Community Farm Manager Job in Connecticut

Farm to Family AKA Community Farm of Simsbury Farm Manager Job Description

Community Farm of Simsbury, Connecticut seeks an experienced full-time farm manger to manage their agricultural operation (produce, livestock, CSA, retail and wholesale) beginning in 2015. The Farm Manager is responsible for field, equipment and resource management; the incubator farmer program; budgeting; management of the annual farm plan; integration with educational programming; communications and outreach. The Community Farm of Simsbury is a 50 acre certified organic community farm in Simsbury, Connecticut. The farm grows vegetables, flowers and herbs for a C.S.A. program and wholesale clients. CFS also grows food for those in need in the Farmington Valley and Greater Hartford areas. The farm doubles as an outdoor classroom for hundreds of students who attend annual CFS education programs and summer camps. On farm housing is available.

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Requirements: 6 years of farming experience, 3 or more in a supervisory role, tractor operation experience, strong organizational skills. Non-profit experience and equipment maintenance is a plus. Send resume and cover letter to Diana Goode dgoode@giftsoflovect.org by 12/30

Responsibilities:

Food Production:

• Plan, organize, and maintain the teaching and production gardens on the farm, as well as container gardens at the various Gifts of Love garden beds in the Farmington River Valley.
• Identify reliable sources of labor needed for the farm
• Ensure the distribution of food to both non-profit partners and CSA members
• Continue to improve efficiency of vegetables production to improve yields based on labor available
• Maintain CFS organic certification records for application and inspection requirements
• Coordinate the picking and freezing of crops at the end of the season for storage

Educational Programs:

• Grow transplants needed for the teaching and production gardens at CFS
• Assist with summer camp/teaching programs at CFS if needed

Incubator Farming Program:

• Manage the CFS Incubator Farmer Program
  • Identify areas of needed education and arrange workshops
  • Manage/implement all field prep, large equipment for field plots
  • Identify and find areas of key partnerships to provide program support

Board Liaison:

• Oversee the Farm Committee and the Farm Physical Plant Committee of the Board

Physical Plant:

• Manage the Farm property including animal care, fields and physical plant
• Continue to focus on growth of small animals and consider future investments in small animals to be related to educational programming or specific tasks on the farm
• Identify short-term critical maintenance issues at farm that must be addressed within the next six months
• Manage a long-range facilities and equipment plan, including building maintenance and expansion, technology, and fields
• Manage the farm plan, focused on stewardship and conservation, while balancing production needs
• Identify annual maintenance needs and costs
• Manage volunteer groups as needed

Fund Raising:

• Attend scheduled incubator farmer trainings, summer camp/school programs, and other promotional or fundraising events that may fall outside the daily time schedule
• Develop methods for distributing extra produce which may include sales
• Develop and maintain a CSA Program which is critical to the success of the Farm Program

Community Building and Professional Outreach

• Build relationships with agricultural community members and non-profit organizations and develop professional relationships with collaborators including CT NOFA, New CT Farmer Alliance, and UConn Extension.