Organic Vegetable Farm Job and Internship, Michigan
THIS POSITION IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Earthkeeper Farm, a biodynamic certified organic vegetable farm in Michigan is hiring for an assistant farm manager job for 2012.
They grow about eight area of vegetables, with some fruits and flowers. Currently they are selling through their 75 member CSA, two farmers markets, and about six wholesale restaurants accounts. They host WWOOFers and are currently have openings for an Assistant Farm Manager and Summer Intern. Earthkeeper Farm is located about 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids, and 30 minutes east of Lake Michigan in Kent City.
Assistant Farm Manager Position
Dates: April 2, 2012 - November 2, 2012
Hours: 40+ hours per week, normal work times are 7am to 5pm with an hour off for lunch, 5 days per week. Occasional 6-day workweeks are required. Can accommodate a few vacation days.
Compensation: $125/week plus room and board – somewhat negotiable. Education and training, including weekly/biweekly farm classes.
Position description: Earthkeeper Farm is seeking an assistant farm manager to take an active and dynamic role in managing the day-to-day activities of the farm. This person will be involved with all aspects of the farm. She/He will be expected to manage interns and volunteers to accomplish fieldwork, harvest, and farm projects efficiently, correctly, and when possible, joyfully. In addition to farming knowledge, the traits of leadership, team building and communication will be key to the assistant managers success. He/She will be under the supervision of head farmer, Rachelle. And will be overseeing two interns, up to 6 or 8 wwoofers, plus occasional volunteers.
THIS POSITION IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Trustworthy, hard working, attention to details, sense of humor, readiness to teach and learn, efficient, organized, non-judgmental, driven, and loving are all traits that would be great to have in an assistant farm manager.
On this farm, we are fortunate to have a lot of volunteers, some short-term and many live-in work exchange volunteers (WWOOFers). This presents the challenge of always training and teaching new inexperienced workers; good communication is important.
Position requirements: Desire to be a farmer or pursue a hands-on career in agriculture. Pervious farm experience required, preferably at least one season on a small-scale organic farm. Valid drivers license. Willingness to drive small box truck, tractors, and operate power tools and equipment. Ability to lift 50lbs and readiness for the physically rigorous task of farming. Desire to take on responsibility and a leadership role. Since this is a family farm, we ask that you are willing to watch our two-year-old son from time to time during work time or for additional compensation outside of work.
Preferred experience: Mechanical and building skills preferred. Experience with volunteer management, retail, physical outdoor work, and/or communal living all would be beneficial.
Living Situation: This position is more of a lifestyle then just a job. Applicants should be prepared to live and work with the same people, cook using whole foods, and spend much of their time in the open air. The assistant farm manager will have his or her own room in a small, rustic cabin. She/He will share a composting toilet, outdoor shower, and fully equipped barn kitchen with interns and woofers. Earthkeeper farm provides farm produce and basic stable foods (flour, rice, beans, oatmeal, pasta, and so on). We do our best to provide wireless internet, but the service can be spotty. Illegal substances are not permitted, responsible drinking and smoking outdoors is fine.
Life on the farm involves a lot of hard work, a lot of tasty food, and great people to spend time with. We strive to live in harmony with each other and natural world.
Summer Intern
Dates: June-August
Hours: 40+ hours per week, normal work times are 7am to 5pm with an hour off for lunch, 5 days per week. Occasional 6-day workweeks are required. Can accommodate a few vacation days.
Compensation: $100/week plus room and board. Education and training, including weekly/biweekly farm classes.
Position description: We are looking for a summer intern to assist with all aspects of small scale, organic farming. This includes: field preparation, tractor work, greenhouse seeding and care, transplanting, cultivation, weeding, irrigation, trellising, harvesting, farmers markets, equipment and building maintenance and construction, animal care, and more. There will be times when the summer intern will be leading volunteers and other workers. Strong communication skills required. Honest, hard working, efficient, non-judgmental, physical endurance, attention to detail, and ability to live and work with many different types of people are some traits we would like to have in the summer intern.
Position requirements: Valid drivers license. Willingness to drive small box truck, tractors, and operate power tools and equipment. Ability to lift 50lbs and readiness for the physically rigorous task of farming. Experience spending a lot of time outdoors doing a physically demanding activity (preferably farming; hiking, outdoor sports, or physical outdoor jobs would all fit this criteria.) Since this is a family farm, we ask that you are willing to watch our two-year-old son from time to time during work time or for additional compensation outside of work.
Preferred experience: Previous farm experience preferred. Mechanical and building skills a plus. Experience with volunteer management, retail, physical outdoor work, and/or communal living all would be beneficial.
Living Situation: This position is more of a lifestyle then just a job. Applicants should be prepared to live and work with the same people, cook using whole foods, and spend much of their time in the open air. The summer intern will have a shared room with the full season intern. There is a shared composting toilet, outdoor shower, and fully equipped barn kitchen. We provide farm produce and basic stable foods (flour, rice, beans, oatmeal, pasta, and so on). We do our best to provide wireless internet, but the service can be spotty. Illegal substances are not permitted, responsible drinking and smoking outdoors is fine.
Life on the farm involves a lot of hard work, a lot of tasty food, and great people to spend time with. We strive to live in harmony with each other and natural world.
THIS POSITION IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
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You have many resources in one place on your site. Very nice. It’s good to see you mention Woofers as a viable farm training option. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the hands on approach. Also want to mention farm Care-taking opportunities as a means of obtaining farm training. We are Care-takers on a large farm with gardens and goats, wildlife and all the hiking trails you could want. Learning is a daily blessing.