About Us: 

Cicada Calling is a 2-acre diversified vegetable and cut flower farm in Southeast, Louisiana run by Becks Hilliard & Sierra Torres. As two young farmers from Louisiana we believe farming in the Gulf South is an act of resistance towards a disappearing community that has been ravaged by climate change and the petrochemical industry. With climate change threatening our community’s ability to be food sovereign, we hope to invest in and help develop better farming practices for our area as well as support our community with fresh, healthy foods grown without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. For us, this is not just a business, it’s an intentional decision to invest in a future for Louisiana and create alternative economies, structures, and systems to support, heal, and nourish our community.

Young people in Louisiana are told their whole lives that this land won’t exist in 50 years (if your from here, the“Louisiana loses a football field of wetlands per hour” is likely engraved in your brain) and that the only way to make money in our State is to go into the oil and gas industry. Although confronting and working to develop strategies to handle the displacement that will ultimately come due to climate change and coastal erosion, we also believe that it is equally important to flip these narratives and ask ourselves, what could Louisiana look like if we did not rely on these destructive industries and instead invested in our community? What would it look like for there to be equitable jobs that help build up our environment? What would it look like for people to have access to fresh healthy food grown in ways that supported the beautiful biodiversity of this land vs destroying it? That’s what Cicada Calling means to us. We all deserve to have a joyful and prosperous future in Louisiana—  today and 50 years from now. For us farming is a calling: an act of self care and an act of community care.  

We are excitedly seeking a passionate and hardworking individual to join our team as a Floral Operations Crew Member. Spring is an incredibly bountiful and splendid time to be a part of our farm crew! 

Our farm is a low to no-till farm focused on regenerative farming practices such as:

• investment in soil through intensive cover cropping, mulching, and some compost 

• growing without synthetic herbicides and pesticides and using IPM practices such as introducing beneficial insects 

• minimizing use of plastic by soil blocking, mulching with organic matter, and tarping

• interplanting and integrating vegetable and cut flower production to provide best farm ecosystem for pollinators and soil biome

Job Type:

Part-Time/Seasonal, Room to develop for more hours

Job Overview:

As a Floral Operations Crew Member at Cicada Calling Farm you will be responsible for harvesting and delivering a variety of flowers on our farm, ensuring that they are cut, sorted, and prepared for delivery or sale. This is a hands-on, physically demanding role that requires attention to detail and the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, outdoor environment. The Floral Operation Crew Member will work closely with the Flower Manager to harvest, pack, and deliver flowers to various wholesale and retail markets. After the initial training period, this role will be more independent in nature and we are looking for a candidate who is self motivated and diligent. This role will also have farm work days built in for seeding, transplanting, weeding, and general maintenance of the farm, giving candidates a breadth of experiences in this role. Although this role will mostly focus on flower operations, there is often overlap from the vegetable to flower side of our operation and Crew members will have an opportunity to harvest and work with both sides of our operation! 

Hours/Schedule: 

Mondays

Fall - Early Spring 7-3pm**

Summer 6:30 am - 2:30 pm 

Harvest flowers, pack orders, make bouquets, farm work 

Tuesdays

Fall - Early Spring 7-3pm**

Summer 6:30 am - 2:30 pm 

Harvest veggies, remaining flowers, delivery, potential delivery to Baton Rouge and/or New Orleans

Wednesdays or Thursdays 

Fall - Early Spring 7-3pm**

Summer 6:30 am - 2:30 pm 

Farm work, transplanting, weeding, seeding, etc. 

Saturdays BR Farmers Market *OPTIONAL*

4:30 am - 1:30 pm 

Pack market supplies and product, market set up and break down, sales

See bottom of application for details ^

*Start times are subject to change based on weather conditions*

Key Responsibilities:

• Harvest flowers, following proper cutting techniques to maintain plant health and maximize bloom quality.

• Make bouquets for restaurants and coffee shops

• Sort, count and group flowers by type, size, and quality for packaging or further processing.

• Optional/Potential delivery of flower orders to florists in Baton Rouge and/or New Orleans

• Inspect flowers for damage or disease, removing any unsuitable blooms

• Assist with the packaging and prepping of flowers for delivery to customers or markets.

• Maintain cleanliness of harvesting tools and work area.

• Able to work solo and/or closely with the other flower crew members to ensure timely and efficient harvesting schedules.

• Adhere to all safety guidelines and protocols.
  
  

Qualifications:

• Previous experience working on a farm or in a similar outdoor environment is a plus.

• Ability to work in fast-paced environment

• Ability to focus on quality with attention-to-detail while performing repetitive tasks

• Ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions (i.e. in rain or high temperatures).

• Physically capable of performing tasks that require bending, lifting, and standing for extended periods.

• A positive, team-oriented attitude with a willingness to take direction.

• Must be able to work independently and manage time efficiently.

• A vehicle that can be used to deliver and transport flowers to Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Applicants must provide proof of full coverage car insurance. Travel expenses reimbursable. 

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with small-scale/sustainable and/or organic farming.

• Knowledge of flowers, flower care, cutting and handling techniques.

• Awareness of physical demands: we work fast during flower harvests but are aware of safety involving our harvesting tools and within ourselves. We encourage stretching in the mornings before start time to maintain limberness and prevent injury. The ability to know your body and limits and to take breaks is essential given that working outside in our climate can be difficult and sometimes uncomfortable. 

• Tractor, walk-behind tractor, mower and other small tool proficiency highly desired! 

Living on the North Shore: Residents of the North Shore area are preferred. We are located in a rural setting, 15 minutes from Hammond, LA. Because there are no public transit options, this role requires a reliable car to and from the farm.
 

Reliability:

• We are looking for candidates who are reliable and consistent in attendance. Punctuality is critical in ensuring the smooth operation of our harvest schedules and delivery timelines. We start harvesting depending on the heat and daylight, so it’s incredibly important in this role that you consistently arrive on the time we set for that week. 

• Reliability is essential — with a small team, every crew member plays a critical role; when someone doesn’t show up, it puts extra strain on others and can delay important, time-sensitive tasks. We understand that illness and planned time off happen, but clear communication and consistency are key to keeping the farm running smoothly.

Physical Requirements:

• Must have your own insured and reliable vehicle, and possess a valid drivers license

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

• Ability to work in outdoor conditions, including high temperatures, insects, and varying weather conditions.

• Ability to bend, kneel, and stand for extended periods.
  

Compensation:

• $16-18 hourly wage based on work experience

• Gas during deliveries will be covered with proof of reciepts

• Additional benefits such as access to farm produce, farm flowers, discounts, etc.

Trail Period

The first two weeks of employment will be a paid trail period to ensure that the worker and farm are a good fit. At the end of this trial period, we will sit down to discuss if expectations are being met on both sides. We want to make sure this is a fit for all of us! 

Optional Baton Rouge Market Hours

We are looking for a fun and motivated person to work the Baton Rouge Farmers market on Saturday mornings! Working the market can be such a rewarding experience. Interacting with the community and sharing the fruits of our labor can be fulfilling and joyful. Because this is more public facing and requires sales skills, we are looking for someone who would be excited to represent the farm and create community with customers. Although this optional day is not required to apply for the position, we will highly consider candidates who can work this market. 

Market set up is from 6 am - 8 am. Crew Member will be responsible for going to the farm (1 hr from BR) and loading up with market supplies and produce/flowers. Generally we get to the farm between 4:45 am - 5 am to load up. The commute is 1 hr from Baton Rouge. Market runs from 8 am - noon. Breakdown generally takes 30 - 45 min. 

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about flowers, enjoy working outdoors, and want to be part of a small, supportive farm team, we encourage you to apply! Please fill out this form and submit your resume! Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. We are looking to fill this role by mid-September.