Confectioner / Farmer —

• Compensation: $20/hour to start; increases at one year
• If desired there is beautiful, subsidized on-farm housing available for rent (tiny house or apartment)

Position Summary
This is a hybrid position combining confectionary work and time on the farm — while you will be in charge of our confectionary, you’ll also spend time in the off season gardening, milking goats, and caring for our animals. While there will be a fair deal of time in the kitchen, this particular position is intended to gain experience across the full rhythm of the farm: goat care, seasonal gardening, food production, and guest hospitality.

Core Responsibilities

• Confection work: making caramel, chocolate bonbons and other confections, managing inventory and staff in our production facility, being passionate about creating beautiful chocolates and caramels
• Milking goats and assisting with kidding, feeding, and general herd care
• Caring for other animals on the farm (chickens, dogs, cats)
• Gardening and land care: planting, weeding, harvesting vegetables and flowers
• Seasonal outdoor work: mowing, snow removal, landscaping, compost management
• General farm maintenance and equipment use (tractor, skidsteer,etc.)
• Agritourism hosting, airbnb flipping

Preferred Strengths 
We don’t expect you to have all of these skills, but we’re looking for someone strong in at least two areas (a different hire might fill the gaps)

• Experience working in a kitchen, or a strong love of food (we can train the rest)
• Mechanical & Equipment Skills: operating/maintaining the plethora of machines in the confectionary and on the farm as well as plowing, repairs, chainsaws, skidsteer, mowing, etc.
• Gardening & Horticulture: planting, weeding, harvesting, flower/vegetable care.
• Childcare & Homestead Support: helping with after-school activities, creative play, or household organization.
• Illustration and graphic design skills

Ideal Candidate

Why Join Us
You’ll gain hands-on experience in running a confectionary as well as small-scale dairying, artisan candy-making, gardening, and agritourism — all while living on a beautiful Vermont hillside farm surrounded by goats, flowers, and good food. It’s a rare opportunity to be part of a creative, family-run farmstead that values quality, craftsmanship, and community.

How to Apply

• Please send an email to bigpicturefarmjobs@gmail.com with the subject line: Farmer/Confectioner
• A short intro about who you are and what draws you to this role
• Your skills and experience
• Your availability and how long you’d hope to stay
• References (if available)

Big Picture Farm is looking for a 2025 Hybrid Farmer starting in early April 2025 and staying for 9 months (until the end of January 2026). An entry-level position, this character fills a vital role on our farm as a kind of Renaissance farm hand/goat milker/caramel packer/nanny/agritourism host/all-star person. You will be tasked with learning almost all of the varieties of jobs that exist on the farm. You will milk goats, tend the gardens, greet the Airbnb guests, pack caramels, host goat hangouts, and help look after our two young girls and the homestead part of our life. In the first few months, it is very farm heavy as our herd of goats is due to kid in mid-April, so there are lots of baby goats to be fed and goats trained to the milking parlor. In the summer, there is more time spent helping with our two girls as well as a lot of gardening, harvesting, and processing of the vegetables and fruits and helping flip the Airbnb's. In the fourth quarter, we have work in our shop packing caramels for holiday sales and helping pick up our kids from school. For the right person, it might also include work in the creamery, helping make caramel and chocolates. 

Who are we? We are entering our 15th year as a farm and as a business. We have a dedicated and mighty - but tiny - staff that you will be working with in all the various spheres. Working weekends is required. 

Our two girls are 5 and 8 years old and love being outside, art, cooking, imaginary worlds, and, of course, all of their animals. Since we live far from the town where they go to school the afternoons involve driving them around (in our car) from school to home and their various activities. A clean driving record is a must.

The nature of this position is diverse and will yield much knowledge in every realm of the farm and business and homestead aspects of our lives. Therefore, someone with a positive attitude is paramount, as well as someone who is flexible and enjoys the hybrid nature of farm life. Other than a big heart, open attitude, solid work ethic, and love for children, no experience is required.  

We welcome all to apply.

This is a paid position, 40 hours a week. Housing is provided on the farm in a bright and well appointed tiny house or apartment overlooking fields and mountains.  As we live very rurally, having reliable transportation is key.  Due to the nature of the position - being able to lift 50 lbs and being comfortable with long days on your feet is required.