Job description

Basic Function:
The Farm Manager of Green Mountain College’s Cerridwen Farm is responsible for the educational and productive utilization of the college’s diverse and integrated 25 acre farm. Primary objectives of Cerridwen Farm include providing curricular and extra-curricular educational opportunities for GMC’s students; raising vegetables, fruit, and animal products for the college dining hall and the surrounding community; researching and demonstrating various sustainable and renewable agriculture technologies; and serving as a national model for integrating agriculture into the liberal arts. The Farm Manager works in conjunction with the GMC student body and the administration of Green Mountain College to manage and develop a system of production that meets all of these objectives.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage CSA/market garden operation (maintain rotations and cover-crops, seed orders, greenhouse production, transplanting, crop protection, harvesting, marketing, etc.)
• Manage livestock (swine, poultry, oxen, dairy cattle), pastures, and hayfields and oversight of rotational grazing program
• Oversee equipment and facilities maintenance, including buildings, irrigation, greenhouses, fencing, and grounds, working to maintain a farm that is productive and aesthetically pleasing
• Manage the GMC Farm Crew, comprised of work study students and student volunteers, including recruiting members, coordinating weekly meetings, and mentoring members in their efforts to further the objectives of Cerridwen Farm.
• Collaborate with faculty in Sustainable Farming Systems and other academic programs to integrate the farm into classes from across the disciplines, including service-learning opportunities, research courses, and independent studies
• Work to integrate the farm into the social fabric of the college and the regional community by means of activities that further the mission of the farm, including constant and visible linkages to the dining hall
• Work with faculty conducting on-farm research to integrate their work with the farm’s production and educational priorities
• Work with the Director to manage related budgets, website, and other public relations materials
• Facilitate visits, tours, and workshops on the farm (GMC classes, prospective students, local school groups, etc.)
• Work with the Director to find appropriate external funding sources for projects on the farm

Qualifications:

• Successful and significant farm and educational experience including some of the following: animal husbandry, vegetable/fruit production, greenhouse management, and student/employee oversight
• Effective communication skills for a variety of audiences
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently with students and community groups
• Master’s Degree in a relevant field is highly preferred.

Anticipated Start Date: January 1, 2014

Compensation

this position is:

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline