|
Our goal is to help grow new farmers and/or BUTCHERS that are knowledgeable in the overall management of a diversified farm focused on the improvement of soil and the use of sustainable farming practices and th use of old world traditions to make cured, Italian style meats (salumi).
We have several types of positions available for people interested in joining us: (Closed) Butcher/Butcher Apprentice (Closed) Farm Assistant (Closed) Live and Work Farm Assistant (Winter + Spring) (1 Open, 2 Closed) Community Farm Help (OPEN) Vegetable Farmer |
Agricola Farm - this is us
POSITION Closed: Apprentice Butcher
We are looking for a butcher to add to our team of five butchers/farmers. We are interested in training curious, detailed oriented people with minimal knife kills in the art of fresh meat cutting and with basic knowledge of old world, Italian style salumi. We are looking for someone who wants to train and grow with us. The sister company of Agricola farm is Monti Verdi Salumi and that is where the magic happens and products are made. Learn more about Monti Verdi Salumi on our website.
We are now processing 10-12 pigs per month and will soon grow to process 20 to 25 pigs. We process only 40 lambs per year.
We are interested in maintaining a small, family-oriented feeling to our operation and our interactions with employees and customers.
JOB DESCRIPTION
We’re seeking a butcher with a unique opportunity for on-the-job training in the craft of whole-animal butchery and Italian-style charcuterie making (salumeria).
You will work with high quality pork raised with care on the verdant pastures of Vermont. The ruby meat and snow white-firm fat are a source of pride for us and a testament to our hard work at the farm. We are looking for someone who appreciates and enjoys this type of work. The right person is genuinely interested in learning charcuterie making and in taking on more responsibilities over time. While existing basic knife and butchering skills are appreciated, previous experience is not required. The job begins with breaking down pork carcasses using only a knife and knowledge of the anatomy of bones and muscle. Each section of the carcass is analyzed for its quality and accordingly, it is divided into meat dedicated to salumi, sausage or fresh whole cuts. The fresh meat is trimmed and turned into beautiful, retail-ready vacuumed bagged cuts and sold in local stores. Salame is made using artisanal techniques that include hand selecting and cleaning lean muscles and fat with the removal of tendons, silver skin and connecting tissue. The cure is still mix by hand, like our grandparents used to do and each salame is stuffed and tied by hand using techniques passed on to us by previous generations of Italian norcini (specialized butchers). Only the highest quality whole muscles are dedicated to the production of coppa, pancetta and other dry cured whole muscles that age in our caves up to 8 months. You will learn through on-the job supervision, watching training videos and using graphs and figures in textbooks developed specifically for specialized norcini.
REQUIREMENTS
Position CLOSED: part time FARM ASSISTANT (updated 11/26/2022)
WHAT IS THIS? This position is part time (6 to 10 hrs per week) and is open only to people with prior farming experience. If you do not have prior experience look at the LIVE-IN Farm Assistant position. You will be attending the livestock and the land. While we spend time training each person and making sure they understand how we do things, this position requires also al lot of independent work. This is a good job for you if you like animals (all animals, from the large pigs to the tiny chick), if you are a good observer and can pick up on animal's behavior, and if you care about doing things right for the land and for the animals. The job takes patience because our animals always find a new way to challenge us. You will need to be firm but kind and you will strive at our farm if you are flexible and enjoy finding creative solutions with minimal tools (i.e., can you fix a broken tractor with a strong and a piece of tape?). We pay $15/hr. Also $50/month of credit towards meat from our farm. Schedule requires working on fridays and 2 days of your choice but at least 1 week-end per month.
Requirements:
able to lift and carry 50Lb weights,
know how to drive shift stick (or willing to learn),
Can drive a skid steer (or can quickly learn to do that)
comfortable working with animals
interested in animal welfare and the preservation of natural resources
dependable and trustworthy
We check 3 references. Position open until it is filled. Please email alerellini AT gmail DOT com
position CLOSED: FARM ASSISTANT (live and work) - (updated 11/26/22)
Description: minimum of 6 months commitment. Farm Assistants come with a variety of levels of experience, from complete novice to 2 or more years of full time work at a livestock farm. Your goal is to learn about livestock (pigs and chickens are our forte. We are conversational in sheep and novice with ducks. Stefano is an agronomist and studies agricultural science at the University of Torino for 4 years. We srongy value sustainable agriculture. We use very little equipment and tend to find ways to creatively engage our animals' instincts to help us manage our land (we manage a total of 100 acres). If you are looking for a relaxing, low key job, this is not for you. Our livestock keep us on our toes and it requires a lot of work to look after their wellbeing and livelihood. Fortunately, pigs like to sleep in, so our work day starts around 7:30 or 8:00am, all year around. The shifts are short, 3 to 4 hours with a minimum requirement of 10 hrs per week.
There are repetitive and strenuous movements involved in farming and some require agility (such as jumping in and out of the pig pens). You need to be able to lift and move at least 40Lbs of weight. Your brain needs to be on and your eyes open at all times so that you can observe the animals, catch if something is off, notice if an animal needs your help and you need to know whether it is something you can handle or you need to reach out for someone to help you out. Living at the farm while working here is the best way to enjoy the farm and the strong camaraderie that exists in our team. Also you get to enjoy communal cooking and we have some excellent cooks at the farm.
What is it like to work at the farm? It depends on the season. In the summer, most of the time involves bringing the feed and the water to pigs in the field, moving the sheep to a new paddock (including setting up the fences in the new paddocks). For the chickens we feed and water them and then we move them to a new paddock every day or every few days and make sure we monitor potential problems with predators. For the ducks, we try to convince them to get in the pond in the morning and in the barn in the evening and we often fail. In the winter, all the work is in the barn. We make sure all the pig pens are clean and once the snow covers the ground we make sure the duck pen is also clean. Chickens are on their own in the winter :) Throughout the year, all our animals go through farrowing, lambing and hatching, this means caring for the new moms and their little ones and be attuned to their developmental needs.
What is like to live at the farmhouse? We are a small community (4 to 5 adults and 1 pre-teen) that work and live together. Stefano and Ale work part time at the farm and part time at the salumeria (our meat processing facility. Other people living here work part time at the farm and full time elsewhere. We are all busy, active and fully engaged with our animas. If you come, you will have a private room and will share a bathroom. We hare a room with a pellet stove room that is great for reading or winter projects, a large kitchen, a very large living room/dining room and a second dining room. The house is a large (3000 sq feet) farm house built in 1850s and while we love it here because this house hosts all of our crazy projects (wool, spinning, sowing, soap making, drying herbs, wood carving, etc.), it is not the most comfortable place to live in during the cold winter months. But, after a few weeks, people who come to live here feel at home, the same way generations of farming families have done before us. Warning, you are coming to an international household (right now we have 2 Italians, 1 Vermonter, 1 Italian-Vermonter and 1 Bosnian) so expect people to talk loudly to each other, lots of hand gestures, never ending conversations about your favorite meal memories and why you should not break pasta. And also we are quite committed to be careful about our use of resources, i.e., turning off lights in empty rooms, limiting excessive use of water or any excessive use of resource is something we care about- we strive to use what we need and no more. People buy their own food and they cook for themselves, but, often, we share food too. Sometimes we have meat available from the farm, but that depends on what sells etc. so it is not a given. But it certainly is nice when we do have surplus. Privacy is an important thing that is respected and honored so even with a full house you can always find your own solitary space where to do your things. We encourage people to find a way to make this space their home.
Who are the farmers? We are Alessandra and Stefano, the owners of the farm. We are passionate Italian farmers who love good food, good company and hard work. Ale started this farm in 2007, with only 20 pigs, 12 sheep and few hundreds poultry. Then Stefano came and, thanks to his passion for agriculture and his Masters degree in Agricultural Science, he blew things out of the water :) we now have 160-180 pigs, 80ish sheep and several hundreds of chickens and ducks. We work at the farm and run the "salumeria" (meat processing for cured meats) together but not alone! We strongly believe that agriculture is a community effort and through the years we have forged strong relationships with our farm assistants. We usually have 2 to 5 farm assistants working with us and we have a full time butcher plus an assistant at the salumeria. It takes a flexible person to live and work with a team of people and also living with us is a bit different because... well because we are Italian so the moment you come to our home you are stepping in a different culture (for better and for worst). Also, note on diversity: we have a pretty diverse group in terms of sexual identity and orientation so acceptance and support of sexual minorities is a necessary characteristics in our applicants.
1 position open, 1 closed: COMMUNITY FARM ASSISTANT
WHAT IS THIS? This is a position developed to involve people in our community. Maybe you do not have the time to commit to part time or full time farming but would like to help at the farm anyway and would like to be involved in the raising and preparation of the food you eat. We have 1 to 2 positions open at any given time for people that want to work a couple of hours in the mornings or evenings (mornings preferred) for at least one day per week. This position does not offer housing. Benefit includes credit to purchase any of our farm products (meat, pasta, bread and eggs) at wholesale price. Requirements include
able to lift and carry 50Lb weights,
know how to drive shift stick (or willing to learn),
comfortable working with animals
feel strongly about animal welfare and the preservation of natural resources
dependable and trustworthy
We check 3 references. Position open until it is filled. Please email alerellini AT gmail DOT com
open : VEGETABLE FARMER
This position is ideal for a person seeking a career in farming, has experience growing vegetables and is seeking land. Here is a link to the full description for this opportunity:
We are looking for a butcher to add to our team of five butchers/farmers. We are interested in training curious, detailed oriented people with minimal knife kills in the art of fresh meat cutting and with basic knowledge of old world, Italian style salumi. We are looking for someone who wants to train and grow with us. The sister company of Agricola farm is Monti Verdi Salumi and that is where the magic happens and products are made. Learn more about Monti Verdi Salumi on our website.
We are now processing 10-12 pigs per month and will soon grow to process 20 to 25 pigs. We process only 40 lambs per year.
We are interested in maintaining a small, family-oriented feeling to our operation and our interactions with employees and customers.
JOB DESCRIPTION
We’re seeking a butcher with a unique opportunity for on-the-job training in the craft of whole-animal butchery and Italian-style charcuterie making (salumeria).
You will work with high quality pork raised with care on the verdant pastures of Vermont. The ruby meat and snow white-firm fat are a source of pride for us and a testament to our hard work at the farm. We are looking for someone who appreciates and enjoys this type of work. The right person is genuinely interested in learning charcuterie making and in taking on more responsibilities over time. While existing basic knife and butchering skills are appreciated, previous experience is not required. The job begins with breaking down pork carcasses using only a knife and knowledge of the anatomy of bones and muscle. Each section of the carcass is analyzed for its quality and accordingly, it is divided into meat dedicated to salumi, sausage or fresh whole cuts. The fresh meat is trimmed and turned into beautiful, retail-ready vacuumed bagged cuts and sold in local stores. Salame is made using artisanal techniques that include hand selecting and cleaning lean muscles and fat with the removal of tendons, silver skin and connecting tissue. The cure is still mix by hand, like our grandparents used to do and each salame is stuffed and tied by hand using techniques passed on to us by previous generations of Italian norcini (specialized butchers). Only the highest quality whole muscles are dedicated to the production of coppa, pancetta and other dry cured whole muscles that age in our caves up to 8 months. You will learn through on-the job supervision, watching training videos and using graphs and figures in textbooks developed specifically for specialized norcini.
REQUIREMENTS
- 18 years of age or older
- High School Diploma or GED equivalent
- Up to 3 months related work experience or food production facility
- Supportive and inclusive of diversity in the work environment, including diversity in the areas of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law (this is a must, we have a very diverse team and are very committed to a respectful and supportive environment).
- Willing to learn to break carcasses with precision, care, and respect.
- Perform safe, sanitary, and consistent cutting/grinding/processing to specifications.
- Carefully adhere to safety and sanitations procedures (SSOP), food safety compliance regulations
- Maintain USDA and HACCP records and documentation.
- Proper use and maintenance of knives, hooks, saws, grinders and other specialized equipment.
- Demonstrate exceptional sanitation and organization.
- Willing to assist with other plant operations when necessary.
- Manage order fulfillment in a thoughtful and timely manner (checking orders, pulling items, packaging, coordinating with Ale and Stefano for invoices and shipping schedule)
- Assist Head Butcher with cooler/freezer inventory and organization, including but not limited to: proper labeling, weekly inventory reconciliation, cleanliness and overall organization
- Always maintain superior personal hygiene practice
- Practice food safety and temperature control procedures at all times
- Assist in verifying, receiving, unloading, and carrying deliveries of supplies, ingredients and meat products including primals of whole animal carcasses.
- Stock, price, rotate and place product and ingredients in storage spaces according to SOP and following HACCP regulations
- Participate in staff discussions as requested
- Understand our farming practices and operational policies, complete visits at the farm at least twice a year to be familiar with the animals and the full operation
- Enthusiasm for learning about our products, in addition to enthusiasm for the job
SKILLS: - Strong work ethic,
- ability to take direction,
- Effectively and respectfully work with our small team,
- Understand and follow written and verbal instructions.
- Punctual and organized,
- At minimum, beginning knife skills and ability to use and maintain knives and other cutting equipment safely [we will train further]
- Genuine interest in whole-animal butchery and a passion for supporting regenerative agriculture and animal welfare
- Strong communication skills and desire to openly communicate with colleagues
- Ability to excel in a fast-paced environment with a sense of urgency, while maintaining quality and health/safety standards
- Ability to work at a brisk pace when needed, with consistent attention to detail
- Ability to thrive in both group and individual work settings
- ServSafe certification is welcomed
- Bending, twisting, squatting, and reaching
- Exposure to temperatures: <32℉ (walk-in freezer), 32-40℉ (refrigerators),
- Hand use: single grasping, fine manipulation, pushing and pulling
- Able to lifting 50+lbs regularly, and 80-90lbs, with team assistance, on occasion.
- Able to perform twisting, turning and bending motions.
- Able to work with fresh, dried and/or processed products, spices and powdered substances without negative allergic consequences.
- Able to tolerate dust and cleaning agents during routine housekeeping duties.
- Able to operate equipment such as band saws, grinders, wrapping machines, power jacks, knives and cutters.
- ·Standard holidays (total 10 days) apply, but some (5) are floating holidays
- Full-time, 40 hours/week
- We require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first day of employment.
- Please inquire via email if you have any questions or are in need of an accommodation.
Position CLOSED: part time FARM ASSISTANT (updated 11/26/2022)
WHAT IS THIS? This position is part time (6 to 10 hrs per week) and is open only to people with prior farming experience. If you do not have prior experience look at the LIVE-IN Farm Assistant position. You will be attending the livestock and the land. While we spend time training each person and making sure they understand how we do things, this position requires also al lot of independent work. This is a good job for you if you like animals (all animals, from the large pigs to the tiny chick), if you are a good observer and can pick up on animal's behavior, and if you care about doing things right for the land and for the animals. The job takes patience because our animals always find a new way to challenge us. You will need to be firm but kind and you will strive at our farm if you are flexible and enjoy finding creative solutions with minimal tools (i.e., can you fix a broken tractor with a strong and a piece of tape?). We pay $15/hr. Also $50/month of credit towards meat from our farm. Schedule requires working on fridays and 2 days of your choice but at least 1 week-end per month.
Requirements:
able to lift and carry 50Lb weights,
know how to drive shift stick (or willing to learn),
Can drive a skid steer (or can quickly learn to do that)
comfortable working with animals
interested in animal welfare and the preservation of natural resources
dependable and trustworthy
We check 3 references. Position open until it is filled. Please email alerellini AT gmail DOT com
position CLOSED: FARM ASSISTANT (live and work) - (updated 11/26/22)
Description: minimum of 6 months commitment. Farm Assistants come with a variety of levels of experience, from complete novice to 2 or more years of full time work at a livestock farm. Your goal is to learn about livestock (pigs and chickens are our forte. We are conversational in sheep and novice with ducks. Stefano is an agronomist and studies agricultural science at the University of Torino for 4 years. We srongy value sustainable agriculture. We use very little equipment and tend to find ways to creatively engage our animals' instincts to help us manage our land (we manage a total of 100 acres). If you are looking for a relaxing, low key job, this is not for you. Our livestock keep us on our toes and it requires a lot of work to look after their wellbeing and livelihood. Fortunately, pigs like to sleep in, so our work day starts around 7:30 or 8:00am, all year around. The shifts are short, 3 to 4 hours with a minimum requirement of 10 hrs per week.
There are repetitive and strenuous movements involved in farming and some require agility (such as jumping in and out of the pig pens). You need to be able to lift and move at least 40Lbs of weight. Your brain needs to be on and your eyes open at all times so that you can observe the animals, catch if something is off, notice if an animal needs your help and you need to know whether it is something you can handle or you need to reach out for someone to help you out. Living at the farm while working here is the best way to enjoy the farm and the strong camaraderie that exists in our team. Also you get to enjoy communal cooking and we have some excellent cooks at the farm.
What is it like to work at the farm? It depends on the season. In the summer, most of the time involves bringing the feed and the water to pigs in the field, moving the sheep to a new paddock (including setting up the fences in the new paddocks). For the chickens we feed and water them and then we move them to a new paddock every day or every few days and make sure we monitor potential problems with predators. For the ducks, we try to convince them to get in the pond in the morning and in the barn in the evening and we often fail. In the winter, all the work is in the barn. We make sure all the pig pens are clean and once the snow covers the ground we make sure the duck pen is also clean. Chickens are on their own in the winter :) Throughout the year, all our animals go through farrowing, lambing and hatching, this means caring for the new moms and their little ones and be attuned to their developmental needs.
What is like to live at the farmhouse? We are a small community (4 to 5 adults and 1 pre-teen) that work and live together. Stefano and Ale work part time at the farm and part time at the salumeria (our meat processing facility. Other people living here work part time at the farm and full time elsewhere. We are all busy, active and fully engaged with our animas. If you come, you will have a private room and will share a bathroom. We hare a room with a pellet stove room that is great for reading or winter projects, a large kitchen, a very large living room/dining room and a second dining room. The house is a large (3000 sq feet) farm house built in 1850s and while we love it here because this house hosts all of our crazy projects (wool, spinning, sowing, soap making, drying herbs, wood carving, etc.), it is not the most comfortable place to live in during the cold winter months. But, after a few weeks, people who come to live here feel at home, the same way generations of farming families have done before us. Warning, you are coming to an international household (right now we have 2 Italians, 1 Vermonter, 1 Italian-Vermonter and 1 Bosnian) so expect people to talk loudly to each other, lots of hand gestures, never ending conversations about your favorite meal memories and why you should not break pasta. And also we are quite committed to be careful about our use of resources, i.e., turning off lights in empty rooms, limiting excessive use of water or any excessive use of resource is something we care about- we strive to use what we need and no more. People buy their own food and they cook for themselves, but, often, we share food too. Sometimes we have meat available from the farm, but that depends on what sells etc. so it is not a given. But it certainly is nice when we do have surplus. Privacy is an important thing that is respected and honored so even with a full house you can always find your own solitary space where to do your things. We encourage people to find a way to make this space their home.
Who are the farmers? We are Alessandra and Stefano, the owners of the farm. We are passionate Italian farmers who love good food, good company and hard work. Ale started this farm in 2007, with only 20 pigs, 12 sheep and few hundreds poultry. Then Stefano came and, thanks to his passion for agriculture and his Masters degree in Agricultural Science, he blew things out of the water :) we now have 160-180 pigs, 80ish sheep and several hundreds of chickens and ducks. We work at the farm and run the "salumeria" (meat processing for cured meats) together but not alone! We strongly believe that agriculture is a community effort and through the years we have forged strong relationships with our farm assistants. We usually have 2 to 5 farm assistants working with us and we have a full time butcher plus an assistant at the salumeria. It takes a flexible person to live and work with a team of people and also living with us is a bit different because... well because we are Italian so the moment you come to our home you are stepping in a different culture (for better and for worst). Also, note on diversity: we have a pretty diverse group in terms of sexual identity and orientation so acceptance and support of sexual minorities is a necessary characteristics in our applicants.
1 position open, 1 closed: COMMUNITY FARM ASSISTANT
WHAT IS THIS? This is a position developed to involve people in our community. Maybe you do not have the time to commit to part time or full time farming but would like to help at the farm anyway and would like to be involved in the raising and preparation of the food you eat. We have 1 to 2 positions open at any given time for people that want to work a couple of hours in the mornings or evenings (mornings preferred) for at least one day per week. This position does not offer housing. Benefit includes credit to purchase any of our farm products (meat, pasta, bread and eggs) at wholesale price. Requirements include
able to lift and carry 50Lb weights,
know how to drive shift stick (or willing to learn),
comfortable working with animals
feel strongly about animal welfare and the preservation of natural resources
dependable and trustworthy
We check 3 references. Position open until it is filled. Please email alerellini AT gmail DOT com
open : VEGETABLE FARMER
This position is ideal for a person seeking a career in farming, has experience growing vegetables and is seeking land. Here is a link to the full description for this opportunity:
Overview
Agricola Farm is on the forefront of a new generation of progressive farmers that focus on sustainability and the production of good, clean, and fair food. Agricola is a small diversified livestock farm in Addison County, Vermont, a region known for its long farming history. We have married old world farming strategies from Italy with progressive approaches that prioritize sustainability. Agricola fully embraces the Farm-to-Fork movement: we raise the animals, do our own butchering and meat processing and sell our fresh and value-added products at markets, in our Farm Stand and local stores and also use them for our Farm Dinners. Agricola is nicely connected with other farms, artisans and the localvore movement. Join us and become part of our community!
|
After a training period, the assistants will be engaged, to varying degrees, in the following activities:
- Livestock rotations (total of ~160 pigs , a flock of 60ish Icelandic sheep, a growing broiler (~400 and hen flock and a duck (~ 200) flock. - Assisting with the management of the new Farm Fresh Herb - Staffing and organization of the Farm Stand featuring our own products. - Meat processing, one of our core competencies. This includes learning how to butcher pork, lamb and poultry and how to assess the quality of the carcass. The training will include teaching on the preparation of exquisite meat products such as spiedini, saltimbocca, bacon, guanciale, crown roasts and more. Taking into consideration seasonal limitations, assistants will also be exposed to the making of old world charcuteries. - Making hay and caring for the land, including seeding, harvesting crops, and moving rocks |
|
Benefits
|
- EDUCATIONAL VALUE. We commit to making this an educational experience that allows the assistant to truly learn and take part in a successful farm in its early years. We will share with our assistants our knowledge of Italian farming practices developed over thousands of years to make the highest quality of pork for charcuterie such as salame, prosciutto etc. Also, we will share our knowledge of butchering, marketing, and land management that have been the driving force behind our ability to create a viable and lively farm in Vermont. |
Location and Other Information
|
- RECREATION: The farm is located in the town of Panton, the lake is just behind the corner and 2 miles from us there is a national park with beaches, hikes and a pool that provides lovely recreation opportunities during the hot summer afternoons. We are also few miles from a famous bird watching and fishing hole. The farm is right on a popular biking trail that goes thought scenic Vermont views. The larger town of Burlington is 50 minutes north of us (a bus goes to Burlington on a daily basis form Vergennes) and Middleburry is 20 minutes south.
- LOGISTICS: The Farm is located a few miles (a quick, flat, bike ride) from the town of Vergennes, a lively typical Vermont town with shops, restaurants and bars in addition to grocery stores, and the nationally renowned Daily Chocolate shop and the Vermont favorite bakery Vergennes Laundry. - ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The proximity to the town of Vergennes also provides additional employment opportunities for the assistant interested in earning spending money. We are also close to a number of farms and a very exclusive resort (Basin Harbor) that can potentially provide part time employment for the assistant that wants to seek these opportunities. We have capped the work hours to 25/week to allow time for additional employment. |
Basin Harbor is just a skip away (picture above). Even if you cannot see the lake from the farm, a quick bike ride will take you to the private beach for lovely sunset views. The steep mountains in New York are 40 min to 2 hrs away and Vermont long trail and other hikes are equally distant from the farm.
|
Application
After completing the online form below please send a cover letter to [email protected]. In the letter include a description of your past experience and how this experience will be helpful for the work you will do at the farm. Also please provide information on how this position meets your short and long term goals. Please include also you resume and contact information for at least 3 references and specify which are farm references (please remember that, as indicated above, at least one needs to be a farm reference).
After we receive your application via email we contact the applicants to let them know if they have passed to the next level of screening, which includes an interview. After the interview, finalists are invited to the farm for a day-long, hands-on interview where both the applicant and the farmers will be able to assess the fit of the match. Feel free to contact us at any point through this process if you have questions.
After we receive your application via email we contact the applicants to let them know if they have passed to the next level of screening, which includes an interview. After the interview, finalists are invited to the farm for a day-long, hands-on interview where both the applicant and the farmers will be able to assess the fit of the match. Feel free to contact us at any point through this process if you have questions.
