work upright all day under wet conditions and lift 40 pounds regularly. Don’t worry- it’s fun, too. This position, based at our farm stand where our wash-pack station is, sees the intersection of our farm where what’s coming in from the field meets the community we serve.

The ideal candidate:

• Has attention to detail regarding produce quality, level of dryness, and timing, for a variety of crops
• Moves smoothly and efficiently in a fast-paced station that is almost entirely on wet concrete
• Has a friendly customer-service demeanor when the situation arises
• Can work independently or in a small team as needed
• Excellent communication skills with the pack house manager, harvest crew, and farm stand attendants
• Commercial kitchen experience a plus
• Min. must be available 8+ hrs, Mondays and Thursdays

 
Duties:

• Wash and dry vegetables, according to their individual standards
• Work with specialized vegetable wash equipment like commercial salad spinners, drying screens, root scrubbers, digital scales, etc
• Pack and organize vegetables in the walk-in cooler
• Cycle out produce for freshness
• Maintain station cleanliness (wash station, veggie display, and walk-in cooler); perform quarterly deep cleans
• Help prep veggies to sell (bagging, sorting tomatoes, making vegetable displays, etc)
• Restock farm stand, especially weekdays during our self-service hours, and pack online orders
• Assist customers who approach with questions or need help checking out

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2026 Farm Stand Assistant

(part-time, seasonal Saturdays, approx. 5-8 hrs per week, starts May 2 (flexible) through minimum Nov 7; starts at $16/hr) – can be combined with other positions to create full-time work

Our Farm Stand Assistant not only helps us in the physical aspects of maintaining our on-site farm store, but more importantly serves as a face to the many customers that come through. An energetic personality, enthusiasm and knowledge of our farm, and also cooking are encouraged. Our Farm Stand Assistant is the main support person for our Farm Stand Attendant, especially on Saturdays. The scale and scope of this position depend on the individual we ultimately decide to hire.

The ideal candidate has:

• An eye for produce quality and detail
• Comfortable receiving corrective and demonstrating feedback from the lead Farm Stand Attendant and Packhouse manager
• Excellent communication skills
• Can keep on task and not be distracted by their cell phone or the adjacent brewery
• Has excellent customer service to serve customers from all walks of life
• Has own their transportation
• Can maintain a clean and neat appearance (uniform T-shirt provided)
• Saturday availability from 10:30-3 pm, May-Oct, a must
• Experience merchandising a plus
• Enjoys healthy cooking with seasonal and local products a plus

 Duties:

• Restock farm stand with fresh product at a quick and efficient pace
• Pack orders
• Help prep veggies to sell (bagging leafy greens, sorting tomatoes, organizing walk-in cooler, etc)
• Maintain farm stand cleanliness and welcoming atmosphere

Could also include:

• Serving as an occasional substitute Farm Stand Attendant during our open hours (Friday 9 am – 5:30, Saturdays 10 am- 3 pm, Tuesdays 9 am -5:30 pm)
• Helping check out customers on our point of sale (Square and EBT)

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2026 Animal Caretaker (weekends)

(part-time, year-round, some Saturdays & all Sundays, 4-9 hrs per week, starts at $17/hr) -can be combined with other positions to create full-time work

Our Animal Caretaker is responsible for performing the daily feeding chores, paddock adjustments, and animal health checks on weekend mornings (approx. 8 am -12 pm). We raise about 50 pigs/year, 300 laying hens, 5 batches of 400 broiler chickens, 150 turkeys, 125 meat ducks, and 60 laying ducks, and have two livestock guardian dogs, Cosmo & Ellie. This position is not many hours, but requires the utmost attention to animal care and communication with Sally.

The ideal candidate has:

• An affinity for working with animals
• Excellent observation and communication skills and pays attention to detail
• Can move quickly and safely
• Relishes a cross-fit like work out in dusty, muddy, rainy conditions in the presence of animals and their manure
• Works independently in remote locations of the farm
• Is available at a minimum weekend mornings, year-round, with pre-arranged time-off available by request
• Has their own transportation
• Must be able to safely lift and carry 50+ lbs and drive a golf cart

 
Duties:

• Independently complete daily animal chores on weekends
• Animal chores include watering, feeding, checking electric fence lines for our pork and poultry
• Collecting/washing/packing eggs at the egg wash station located in our home and delivering to farm stand across the street
• Set up and move animals through rotational paddocks
• Complete daily task sheets and communicate with Sally as problems with animals arise
• Cares for our home pets when we are away (two cats and a tortoise)

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2026 Poultry Processing Assistant

(part-time, seasonal, 8 hr days on approx. ~13 specific days, April 23 – Nov 24, starts at $17/hr)

Raising and selling pasture poultry is an important component of our farm. Our poultry processing assistant will work in a small team to process and package the chickens, pekin ducks and Thanksgiving turkeys we raise. Our processing area is in a covered space outdoors behind our home and subject to outside temperatures (heat, cold, dampness). The restroom is in our house. A lot of water and spray down is involved with poultry processing. The work is physically and mentally demanding, but rewarding as well. The work is physically and mentally demanding, but rewarding as well. It’s more fun than it sounds like. Our current processing team is a group of stellar, positive and fun individuals.

The ideal candidate:

• Appreciates the value of sustainably-raised meat
• Has excellent observation skills and pays attention to detail
• Can move quickly and safely, especially with knives
• Is not bothered by the sight, smell and handling of poultry blood and innards
• Is teachable and welcomes instruction and correction to provide a food-safe and top-quality product for our customers
• High-paced commercial kitchen experience a plus
• Is available for at least 14 of the 16 days (entire 8-5 pm day) we are processing (schedule of dates below). Additional hours are possible the day following processing days to help vacuum seal and label.
• Processing dates (2026 dates, subject to change):
• Wed, May 6- Freedom Ranger Broilers (mostly whole, 8 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, May 13- Freedom Ranger Broilers(mostly parted, 9 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, May 20- Pekin ducks (whole half, part half), 60
• Wed, June 17- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly whole, 6 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, June 24- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly parted, 7 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, July 22- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly whole, 6 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, July 29- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly parted, 7 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, Sept 2- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly whole, 6 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, Sept 9- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly parted, 7 weeks old)- 200
• Wed, Oct 7- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly whole, 6 weeks old)- 200
• Wed,  Oct 14- Cornish Cross Broilers (mostly parted, 7 weeks old)- 200
• Tue, Oct 27-  Pekin ducks, (whole half, part half), 60
• Wed, Oct 28-  Pekin ducks, (whole half, part half), 60
• Wed, Nov 4- Turkeys- 50
• Thur, Nov  19– Turkeys- 50
• Mon, Nov  23– Turkeys- 50

 
Duties:

• Eviscerate poultry (training provided;  apron and knives provided but bring your own rain boots and change of clothes)
• Occasional quality control of others’ eviscerated birds
• Help clean up after processing
• Assist in packaging, weighing, labeling, and storing finished product in walk-in cooler.

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Check back for more postings throughout the season.

Thanks for your interest in being part of our farm!