Company description

The Farm School Inc. is a youth centered 35 year non-profit organization with a mission of connecting people to the land.  The 4 major areas of our organization are the Program for Visiting Schools, which brings over 1500 youth and young adults per year to the farm for overnight trips and to engage with all aspects of the farm (small animal livestock, diary, gardens, forestry and the kitchen) alongside our Farmer Teachers.  The Chicken Coop School is our year round Middle School open to local 7th and 8th graders that includes farm life as part of its curriculum.  Our Food Donation program brings over a thousand of pounds of meat, eggs, milk and veggies to our local community, seniors, co-op market, partner school community in the Boston area and to the Nipmuc tribe. Our Nipmuc Land Project is dedicated to providing the space for Nipmucs to direct a process of connecting back to their ancestral lands where the Farm School resides.  

Job description

Barn/Livestock Farmer Teacher 

About Us:

The Farm School is a generous community of thoughtful educators, earth workers, animal tenders, forest stewards, cooks, and playful leaders that hosts 1500 youth and their teachers each year. 

About the Job:

The Farm School Barn is the scene of a dynamic intergenerational livestock/ animal husbandry experience; we care for the animals together. The Barn Farmer Teachers empower small groups of students in through various components of dairy operations, livestock care, as well engaging youth in building projects, animal chores, moving herds, fencing, milk production and will also take part in other aspects of care for the program operations with youth including washing dishes, class, sharing hobbies, playing group games, welcome circles and special evening activities. Opportunities for exploring other farm work and play areas available.

The  Barn Farmer Teachers center youth engagement in the care and management of the livestock. They answer questions, set a tone and example for calm livestock interaction, and support a safe and caring program on the farm. 

All livestock are raised for either work or food production, and Barn staff must be comfortable with the full spectrum of livestock work, including hands-on veterinary support, support of the loading of animals for transport, and recognition of the facts of livestock slaughter. 

Core Role Responsibilities

• Kindness, ability to have a warm hosting, welcoming nature
• To organize your work in ways that prioritizes youths ability to engage in work area tasks
• Energized by a full day working alongside youth grades 5th to 12th in all aspects of Program operation
• Flexibility, comfort with multiple transitions throughout the day, solution oriented and capable of adhering to the ebbs and flows of farming and youth work. 
• Desire to work closely with animals that produce the meat, eggs, milk and compost used on the farm and for our communities
• Desire to treat the animals and land with respect and to provide timely care to a sick or injured animal.
• To organize your work area in ways that uplift the FS mission and goals towards Racial Equity
• To be reliable in meeting your scheduled commitments and be in your communication when changes or support is needed
• Timely response to slack and email communications 
• Participate in weekly programmatic activities including options, class, chores, dish clean up, evening activities, community meetings, opening and closing circles
• Previous work with youth is a plus
• Familiarity with hand tools, saws, sanders, drills and  shop tools are a plus
• Familiarity with tractor operation, weed wackers and mowers are a plus
• Familiarity with milking cows and operating the dairy/creamery are plus

Interpersonal skills

• To bring various aspects of your hobbies and to share these with youth. 
• To be thoughtful, respectful, dependable, collaborative in your interactions with youth and staff
• Kindness, a team player with a genuine enthusiasm for sharing things you love with youth
• An understanding and openness to multiple foodways and knowledge of food systems/history
• Reliable with an ability  to work within a schedule that has multiple transitions and independently keep track of your daily shifting responsibilities
• Flexibility, operating within a shifting schedule, pivoting as farm/youth needs arise to best host the group and take care of the land, 
• Ability to kindly and effectively communicate, directly to co-workers, coordinators, directors  and work area team. 
• Ability to work collaboratively and participate in meetings at the start and end of each week.
• Dependable with an ability to prioritize, work efficiently and ask for help when needed.

Community Based Responsibilities

• To be kind, gracious, open hearted and flexible to both staff and youth on the land.
• Participate in a rotation of weekend greenhouse and animal chores across the farm
• Participate in work week activities for your work area and group work projects that fall outside of your specific work area
• Participate in weekly staff meetings and all staff meetings with rotating facilitation and note taking
• Participate in facilitation and preparation of FS fundraising and community events
• Participate in all hands on deck activities like harvest, sap collection and bringing in the hay.

HR Based Responsibilities

• Participate in feedback, check-ins and reviews as scheduled and read the FS Handbook

The unpredictable nature of farming/working with youth and our shared responsibility for the care of the farm requires that all employees engage in the process of meeting the needs of the farm/program- gardens, fields, forest, barns, bunkhouses, kitchens etc. and to do so in communication with your Program Director, Co-Directors and fellow farmer/teachers. 

Compensation/benefits:  Annual salary of $38,500 to $45,000, Employer Paid Health Insurance coverage  (employee contribution for dental option),  Relocation Benefits, Professional development funds, 6 days sick time, 6 weeks of paid vacation annually, On-site housing provided (as available) 2% ira contribution and Farm School produced food 

 

Timing of job:

Immediate opening: A year round position includes a 7 week summer youth program. February  to November (9 months of the year) your schedule can begin as early as 6:15 and end as late as 7:30 pm. December and January schedules are reduced and farmer teachers take vacations during the months of December, January, February, June and August. 

 

Compensation

this position is: salaried, 35,568* - 50k

Work visa

This employer is willing to sponsor a work visa for international applicants

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline