this position has been filled
This job expired on February 20, 2012

General Farm Manager

  • Date Posted December 22, 2011
  • Location Maui, HI
  • Category Agriculture
  • Job type Full-Time

Job description

Around the world, pioneers of regenerative agriculture are redefining our relationship with land and are producing healthy, nutrient-dense food. The strategies and techniques are proven, but these efforts are often challenged by the dominance of modern, conventional agriculture, which limits access to capital, land, and markets. As a result, there are limitations to the scale at which the next generation of sustainable farmers can impact future food production, regenerate soil, and improve the overall health of the environment.  

Bio-Logical Capital seeks to change that paradigm. We believe that by stacking diverse activities—cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, and the production of fruits and vegetables—the resulting agriculture is more productive and beneficial. The careful combination of these activities promotes the overall health of the land and the people it feeds. We are creating a small demonstration farm on Maui, Hawaiʻi, which will have access to financial capital, land (as growth dictates), and statewide markets. The goals of the farm are to build living soil, produce nutrient-dense food, implement innovative practices, and create a beautiful, diverse, productive landscape that will become the icon of an international brand of beyond-organic products.  

We are searching for a farm manager who can apply agro-ecological techniques to production in this challenging landscape (steep topography, specific climate, and current soil conditions). The farm manager must demonstrate results with long-term species diversity, health, and productivity in mind. Additionally, the farm manager will serve as a professional face and voice of the farm when showcasing and promoting the operations to visitors and to the media. This will be a highly documented process.  

General farm operations will include: management of beef and dairy cattle, sheep and pigs, poultry layers, fruit and vegetable crops, and, in the long-term, creation of a variety of value-add products. The brand, and the physical farm and practices that support it will become the tool for driving social, environmental, and economic progress. It is envisioned to become a destination and is a chance to demonstrate that business, environment and community are not mutually exclusive.  

The success of the farm project is critically dependent on building a strong local team and network of relationships, while demonstrating a deep commitment to improving overall farming conditions in the Hawaiʻian Islands. We expect the applicant to become a respected leader on the farm, in the community, and will work closely with the Bio-Logical Capital’s management team and partners on long-term strategies for success and growth.  

Primary Responsibilities:
  • Establish a small farm on Maui that is intensely-managed, and produces a diverse set of crops
  • Build and improve soil fertility from the current rocky, shallow soil conditions with the application of good management techniques and local organic materials
  • Select and hire a qualified team of practitioners that will work to increase the carrying capacity of the land, enhance the beauty of the site, and strengthen the core message of the brand. This team will likely include a livestock manager, dairy manager, and other necessary staff
  • Plan, plant, manage, and maintain tree and vegetable crop acreage to provide diverse food crops of high-quality for on-site meal preparation and enhance the story (for outside audience) of the farm
  • Plan and implement rotational management of beef and dairy cattle, sheep and pigs, and poultry layers
  • Plan and phase the appropriate expansion to include dairy and creamery operations, processing of tree and vegetable crops, and other related activities that will add to the health, beauty, and productivity of the farm
  • Set and manage farming project goals, critical timelines, and resource allocations
  • Manage relationships with landowner and other local and statewide partners
  • Serve as the spokesperson for marketing, media, and communication purposes
  • Prepare reports, including financial summaries, for updating executive management and investors
  • Build working relationships with relevant industry contacts, government agencies and NGOs
  • Manage other tasks as necessary to support business operations 

Candidate Qualifications:

  • Minimum 5 years of agro-ecological farming and farm management experience with an emphasis in holistic management practices
  • Demonstrated ability to integrate management operations with community and sustainability considerations and outcomes
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Proven record of success in a highly collaborative and dynamic work environment

Salary & Benefits:

This farm provides a unique opportunity for applicants to build an operation from the ground up, to demonstrate new agro-ecological techniques, to continue their education and disseminate that knowledge, and to be a part of the growth of an international brand of goods and services. Salary will be commensurate with experience, but the success of the farm and the potential international brand will bring with it additional personal and professional benefits. Benefit package will include housing, medical, and retirement.  

Compensation

this position is:

Application instructions

This job expired on February 20, 2012

Deadline

no deadline