Goldfinch Gardens
Celo Community, Burnsville, NC
828.675.1740
Goldfinch Gardens is a four acre production vegetable farm in Celo, NC. In operation since 2007, we grow specialty vegetables for the high-end restaurants of Asheville and the surrounding area. In addition, we operate an online CSA to get our produce onto the plates of our neighbors. Using three greenhouses, we are able to grow and market from March thru December. We also have a small commercial flock of Katahdin hair sheep that we raise for meat. We strive for personal health, soil health, animal health in all that we do. Our farms labor is provided by Ben, Cedar, and one or two apprentices a season as well as a regular crew of volunteer work traders. Our products are available through our online CSA. Members order online and pick-up from the food co-op in Celo. In addition, our produce can be found at Knife and Fork in Spruce Pine, NC, Cucina 24 in Asheville, Donatelli Cake Designs in Asheville, and Mountain Air Country Club in Burnsville.
Our Products
Employment Opportunities
Our work schedule…
Our work week is organized around 2 harvest days, Tuesday and Friday. We work 5 days a week, 8-5 with a 1 hour lunch. Since we don’t sell at farmers market, weekends are free, although we strongly encourage interns to participate in CRAFT events. Interns can start in March or April and generally stay through October.
Compensation offered…
Stipend: We provide a stipend of $100 a week per individual. We withhold taxes from the stipend. We have liability insurance on the farm that covers interns while they are here if there were to be an accident.
Housing: Apprentices live in a nice straw bale cabin with loft, bathroom, kitchen, water and electricity. There is a queen bed in the loft and a deck. The cabin itself is very sunny and warm. There is Wi-Fi in the cabin, and limited cell phone reception. Due to the small size of the cabin, no pets or children please. The cabin is well set up for a couple but would be a challenge for two people who were not accustomed to sharing a bed.
Educational opportunities: As previous interns ourselves, we highly value the educational component. We will do our best to help you explore your areas of interest as well as covering all the basics. We are active members of the regional CRAFT program that provides farm tours and potlucks with other farms in the area once a month. We conduct informal classes periodically on subjects of interest to you. We also have a large library of agricultural related books for your reading. The sheep project involves moving the sheep to fresh paddocks within the large pasture every 2-3 days. We also conduct regular health checks and foot trimmings on the animals. The sheep and our guard donkey are a pleasure to work with (mostly).
Food: We don’t regularly share meals. The kitchen in the cabin is equipped with an oven and fridge. Unlimited produce is available as well as eggs from our flock, milk from our shared cow, and some lamb meat if desired. There is a food co-op in walking distance of the farm for bulk/natural foods.
Our location…
Our farm is in a beautiful part of the world. There are lots of hiking opportunities right out the back door in our community. In addition, we are surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest and nearby to Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. We border the South Toe River where one can find relief during the hot days of summer or relaxation and fishing during the evening.
While we live in a walk-able community with many social events, we do require interns to have a personal vehicle. We seek those who have had some vegetable growing experience in the past, and are looking to take their knowledge to the next level, especially regarding commercial production.
To inquire about employment opportunities, please contact us by email between December and March or visit our website for further information.
About working at Goldfinch…
“Ben and Cedar sell high-quality produce, and in turn have high expectations for their workers. Both farmers are excellent leaders, always willing to explain tasks thoroughly and teach how to use certain implements. However, they won’t push you towards a task that involves using a tool or machine that you are uncomfortable with. They are open and direct about their expectations throughout the day, week, and season. The internship can have an educational component as well. I received a few lessons in QuickBooks and budgeting. As I gained more experience on the farm, I was able to make my own weekly task list to compare with Ben and Cedar’s. Ben and Cedar value the work that their interns do, and value their well-being. There are a few aspects of the internship that 
should be considered. Celo has little to no cell service. An adequate cell signal is a 10 minute drive away in Micaville. The closest grocery store is in Burnsville, about 15 minutes away. It is necessary to have your own vehicle for this living and working situation.”
– Hannah, apprentice for 2 years
“Goldfinch is an amazing operation run by amazing people. Ben and Cedar are conscientious and diligent farmers, and their produce reflects that. They are very good communicators, take time to reflect when things go wrong, and help support a happy and healthy community, family, and employee base. I couldn’t recommend their food (or their company!) highly enough.”
– Sera, worktrade volunteer & customer
This farm has reported that they are no longer hiring for the 2016 growing season. Please check back winter 2016 for next years’ opportunities.
References
About purchasing from Goldfinch…
“Being able to go online each week and order what needed is a real plus, I prefer this over the standard CSA box option. Also Ben and Cedar wash everything so it is ready to use right out of the bag – so important for me as a busy business owner and parent who is trying to feed my family healthy meals every day with a variety of plants. The seasonal variety is amazing from mushrooms, greens, berries, to roots, eggs, and lamb! Pick up is easy and dependable.”
– Kelly, market share member
“Goldfinch is an amazing operation run by amazing people. Ben and Cedar are conscientious and diligent farmers, and their produce reflects that. They are very good communicators, take time to reflect when things go wrong, and help support a happy and healthy community, family, and employee base. I couldn’t recommend their food (or their company!) highly enough.”
– Sera, worktrade volunteer & customer
Author: Sera Deva
Sera Deva has a B.S. in Microbiology & Agroecology from The Evergreen State College. She is the former Director of Programs & Systems Design at OGS, is the President of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) Board of Directors, and is the Administrative Director for The Firefly Gathering. When she’s not geeking out over genetics, systems theory or soil hydrology, she spends her time growing and eating food in the South Toe Valley in Burnsville, NC.
