Lead Carpenter - Farm Infrastructure Project
Breadtree Farms | Salem, NY
About Breadtree
Breadtree Farms is the Northeast's largest agroforestry operation, stewarding over 20,000 crop trees across 800 acres in the Upper Hudson Valley and Southwest Vermont. Our farms bring together diversified perennial crops including organic chestnuts, hickory oil, seaberry, maple syrup, honey, and integrated silvopasture livestock systems. We're building a regional model for perennial agriculture that feeds our communities with delicious, regenerative staple foods.
The Project: Building the Region's Organic Chestnut Processing Hub
We're seeking an experienced Lead Carpenter to help us transform historic barns into what will become the largest chestnut processing facility in the country. This agricultural infrastructure will enable our region to process and distribute thousands of pounds of organic chestnuts, creating market access for hundreds of young farmers in the region who are adopting chestnut agroforestry practices. Addressing this bottleneck is a critical step on a path to making chestnuts a viable alternative to annual grain production.
This is a two-year project (2026-2027) funded through a USDA Organic Market Development Grant, with the likely opportunity to grow into a long-term role as we continue developing farm infrastructure.
Why This Role Matters for Regional Food Systems
The facility you'll help build will:
- Lower barriers-to-entry and create market access for hundreds of young farmers in the region who are adopting chestnut agroforestry
- Support the economic viability of perennial agriculture in the Northeast
- Demonstrate adaptive reuse of agricultural buildings for modern food processing
What You'll Build
Working with our internal carpentry team (Breadtree Frames) and outside timber-framing professionals, you'll lead the renovation of historic 5500 ft2 timber-frame barns, including:
- Careful restoration of historic timber frames and slate roofing (in concert with contracted timber framers)
- Installation of modern building envelope systems with continuous exterior insulation
- Interior buildout for processing spaces, cold storage, and offices
- Integration of sustainable, locally-sourced, and site-harvested materials
Our Building Philosophy
We prioritize natural building materials, design/build approaches, and creative problem-solving, and we value candidates eager to learn traditional techniques alongside modern sustainable building practices. We have the capacity to harvest and mill timbers on-site, allowing us to integrate farm-grown materials into our projects.
Who We're Looking For
Required:
- 5+ years carpentry experience (lead/supervisory experience is a plus)
- Experience with renovation and adaptive reuse projects
- Knowledge of building codes and sustainable construction
- Ability to read blueprints and estimate materials
- Strong communication and team leadership skills
- Excitement about learning timber framing and working with natural materials (While timber framing experience is a plus for this role, it is not a necessity).
The Details
- Compensation: $55-75k annually based on experience
- Timeline: Construction 2026, completion late summer/early fall 2027
- Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, occasional weekend work
- Benefits: PTO, sick days, education stipends, affordable housing available, and a pathway to partnership/equity for committed full-time employees
- Location: Salem, NY
Ready to Build the Food System?
We're building long-term relationships and investing in our team. If you're a skilled carpenter who wants to apply your craft to regenerative agriculture and be part of something bigger than a typical construction job, we'd love to hear from you.
To Apply: Please email [email protected] with a simple summary of your interest and your relevant experience. If you have pictures of your work you'd like to share, go ahead. Please provide references from recent projects (employers, clients, whoever you think can help us understand how you work). Resume welcome but not required.
We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse team.