Wowza – what an opportunity:  An actual paying job, with housing and as much organic produce as you can eat, working  as a farm manager with some of Washington’s finest — Growing Veterans.  What a great way to start the New Year!

Start Date: January 1, 2016  flexible)

Organization Description: Growing Veterans is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to “empower military veterans to grow food, communities, and each other.” We grow organic food on three farm sites and sell it at market and donate some of it. We do a lot of community outreach and have all kinds of people come to volunteer at our farms, veterans and civilians of all ages. And we provide peer support to each other so that we can successfully navigate the hard times of life and grow as human beings.

Job responsibilities include:
Oversee vegetable production at Starbird farm site. Collaboratively set production goals for the year and organize systems to meet those goals. Includes directing the farm crew in planting seed, field preparation, transplanting, weeding, irrigation, harvest, etc.
Supervise farm crew and volunteers at the Starbird site, aiming for their time here to be productive, enjoyable, supportive, and educational.
Coordinate with Volunteer Coordinator to lead volunteer work party events.
Provide peer support as needed to any staff member or volunteer, or connect people who need support with another peer supporter. Attend peer support trainings, and get help for yourself as you need it to stay emotionally healthy.
Oversee and direct the maintenance of the Starbird site, having farm crew mow the lawn, prune trees and shrubs, and maintain buildings as needed.
Manage soil quality/fertility, and water use/conservation at the Starbird site, with sustainable and Organic practices always in mind.
Strictly follow Organic standards to maintain Organic certification for Starbird site.
Coordinate with Market Manager about harvest quantities for each market and oversee the farm crew in harvest, wash, pack, and appropriate storage of crops for market (and other outlets). Uphold standards of sanitation for all aspects of produce handling, as per organization policies.
Maintain farm records, such as sowing dates, fertilizers and other materials used, harvest quantities, crop rotations, and any record keeping required to maintain Organic certification.
Maintain all tools, equipment, and facilities at the Starbird site in good working order, employing qualified crew members to make repairs when needed.
Maintain the Starbird farm site buildings and grounds in clean, organized, and usable condition, delegating clean-up tasks to farm crew as needed.
Communicate regularly with Operations Manager about the financial and material needs of the farm, and any other issues that may arise related to vegetable production, personnel, etc.

Necessary Skills and Experience:

  • –  Background in agriculture, several years in farming or at least home gardening
  • –  Leadership skills, ability to delegate tasks and communicate in healthy ways with many different staff

    members and volunteers

  • –  Dedication to serving veterans and practicing sustainable, organic agriculture.
  • –  Ability to give positive and negative feedback to workers as needed, and mediate minor

    disagreements that might arise between workers

  • –  Maturity and emotional health—awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, and triggers. Ability

    to manage yourself and your emotions even on stressful days.

  • –  Ability to keep the farm organized, both in physical site and in record keeping.
  • –  Military Veteran status preferred, but not required

    Hours: 40 + hours a week, Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday, varying somewhat with the farm season

    Salary: $30,000 per year

    Benefits:

  • –  10 paid holidays per year, plus 10 days personal time off (for sick, vacation, etc).
  • –  As much organic produce as you can eat
  • –  Optional : free housing on the Starbird property
  • –  We do not currently offer a health benefit plan for employees, but we are working toward being able to offer

    that in the future.

    TO APPLY:
    Send cover letter and resume, plus three references, to Chris Wolf, wolf@growingveterans.org.