Company description

Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center is a nonprofit, certified organic farm located on over 50 acres of conserved land along the Connecticut River in East Thetford, Vermont. Our organization has a deep commitment to developing regenerative agriculture systems for our annual vegetable and flower production and to offering educational programming that builds connections between our food, ecosystems, and community.

Our farm is a community hub with a farmstand, retail greenhouses, a farm kitchen, a coffee shop, a cut flower garden, education programs, and unique CSA options. It’s a place where folks can learn about and deepen their appreciation for organic regenerative agriculture.

Our staff is a reflection of our community and is the most essential aspect of our farm. When you join our dynamic team, you’ll have the opportunity to make valuable contributions to our greater mission of promoting organic, regenerative farming and the transition to a localized food economy!

Job description

We are looking for a detail oriented, positive team member to manage our greenhouse and outdoor cut flower systems, develop a robust native perennial plant enterprise and make an impact in a mission driven organization that focuses on agricultural education and research.                                                 

The Annual and Perennial (A&P) Manager is responsible for all of Cedar Circle’s annual and perennial plant growing environments, including propagation areas, retail greenhouses, garden retail area, outdoor cut flower garden, and perennial nursery. This position is responsible for all annual and perennial growing environments and the management of a team of seasonal staff to accomplish department goals. The ideal candidate will be excited about developing educational opportunities and finding creative ways to connect community members and visitors to our farm and production systems. By working closely with our retail, education, and marketing staff, the A&P Manager ensures that visitors are provided with top notch customer service and are educated about the products and systems at CCFEC. 

We are currently in a transition period where we are focusing both our retail perennial area and cut flower garden on perennial ‘Plants with a Purpose'—native, local ecotype, pollinator support, and herbal plants that build ecosystem function on our landscape and empower our community members to have a positive impact in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change. Candidates for this position should be excited about native plants and eager to help build out our nursery and educational offerings to this end.

DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Implementation

• Oversee all production of annuals, perennials, and cut flower garden, including but not limited to: propagation, watering, fertilizing, and monitoring of plant health and greenhouse and systems
• Review and analyze sales data from previous year; create crop plans and seed charts accordingly
• Order all plants, seeds, pottery, garden tools, and necessary supplies for the department
• Coordinate all aspects of the cut flower garden management—planning, field preparation, planting, weeding, irrigating, and fertility management—and implement it with the A&P team. 
• Organize the cut flower CSA, PYO, and bulk flower operations, which involves customer coordination, maintaining order records, staffing harvest days, and invoicing with support from admin and outreach staff
• Research and create informative point of purchase signage and educational materials for annual and perennial plants, in coordination with Outreach and Engagement Coordinator
• Develop and review department budget in conjunction with the Director of Agriculture
• Pest management through detailed scouting and implementation of organic pest and disease control methods 
• Work with marketing and retail staff to promote products, including but not limited to: assisting with website content creation and organizing plant sales
• Develop and present educational opportunities for our community members and visitors; find creative ways to engage the public with our local food system and our farming practices
• Foster connections with allied organizations, participate in off site educational and networking events, and build a network of native plant and pollinator focused allies

Personnel

• Hire, train, supervise, and work beside a seasonal team and department lead to accomplish all department goals
• Staff scheduling, project and task coordination, and oversight of quality control

Additional responsibilities are listed in the job description on our website.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Required Qualifications 

• 3+ growing seasons of experience in the plant industry with 2+ full seasons of greenhouse growing & plant propagation experience and 2+ full seasons of outdoor garden, flower garden, or nursery experience
• Comfort developing and leading workshops and training opportunities
• Leadership experience, including organizing, training and leading a seasonal team
• Excellent time management skills and consistent attention to detail
• Positive interpersonal and clear consistent communication skills
• Ability to take direction, ask for help/clarity, and give/accept constructive feedback
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment
• Flexible, creative, and able to perform well in diverse conditions
• Hands-on management with the ability to work alongside your team in an outdoor and greenhouse environment, which could include cold, rainy weather and hot humid days – standing, sitting, bending, lifting and kneeling and completing repetitive tasks
• Ability to use computers; develop, review and keep detailed records; and utilize a two-way radio for daily communications

Desired Qualifications

• A passion for native perennials and all plants garden related
• Knowledge of and experience with pest scouting, IPM, and pest control
• Experience developing and managing a department budget

COMPENSATION

Full-time, year-round. Hourly, starting at $24+/hour, DOE, with benefits including:

• 403 B retirement plan with a 5% employer safe harbor match
• Health insurance 100% premium paid by employer
• Professional development opportunities, industry conferences, etc.
• 20% discount at the farmstand, greenhouses, and Hello Café
• Paid Holiday and Sick Time
• Two weeks of paid parental leave

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline