Field Manager Job in Colorado

Tweet

Field Manager Job in Colorado at Aspen Moon Farm for 2021

Field Manager Job in Colorado Description:

Manage all aspects of the field including the field crew leaders, crew, and volunteers.  Daily knowledge of whole farm needs (ie what beds are where, what needs covered, weeded, harvested, irrigated, sprayed, etc) and communicating that to all staff and managers daily and as needed.  Cultivating, Manage Field seeding plan (seed crops, choose proper plates, record, make adjustments, make notes, make suggestions for next year), Integrated Pest Management (make observations, some scouting, make recommendations for spray schedule for fields and hoophouse crops,  recommendations for beneficials), Fertility (make recommendations for BD application schedule, schedule and implement fertility, manage spray crew, gather and inspire staff for sprays, Harvesting (coordinate with harvest team on CSA, market, and farm stand needs and availability, manage small crew as needed), Record Keeping: planting plan, fertility, IPM sprays, Bd sprays, compost apps,  Some greenhouse work early season.  5 days/week M-F & 2 Sa/month in peak months= 55-60 hrs/week in peak months.  Feb/march and Nov/December hours are weather dependent.  $17-$20/hr plus incentives for long weeks.

Skills Desired:

Minimum 3 yrs experience in a leadership role on a vegetable (or similar) farm.  Good MVR, good communication skills, excellent math skills, and knowledge of organic farming practices required.  Must demonstrate: strong positive leadership skills, ability to give good constructive on-the-job feedback to crew, ability to pace oneself and the crew, aptitude for planning the next day, flexibility for changing harvest needs.  Good daily communication with owners is essential.  Must be able to commit to the full farm season.  Bilingual a plus. 

A Little About the Farm:

Aspen Moon Farm is located in Longmont and Niwot, CO 80503 (near Boulder). Jason and Erin (along with our 3 kiddos) started Aspen Moon Farm in 2009 with ½ acre and it has grown little by little.  Now AMF is the steward for a total of 99 acres (some owned, some leased).  This farm was started from scratch with a ton of hard work, creativity and a little bit of crazy! Oh yes, and with heavy support from farm loans through the Department of Agriculture and grants from NRCS.  25 acres are in full cultivated crops- diverse veggies, berries, culinary herbs, flowers, and heritage grains.  2 greenhouses, 2 Hoop houses, small herds of cows, sheep, a chicken flock, and a bit of hay production round out the rest of the acreage with room for good buffer zones and insectaries.  Part of the farm is at a remote location (connected to a Waldorf school) about 20 minutes away which allows for good crop rotation and an interesting diversity of work and land.   Additionally, the children from the school come to participate in the Farm some in the Fall and we are continuing to develop this relationship.  Diversity of crops and land is a great asset and takes a great amount of organizing and flexibility.  We have some great returning staff that are part of the AMF family.  We currently have a 900 member CSA, a seasonal roadside Farmstand, and plan to attend 1 weekly Farmers Markets (we did 3/week precovid).  All of our crops are started from seeds we plant.   We grow and sell certified organic starter plants in the spring, continuing through the season with a great diversity of veggie crops including berries, and finishing up the fall heavy with storage crops including our own heirloom cornmeal, popcorn, and heritage wheat.  We are growing our own seed as much as possible and continue to increase our seed production every year. We love to farm and are passionate about being part of growing the local food community.  We are dedicated to the Biodynamic method.  We have been small business owners for over 17 years (previously we did landscaping and building).   We farm because we love it, but also because we have the need and desire to have a profitable business.  This is important and provides sustainability.  We are located close to the city of Longmont and Boulder, though our farm has a nice rural setting in the St. Vrain Valley, minutes away from the Rocky Mountain foothills.  We hope to again offer a weekly staff lunch (pending covid conditions) made with veggies from the Farm to nourish us all while we give so much.

To Apply for the Field Manager Job in Colorado:

Please send to Jason Griffith and Erin Dreistadt info@aspenmoonfarm.com, a resume, at least 3 work references (preferably the direct supervisor/owner of your last 3 jobs), and respond to the following questions:

1. Describe your farm work experience and list your set of skills.
2. What will you contribute to our farm?
3. When things get hard, what do you do to take care of yourself?
4. What is Biodynamic agriculture to you?
5. Tell us something about yourself that you would like to share.
6. Full legal name, contact information, and birthday.

Thank you for your interest in Aspen Moon Farm!

Jason Griffith and Erin Dreistadt

 

• Learn more about farming and food jobs and internships, or learn how to post a job, internship, or apprenticeship opportunity on beginningfarmers.org here.