Urban Agriculture Director of Farm Operations Job in California

Director of Farm Operations – Job Description (Goleta, California)

MISSION

Fairview Gardens builds critical connections between community, agriculture and education by:

• Innovating and producing safe, organic, locally-grown foods in a sustainable manner
• Serving as a community-based educational resource
• Advocating for appropriately scaled, healthy food systems, and
• Providing engaging, hands-on experience with farming.

VISION

We envision a sustainable world for future generations where knowing the source of food is common knowledge and being connected to nature is common practice.

CORE VALUES

• Sustainability – We are able to replenish what we use and leave this world better than we found it.
• Community – A place for people to gather, celebrate and rejuvenate.
• Learning – Days filled with inspiration and excitement to learn about everything that keeps us alive.
• Abundance – As a community farm, food and resources flow to the people, while the farm thrives.

Position Description We seek a highly organized, detail oriented, reliable, self-starter for the position of Director of Farm Operations (DFO). This position requires a strong practical knowledge of agricultural skills and farm management, a broad understanding of community food security, and a passionate commitment to education and community building. The DFO has primary responsibility for developing and managing the organic farm enterprises at The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens (CUAFG) in a manner that meets its business and educational goals. The DFO supervises any and all farm staff, including farm apprentices and works closely with other CUAFG staff and volunteer members who provide educational programming on-site.

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Salary Range: 32,000–$36,000/yr, depending on experience.

Status: Open until filled.

Organization Background

The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens is a California non-profit organization that was established in 1997 to preserve and operate Fairview Gardens, the historic organic farm where our products are grown. Throughout all farming activities our goal is to build and enhance the ecological basis of farming. This means careful work in soil management and building, and looking for ways to reduce erosion, and build ecological diversity. Currently, we direct market the bulk of our produce to farmers markets, our onsite farm stand, and our Community Supported Agriculture program. Teaching and learning about food systems, sustainability, and regenerative practices is core to the mission of CUAFG.

Responsibilities:

1.     Provide farm management for The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens.

a.     Develop and manage farm business and production plans

i.     Participate in planning process with core management team.

ii.     Develop business and production plans and systems that are informed by the vision, needs and

resources of the organization.

iii.     Develop marketing plans, establish accounts, and manage farmers market booths.

iv.     Complete all record keeping and analysis of production and sales, including managing farm sales

revenue.

v.     Report monthly to Board of Directors on the progress and key decisions in farm development.

b.     Develop infrastructure for farm

i.     Purchase and maintain soil amendments, greenhouse supplies, seeds, plants, and irrigation

equipment.

ii.     Purchase, prepare and maintain hand tools, power tools, and small farm machinery. Develop

systems and standards for use of tools.

iii.     Oversee and implement all aspects of fencing, irrigation, hoop houses, season extension, and

crop storage.

c.     Manage growth and distribution of crops

i.     Maintain attractive, productive and ecologically friendly growing spaces.

ii.     Create and follow yearly field plans.

iii.     Create soil-building program including cover cropping, soil amendments, composting and

vermiculture.

iv.     Plan and implement planting schedules for hoop house, seeding, field seeding, transplanting and

propagation.

v.     Control insect and weeds organically, monitor soil fertility, and conduct formal field observation:

oversee hand and machine-powered cultivation.

vi.     Create and manage irrigation systems.

d.     Manage the harvest, marketing, sales and distribution of crops

i.     Maintain distribution points such as farmers markets, and CSA in conjunction with Farm Stand Manager.

ii.     Coordinate produce needs with farmers market staff, farm stand, CSA, and education

   programs.

iii.     Plan weekly harvest schedule, including harvest, marketing and delivery, setting up systems for

volunteers, youth and seniors to participate.

iv.     Coordinate post-harvest handing, sales, marketing and distribution.

v.     Oversee marketing, branding, and outreach efforts for products.

e.     Other tasks as needed.

 

2.     Provide supervision for farm workers

a.     Develop and maintain safety protocols for farm site and all workers.

b.     Develop and supervise the work plans and educational components for farm apprentices and work

with the Director of Education to select work projects for work groups and volunteers. DFO selects appropriate work projects in alignment with the farm production plans.

c.     Mentor up to 8 farm and educational apprentices who regularly work on the farm, engaging them in

learning about all aspects of the farm business.

3.     Farm Educational Programs and Community Engagement

a.     Enthusiasm for working with and leading tours for adult/college level people.

b.     Develop and implement plan for community engagement and farm direction with the Director of

Education.

Required Qualifications:

·  A minimum of 2 years of full-season organic agricultural experience, preferably in an urban environment.

·  A minimum of 2 years of full-season organic farm management, including creating business, production, post-harvest handling, and marketing plans.

·  Demonstrated experience in project, program, and/or organizational management.

·  Supervisory experience with farm workers.

·  Experience working with youth and interest in youth leadership, youth development and education.

·  Experienced in cross-cultural environments.

·  Able to perform hard and repetitive physical work outside in all weather.

·  Available for scheduled evening and weekend hours, as needed.

·  Minimum basic conversational Spanish.

·  Experience with permaculture design, regenerative farming techniques and philosophy, inter-

cropping/alley cropping, companion planting, no till agriculture, and other progressive farming practices

·  Current driver’s license and clean driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

·  Working knowledge of farm infrastructure

·  Experience with operating and maintaining irrigation, farm machinery, trucks, and small engines.

·  Basic carpentry skills.

·  Experience and ability to speak about local food issues and urban agriculture.

·  Internet literacy and proficiency with Word and Excel to file and organize electronic and paper documents.

Please Reply with Resume and Cover Letter to:

dlbirkley@cox.net