Company description

Our mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.

Seed Savers Exchange takes threats to biodiversity seriously. We maintain a collection of more than 20,000 heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and plant varieties, including over 1,000 varieties of heritage apple trees. We take great care to ensure the health and viability of our collection for generations of growers to come. We keep the bulk of our collection in a freezer vault at Heritage Farm.

Each year, we grow out select varieties in gardens at Heritage Farm to refresh our seed supply. Come join our team in this work.
 

For more than 43 years, Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit nationally-focused organization based in the Driftless Region on the outskirts of Decorah, Iowa (near where Wisconsin, Iowa and Minneapolis converge on the Mississippi), has focused on conserving and promoting America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations. Seed Savers Exchange was a pioneer in the advocacy for preserving these open-pollinated and heirloom varieties for generations to come, and is committed to keeping these varieties where they belong -- in our gardens and on our tables

 

 

Job description

Primary Role:

Field and Production Activities

Working under the guidance of the Field Manager, the Field Operations Technician will be involved in all stages of field and garden operations and seed production activities. Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to tractor work, garden and field preparation, cover cropping, pollination cage management, IPM, spraying, managing pest exclusion fencing.

 

Seed House Activities

Working under the direction of the Seed Inventory Manager, the Field Operations Technician will assist with a variety of responsibilities encompassing all aspects of packaging, shipping, receiving, and customer service over the winter months.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Preservation (April to January)

• Executes all field operations including but not limited to soil preparation, cultivation, amendment applications, IPM and cover crop management activities.
• Works to install, maintain, repair, and inventory pollination cages and pest exclusion fences.
• Plans and implements cover cropping strategies
• Maintain an orderly and function tool shed including organizing and inventorying supplies, and maintaining and repairing hand tools
• Scouts and identifies pests and diseases in fields, root cellars, and greenhouses
• Prepares, applies, and documents organic insecticides and fungicides in compliance with organic certification and applicator safety standards
• Works with the garden crew to efficiently perform field tasks (hand sowing, hand planting, weeding, watering, fertilizing, and harvesting) in accordance with standard operating practices
• Assist in seed harvesting, processing, and conditioning
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Field Manager

 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Train seasonal and permanent staff in field operation support

 

Inter-Department Responsibilities: 

• During December and January assist with seed lab activities including, seed packaging, and seed distribution

 

External-Department Responsibilities:

• Conduct workshops and/or tours as needed
• Work with facilities manager and crew on repairs and maintenance of tools and equipment

 

Job Sharing: 

Seed House (February and March)

• Assist with basic customer service and support
• Enter orders received via phone/mail/fax/email
• Contact customers as needed regarding orders
• Assist with bulk and/or retail seed packet filling as needed
• Assemble orders and prepare for shipment
• Assist with potato packing and shipment
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

 

Skills:

• Ability to operate farm equipment including tractors
• Experience with equipment maintenance and repair (small and large engines).  Mechanically inclined is preferred
• Ability to safely operate large pick-ups carrying trailers and wagons
• Ability to communicate effectively with other staff
• Ability to work well in a fast paced environment with changing day to day needs
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

 

Physical Requirements: 

• Able to work outside for long days
• Able to work in temperature extremes
• Able to sit, stand, kneel for long periods of time
• Able to lift at least 50 pounds

Qualifications:

• Associates degree in horticulture or related field, or equivalent years demonstrated practical work experience in agriculture
• Experience with organic vegetable crop production or seed production preferred
• Applicants must have previous farm experience
• All applicants must possess a valid driver’s license
• Ability to obtain pesticide applicator license

 

Compensation

this position is: hourly, under $15/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline