Job application

 This came out easily between 3:45 and 5 am.  It flowed and felt so good to write.

Just before 9am I realized that the job I had applied for is not available this season.  

Ha!!  Well then.  It felt great to let it flow through me and I feel eager to watch what unfolds...

Hello,

Please accept my application for the position of Market Team Member.

March - September 2010 - Crew member at Needle Lane Farm, Tipton, MI 

 Duties included: greenhouse seed starts, field planting and weeding, harvest for CSA shares and farm market stands, wash pack.

Working as a team with the farm market lead to pack and load products and equipment,

setting up and taking down farm market stall, restocking stall while keeping it clean and organized, answering customer questions and providing excellent 

customer service at Ypsilanti Tuesday afternoon market.  

September 2010 - January 2011  Crew member & market team member with Locavorious, Rena Basch's Ann Arbor CSA of frozen, local food

 Duties included: kitchen work of receiving delivery and processing produce from fresh to frozen for CSA distribution.

Working as a team with Rena to sort and pack CSA shares and loose bags for market stall sales, setup and break down of market stall at Ann Arbor Kerrytown Market.

Spring - September 2011 Crew member at Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Annie and Paul lead farmers.

Duties included: animal chores, field planting and weeding, harvest and display for CSA pickup, wash pack. 

September 2011 -  April 2012  Camden, MI  dairy farm that had a fresh milk delivery route to Ann Arbor

Duties included: milking cows by machine and by hand and many general farm tasks such as making butter, assisting with cheese making, raking the hay.

Assist lead delivery farmer with gathering and preparing products, setup and take down at 3 distribution sites; driving, loading and unloading delivery truck.  In a fast-paced, busy environment I assisted supporters in finding products, answered their questions, and calculated and received cash payment for products.    

Summer 2012 & 2014 - Farm Market Stall, Hillsdale, MI

  Working independently, I secured a space at the Hillsdale Farm Market and set up my own stall with products I had gathered and packaged myself.

Fresh & dried stinging nettles, dried mint and yarrow for tea, pears, maple sugar lumps, tatsoi, and a few other things...  

May - September 2013  Farm Market Team Member for The Brinery, Ann Arbor, MI

Duties included: working independently, packed coolers with product, loaded market vehicle with everything necessary for a busy market day, arrive on time, set up and take down market stall, keep stall well stocked and organized throughout the day, answer customer questions while providing excellent customer service, unload vehicle, returning product to refrigerator and stowing equipment properly.  Ann Arbor Kerrytown Wednesdays and Saturdays, Ann Arbor Westside Market at Zingerman's Roadhouse parking lot. 

     Taste Test Table

Duties included: working independently, packed coolers with product, loaded vehicle with everything necessary, locate and arrive at various stores in Ann Arbor and metro Detroit area, make contact with store liaison, set up, maintenance, and take down of professional, clean, organized table space, offer taste samples to shoppers, answer questions.

Also: occasional kitchen work of processing vegetables and packing jars of product.

If hired I would be available every Saturday.  Available also during the week after 5:30pm with my mature, farmer, 9 year old son.

I would prefer the Kerrytown market but am 100% agreeable to working the Farmington market.

Right now I live with my friend Colette on her small farm in Waterloo, MI.  My nine year old son and I take care of her three year old granddaughter while Colette works from home at her Monday through Friday desk job.  I am a live-in nanny.  No money is exchanged.  Mateo and I have been here since October of 2023 and things are working smoothly for all four of us.  Colette has full custody of little Talia with no change in custody expected.  

Every Saturday and Sunday since December of 2023 I have worked as a care-giver for clients of Angels in Scrubs Home Care.  They pay me $17 / hr and the shifts are 8am to 8pm, primarily in Ann Arbor.  Right now my life situation includes working every single weekend and I would 1,000 times prefer to work at your farm market stall.  I understand that the pay offered is $1 less per hour and the hours worked will be less than the 12 I am currently working and that is all fine and will not be any issue.  The vegetables are very valuable to me.  The biggest part of why I want to work with Green Things Farm Collective has to do with my personal desire to create the kind of world I want to live in.  I have read on your website about your history and your values and you all are demonstrating the ideas that I am striving towards in my own life.  I own the 120 acres in Camden, MI where I lived on the dairy farm and I dream of allowing a community there.  There is so much I can learn from what you all have done together and what you are continuing to build.  I am a 50 year old, physically fit, early morning loving, eager woman that would be a positive addition to your team.  

Thank you for your consideration and blessings on your collective.

Love,

Kari

(here's a picture of us, plus our friend Michael Lee and Colette's granson.  I'm the one in the bright blue t-shirt and purple skirt.)