Caralyn Roeper

These descriptions of experience just involve me, and do not include my partner's several years of farming experience as well.

College Graduate, Lehigh University, Bachelor's of English.

Currently Assistant Harvest Manager at Vegetable Farm in Hudson Valley.

• This position involves assisting our weekly CSA and wholesale customers, as well as leading the Friday Farmer’s Market harvest. With the direction and strategic management from one of our owners, this person will be:
  • Managing the harvest cart and coolers
  • Ensuring that produce is harvested, brought in from the fields, washed and packed in an efficient and timely manner
  • Keeping track of harvest throughout the day and week to ensure that all orders and CSA shares are packed
  • Communicating clearly and in a timely fashion with Sales Manager and all harvest crew
  • Record keeping

Horse-Powered Farm Apprenticeship- Natural Roots Farm 

• Vegetable production for 200 member CSA using draft horse power to manage 6.5 acres of cropland, berries, 12 acres of pasture, compost, 180 laying hens and You-Pick flower rows. 
• Training and completion of Teamster training: workhorse use, safety, single and double horse driving for vegetable production and general farm use, equine care, pasture and stable management. Introduction to horse-powered forestry management, firewood production, and chainsaw safety, use, and maintenance.
• Personal Areas of Responsibility: 
  • Greenhouse Management- seeding, trimming, pinching, fertilizing, managing planting schedule and seedling inventory, transplanting, leading transplant crews and volunteers, watering, potting up, and running our retail plant stand.
  •  Livestock Management- responsible for overseeing maintenance of horses and stable, supply inventory, medication, cleaning, repairs of stable facilities, management of pig-turned compost, and overseeing logistics of laying hen operation: automatic doors, feed inventory, flock health.
  • Wash and Pack ShortStop- fulcrum point for all produce coming into wash and pack facility, weighing/recording harvest to maintain accurate records for CSA distribution, maintain focus in fast-paced environment while overseeing quality of harvest and communicating with team to modify expectations, harvesting and packing for wholesale orders, maintaining inventory of walk-in cooler and winter storage crops. Occasionally staffing CSA pickup as produce stocker, or checking out customers behind the retail counter. 
  • You-Pick Cut Flower and Sunflower Row Manager: Managed these you-pick rows for the farm’s most abundant flower year to date: planting, deadheading, weeding, trellising. Maintained the you-pick rows for CSA customers while harvesting excess material to retail fresh floral material and dry flowers for year-end projects. Brought new flower varieties to the farm with great success. Pioneered new retail outlets for floral material in our farm store: cut flower bouquets, sunflower stems, decorative dried flower pumpkins, garlic bundles, and wreaths.

Farm Apprenticeship- Carversville Farm Foundation

• Competency with 12 acre organic vegetable production, market garden, and two high tunnels in following categories: greenhouse management, plant propagation, bed prep, transplanting, irrigation, weed and pest management, harvesting, post harvest handling, cover cropping, wash and pack house.
• Basic skills- machinery, carpentry, and plumbing-, safely operate farm vehicles, fertigation, record-keeping, and time/team/volunteer management (Google Workplace)
• Familiarity with animal husbandry, comfort with large animals. Involvement with livestock chores, chicken carcass breakdown, egg collecting, and moving cattle and poultry.

Flower Farm Assistant- Busy Bee Bouquets 

• Part-time work in all aspects of managing a roadside flower stand: bed prep, planting, harvest, bouquet-making, delivery, and design for events (parties, bridal shower, etc).
• Quick pace bouquet making with attention for detail, aesthetics, and durability
• Make bouquets for donation each week to Fisherman’s Mark Food Pantry

Farm Internship- Sun Moon Farm 

• Varied daily responsibilities: bed preparation, plant propagation, transplanting, maintenance of perennial plantings, weeding, harvesting, deadheading, wash and pack, food pantry service, co-op produce delivery and staffing CSA customer pickup.
• Provide vegetables and flower bouquets each week for 100+ member CSA, intensive familiarity with Dahlias: planting, maintenance, and tuber digging/division/storage for commercial sale.

Winter Internship- Horseshoe Farms 

• Experience planting, harvesting, bed maintenance, organization, inventory, mulching, deliveries, and spring planning
• Worked alongside local partners, dining establishments in a farm-to-table food model (The Anchorage- Greenville, SC)

Hemp Harvest Team- Wild Fox Provisions

• Work with a team to harvest and process 7 acres of hemp flower

Animal Caretaker, Bucks County SPCA 

• Responsible for care and keeping detailed records of animal safety, feeding, injury/illness, behavior, cleaning enclosures, feeding, transport, and enrichment.
• Work with guests in a friendly, service-based attitude to answer phones, tour facilities, greet animals and complete intake, adoption, and surrender forms.