COVID-19 Access: Now taking orders online

We’ve gotten so many calls and emails from you since the COVID-19 outbreak began–we feel your love! Thank you.

Here is how we have adjusted our policies for COVID-19.

And here’s the plan for keeping you in good food, as it is evolving. Please check back frequently–we will do our best to keep it up-to-date.

Our online store is now live!

Order as often as you like, but please keep in mind the order deadlines. IMPORTANT: We will not be able to accommodate late orders.

Newsletter If you don’t already get our email newsletters (which will have the weekly menu), you can sign up here. If you would like to see it in your inbox, please be sure to add our email address “littlehatcreek@gmail.com” to your email Contacts, or drag the email into your inbox from the promotions folder.  Thanks!

ORDER DEADLINE for our store is Sunday at noon

Region	Pickup Location	Hours	Instructions
Nelson
	Little Hat Creek Farm 163 Shaeffers Hollow Lane Roseland, VA 22967	Wednesdays 9 AM – 6 PM	Follow the drive past the house. Pull in to the covered loading area at our bakery / packing shed. Open your car, find the bag(s) or box(es) with your name on it/them, and load them in your car. If you accidentally touch a farm surface, please use the sanitizing spray and paper towels provided to wipe it down. Thanks!
	Rockfish Valley Community Center PO Box 106, Nellysford, VA 22958	Wednesdays TBD	Details TBD–check back next week!
	Basic Necessities 2226 Rockfish Valley Hwy, Nellysford, United States 22958-2304	Wednesdays TBD	Details TBD–check back next week!
Lexington
	Lexington Farmers’ Market McCrums Parking Lot (behind the Southern Inn)	Wednesdays 8 AM – 12:30 PM	Your orders will be on the curb behind our stand. In the event of rain, Brian will keep them under our tarp. Please look for bags or boxes with your name on it. And be sure to wave hello!
Charlottesville
	Private porch in the Starr Hill neighborhood, 215 5th St NW	Wednesdays TBD	Please drive slowly through this residential neighborhood. Find the bag(s) or box(es) with your name on it/them, and load them in your car. If you accidentally touch a porch surface, please use the sanitizing spray and paper towels provided to wipe it down. Thanks!

We are partnering with other businesses We are stronger together! That’s why we’re working with other businesses and organizations to offer pickups on their ordering platforms. To use the following pickup locations, please place your order through the indicated website, NOT through this website. We will not be able to process orders through this website for these pickup locations.

Region	Pickup Location	Hours	Instructions
Charlottesville	Rivanna River Company parking lot 1518 E High St, Charlottesville, VA 22902	Wednesdays 4 PM – 5:30 PM	PLEASE ORDER through https://www.localfoodhub.org/micromarket/  DEADLINE: Sunday 10 PM
Batesville	Batesville Market 6624 Plank Rd Batesville, VA 22924	TBD	Details coming soon!

Newsletter If you don’t already get our email newsletters (which will have the weekly menu), you can sign up here. If you would like to see it in your inbox, please be sure to add our email address “littlehatcreek@gmail.com” to your email Contacts, or drag the email into your inbox from the promotions folder.  Thanks!

Farmers’ Market updates
Lexington market: starts outdoors this week Mar 25 8-12:30 (pre-orders are closed for this week).
Nelson market: board deferring decision to Mid-April
Cville market: city is working on a solution
RVCC April winter market: cancelled

This is your local food system at work!

Thank you so much for supporting your local food producers!

Ben & Heather

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Now hiring a Vegetable Farm Worker

We grow 50+ vegetables on an acre and a half and bake sourdough breads and pastries in our woodfired oven. We sell mostly at farmers markets, which we do 11 months of the year. We are proud of our work producing nutrient-dense food that is sold locally. We see ourselves as part of a community of food producers all doing their small part to fix a food system that doesn’t account for humanity’s impact on the environment, and we are looking for a worker who wants to help us and learn from us. You will be an essential part of our business and gain hand-on experience using organic methods to bring vegetables to market.  2020 will be our seventh season earning all our income from our business, and we have achieved a growth rate of 30-40% each year. Our team includes 2 full-time employees, and 1-2 part-time employees.

Job Description

You will work closely with us to learn all aspects of growing ecological vegetables, including seeding, planting, harvesting, sorting, weeding, mulching, and selling at market. You will learn skills such as greenhouse management, efficient harvest techniques, cover cropping, and how to run a profitable business focused on farmers’ markets.

Educational Opportunities

We are a small professional market farm that wants to train future farmers and business owners. Our goal is that you will learn both the vegetable grower skills and the business skills you need to start your own ecological vegetable farm business.  We are very open about our business and we are happy to share our sales, expenses, and budget numbers with our employees as well as discuss business plans. We will train you to do at least one farmer’s market with us every week, and during the season, we will tour other ecological farms in our area. In 2019 we added pizza nights that have helped to deepen community engagement with our farm.

We believe that economic success is an important, and often overlooked, piece of “sustainability.” We recognize that the success of other businesses is just as important as our own, which is why we helped found the Common Grain Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to improving the food system by strengthening economic connections among grain growers, millers, and bakers. However, while we focus on the bottom line, we also value family, relationships, and well-being, and we work hard to make space and time for it all. Our farm is in the heart of Virginia’s rural Blue Ridge Mountains, close to the thriving “Brew Ridge Trail” and abundant outdoor activities, including Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Our region has a thriving community of small farms and artisanal food producers, which you will become a part of. As our workers prepare to take the next step towards their goals, we work hard to connect them with the resources they need. All three of our most recent employees relocated to work for us, and, through the connections they gained while working here, settled in Virginia.

Housing

Housing is available on-site as part of your compensation. You will have a one-room, furnished cabin with a kitchenette, electricity, and a sleeping loft. Your private bathroom (with shower) is just inside the laundry room in our house, about 20 steps from the cabin door. The cabin comes with a microwave, hot plate, mini-fridge, space heater, and air conditioner. You will also have access to the bakery kitchen and woodfired oven, which, even on days when we are not baking, never cools down below 325 degrees!

 

Compensation

Starting pay is $8-10/hr (depending on experience). Other compensation includes all the our surplus vegetables, bread, and croissants you can eat, and the right to trade our produce at farmers’ markets with other vendors. Expect to work 40-50 hours per week with 1.5 days off per week. Your hours may exceed 50/week at peak harvest periods. Short unpaid vacations are possible if we know in advance.

Skills desired

Previous farming experience is preferred, but mostly we care about a keen interest in sustainable agriculture and a strong work ethic. You should take pride in your work and enjoy working independently. You learn quickly, and can execute tasks efficiently while maintaining sufficient attention to detail. You can perform physically-demanding tasks outside in all kinds of weather, and maintain a sense of humor. You are thoughtful, inquisitive, and find joy in hard work, good food, and good company. You must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record, and be comfortable driving a large van on mountain roads. You should be able to easily lift 50 pounds, and be in good physical condition. You will also need a working smartphone to operate a Square reader for credit card sales and to keep records in Google Sheets.

Please check out our website http://littlehatcreek.com and our Instagram @littlehatcreek to get a feel for us and our farm before you apply.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to littlehatcreek ‘at’ gmail.com

This position is open until filled.

Thank you for helping us find our next awesome team member!

Be our next Ecological Vegetable Farm Worker

We are now hiring for the 2020 growing season! To apply, please email us your cover letter and resume.

 

ECOLOGICAL VEGETABLE FARM WORKER

Little Hat Creek Farm is a successful diversified ecological vegetable farm and wood-fired bakery. Our beautiful five-acre property is nestled in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, close to the thriving “Brew Ridge Trail”, and abundant outdoor activities including Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. We are about one hour from Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Staunton.

2020 will be our seventh season; we have grown 30-40% every year selling at several fast-paced farmer’s markets. Our goal as a business is to drive change in our regional food system by forging one-on-one relationships with our community of eaters, providing them with bread and vegetables that are directly linked to the land.

In our fields, we use ecological farming practices on about one acre of annual vegetables. We grow dozens of varieties of vegetables, focusing on building soil health and producing nutrient-dense food for our community; we avoid chemicals. In the spring we also produce thousands of vegetable, flower, and herb garden starts to help our community experience the joys of gardening. In our bakery, we specialize in using regional flours to produce naturally-leavened breads and croissants in our wood-fired oven.

Our passion for regional grain motivated us to help found the Common Grain Alliance, a new non-profit that seeks to revitalize the grain economy in the Mid-Atlantic. We see ourselves as one of several businesses working together to re-regionalize grain in the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, many of our pastries use the vegetables and fruit grown on our farm, and everything is baked in a 5’x7′ wood-fired oven that is housed in a cheerful 1000 sq-ft climate-controlled bakery building on the farm. In 2019 we added monthly pizza nights and workshops that have helped to deepen our engagement with our community.

We believe that economic success is an important, and often overlooked, piece of “sustainability”. But even as we are numbers people who are very focused on the bottom line, we also value family and relationships, and are willing to work extra hard to make space and time for people in both your life and ours.

Our team includes 2 full-time employees, and 1-2 part-time employees, in addition to myself, my wife, and our 2-year-old twins.

Job description

You will be involved in all aspects of the farm, including seeding, planting, harvesting, sorting, weeding, and mulching. You will be expected to help keep the greenhouse and packing station tidy, including washing flats and harvest containers. Our weeks build up to our busy farmers’ markets, where you will help sell the fruits of your labor and meet our dedicated community of eaters. You may perform other tasks as needed.

Skills Desired: You take pride in your work and enjoy working independently. You learn quickly, and can execute tasks efficiently while maintaining sufficient attention to detail. You can perform physically-demanding tasks outside in all kinds of weather. You are thoughtful, inquisitive, and find joy in hard work, food, and good company.

Compensation: This is an hourly paid position $8-12/hr DOE. Expect to work full time, with 50+ hour weeks possible at the peak of the season.

Housing: We have a one-room insulated cabin with a sleeping loft on-site. The cabin has electricity, and comes with a microwave, hot plate, mini-fridge, space heater, and air conditioner. There is a kitchen sink with running water, and the private bathroom (with shower) is about 20 steps away just inside our mudroom. If you choose to live on the farm, we will charge a nominal rent to cover internet, utilities, and laundry. We have two cats, so we prefer no additional pets.

Minimum Length of Stay: This position starts April 1, 2020, and ends in October. There is some flexibility with start and end dates, but you must be able to stay at least through the end of September 2020.

Educational Opportunities: We are a small professional market farm, so you will be involved in every aspect of our operation including: greenhouse management, planting, cultivating, harvesting, composting, and marketing. We will train you to do at least one farmer’s market with us every week. During the season, we will tour other ecological farms in our area.

As part of Little Hat Creek Farm, you will be connected to a growing network of like-minded farms and grain professionals in the Mid-Atlantic who are working towards a thriving regional foodshed. We make a point of sharing the details of our farming, baking, and business practices, so we encourage you to ask questions so that we can help you realize your goals.

Compensation for this position is $8-12 per hour. Expect to work 50-60 hours per week June-Aug, 35-40 hours per week at other times.

Please email us your one-page resume and cover letter. Deadline: January 31, 2020

Join our team!

The season is upon us and we need more help! Please check out our new listings on Good Food Jobs for a Wood-fired Bakery Assistant and a Farm-Bakery Assistant. Application deadline is July 12, so please help us spread the word!

And thank you for helping us find our next awesome team member!

Old-time Pizza Nites all summer long

UPDATE (Sep 10): If you’ve had trouble with the ticket website, don’t worry! Just come. Let us know you had trouble and we’ll honor the online price. Thanks!

Join us for our LAST monthly Oldtime Pizza Nite!  Between 6:00 and 8:00 we’ll be cranking out two different vegetarian pizzas made with produce grown by us and by our friends–it’s all-you-can-eat, so bring an appetite! There will be kombucha from Blue Ridge Bucha on tap to wash it all down.

Music will be provided by Mary Jane Epps and Joe DeJarnette. A public jam hosted by Aaron Olwell will start at 6:00, so bring your instrument! All levels welcome (we mean that!)

Pizza production and the hosted jam will stop at 8:00 but you’re welcome to stick around, hang out, and play tunes until dark.

What to bring:

Blankets and/or lawn chairs for relaxing

Layers to stay comfortable in all weather (this is a rain-or-shine event!)

Salad or dessert to share (this is totally optional, but comes with a free glass of kombucha!)

Kids and friends with toys/frisbees etc to share

Musical instruments for jamming

Please leave your non-service pets at home

And no alcohol please!

It helps us immensely if you can purchase your tickets in advance. Advance ticket sales are available until midnight the day before the event. After that, you’re still welcome to come and purchase tickets at the door for $2 extra. There are limited income tickets, and one volunteer ticket (online only), which entitles you to free pizza in exchange for helping us set up and break down. As a volunteer, you’ll have to be available between 5:30 and 8:00!

We look forward to meeting you!

Best,

Heather, Ben, Sam & Hazel

Be our next farm worker!

This is a full-time hourly paid farm position.

Job Description: You will be involved in all aspects of the farm, including seeding, planting, harvesting, sorting, weeding, and mulching. You will be expected to help keep the greenhouse and packing station tidy, including washing flats and harvest containers. You will assist us at our busy farmer’s market stands, help us pack our CSA, and help manage our laying hens. Additional duties may include deliveries, helping with bakery production, packaging bread, or cleaning tasks in the bakery.

Skills desired: You are a good fit to for this position if you love making and sharing good food and if our farm+bakery business model excites you. You get pleasure in seeing (and eating) the fruits of your hard work. You want to learn more about what it takes to run a successful farm business, and how to grow nutritious and delicious food. You are a self-starter who can anticipate tasks and you work well independently and with others. You take pride in performing routine tasks quickly and efficiently while attending to detail, and you are able to problem-solve on the fly. You are punctual, able to safely lift fifty pounds, and able to meet deadlines.  You can perform physically-demanding tasks outside in all kinds of weather. You are thoughtful, inquisitive, and find joy in hard work, food, and good company.

Compensation: This is an hourly paid position starting at $8/hr. Expect to work full time, with 50+ hour weeks possible at the peak of the season.

Housing: A room in our house is available for rent for $175/month (utilities, laundry, internet included). You would share a bathroom with our housemate, and have unrestricted access to our home kitchen, or the bakery for cooking. Your room comes with a mini-fridge, full-size bed, and simple furnishings.

Minimum Length of Stay: Must be available to start immediately. There is some flexibility with end dates, but you must stay the full season.

Educational Opportunities: We are a small ecological farm, so you will be involved in every aspect of our operation including: greenhouse management, planting, cultivating, harvesting, chicken management, and marketing. We will train you to do a farmer’s market with us every week. During the season, we will tour other ecological farms in our area.

As part of Little Hat Creek Farm, you will be connected to a growing network of like-minded farms and grain professionals in the Mid-Atlantic who are working towards a thriving regional foodshed. We make a point of sharing the details of our farming, baking, and business practices, so we encourage you to ask questions so that we can help you realize your goals.

You will have free access to unsold farm produce, eggs, bread and pastries, plus trading rights at market for things we don’t produce, like meat and cheese.

To apply, please submit your 1-page resume and cover letter to littlehatcreek “at” gmail.com. In your cover letter, please tell us what motivates you to be a part of a regional food system.

This position is open until filled.

 

 

 

Do you shop at the Nelson market? Sign up NOW for your fall bakery shares

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP by NOV 7

Starting next week, you can pick up a bread and/or pastry share at the Blue Ridge Bucha taproom in Waynesboro, at Basic Necessities in Nellysford, at the Old Orchard Farm Market at RVCC, or on our farm.  Shares work like a CSA–you pay in advance for 6-7 weeks of deliveries (depending on the location), and you can buy as many types of bread as you want! We’ll have another sign-up drive for winter shares in January. Thank you for your support!

Blue Ridge Bucha Taproom: Wednesdays starting Nov 14

RVCC, Basic Necessities, Little Hat Creek Farm: Saturdays starting Nov 10

It’s Fall, y’all!

The first morning in August when there is a chill in the air, I think to myself how much I love the change of season from summer to fall. Unlike summer to spring, which often feels like an explosion of green, fall presents itself in bits and pieces; a cool breeze on your skin, golden evening light dancing on your cabbages, a dusting of leaves on your path. I love how Fall teases us with cool weather, only to step back and allow Indian Summer its time in the sun.

Fall vegetables are challenging to grow, because we usually have to start them in the heat of the summer. Most brassicas (because, let’s face it, most of the best fall vegetables belong to this family) don’t germinate well in the heat. We start them indoors, and then cross our fingers that they don’t overheat as transplants, or get overtaken by flea beetles that adore making cabbage leaves into Swiss cheese.

Next year, we will invest in insect netting that will help exclude these little insects without overwhelming the plants with heat. This year, we just got lucky. Our leafy fall Brassica plantings look great. Cabbages are heading up in the shortening days, and the kohlrabi! Yes, we have decided we love kohlrabi (starring in the above photo), and have planted more than ever. Today is the first harvest of this otherworldly vegetable. We can’t wait to bite into the first crispy fresh slice this evening. Kohlrabi is lovely in fall soups and stews, but in our house it rarely makes it past the cutting board. –HAC

Visit our new Pop-up Shop in Waynesboro!

We are so excited to collaborate with Blue Ridge Bucha to bring our ecological vegetables and wood-fired sourdoughs to Waynesboro. On Wednesdays starting today from 4:30 to 6 PM, we will be setting up a table inside the beautiful new Blue Ridge Bucha Taproom at 1809 E Main St, right along the 250 corridor. If you miss market, or just need some mid-week groceries, stop by, and remember to bring your growler!

Plus, we will be opening up our bread & vegetable CSA to a small number of new mid-season members in Waynesboro, and we’ll be trialing a new bread & pastry subscription service.

Come say hello!

A big thank you to our crew!

We couldn’t do it without you.

Our 2018 crew from L to R: Rhys (farm), Addy (bakery), and Brian (farm/bakery).

Last week we went on vacation to the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival. We go every year, but this is the first year we went for five nights, not just two. I should say, we go every year except last year, when we were busy having our twins. It was worth missing the festival to now be able to celebrate Sam and Hazel’s birthday with friends, many of whom we only see once a year in the mountains of West Virginia.

Camping with twins is maybe not everyone’s idea of a vacation, but we wouldn’t miss it. Somehow showing up at the same time of year to the same place with the same folks to do the same thing is an important reset button that helps us keep the rest of our lives in perspective. Some of the hardest decisions in my life I have made at, or just after, Clifftop.

So it is fitting that we celebrate one of the biggest changes in our life–the birth of our twins–there as well. We are so grateful to our wonderful crew for making it possible for us to get away during peak season. We had full confidence that the greenhouse would be watered, the tomatoes would be harvested, the CSA delivered, and the bread and pastries baked while we were gone. It is no small task to run a multi-faceted business like ours, and Addy, Rhys, and Brian did a great job.

Thank you!

Ben, Heather, Hazel & Sam.