Job description

Mission:
Queens Botanical Garden is an urban oasis where people, plants and cultures are celebrated through inspiring gardens, innovative educational programs and demonstrations of environmental stewardship.

The Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) is a private non-profit cultural institution located on 39 acres of New York City public land in Flushing, New York. The Garden serves nearly 200,000 visitors each year; a visitor survey reveals that 75% of all visitors speak a language other than English at home. This astounding fact underscores the importance of the Garden’s mission and the challenges and opportunities it faces daily in creating programs, exhibits and landscapes that serve the needs of one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. The Garden has committed itself to addressing the complex and ever changing needs of its diverse community and to being the place where people, plants and cultures meet.

Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) seeks a full-time Farm Manager, ideally with nonprofit experience, to provide support for the new Community, Crops, and Compost (CCC) project. QBG in partnership with the New York City Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling are adding depth and breadth to the current NYC Compost Project Local Organics Recovery Program.

CCC will utilize a portion of City land in QBG’s arboretum to create an organic farm, around which a number of educational and participatory activities will take place. The farm will focus on local needs and raise community and visitor awareness about the relationship between food waste, composting, healthy soil production and sustainable food production. The site will feature a farm-based composting operation as well as food waste drop-off opportunities for NYC residents.

The Farm Manager is responsible for planting, preparing and maintaining a half-acre farm using completely organic methods. The Farm Manager will supervise and train the Farm Apprentice and Educator as well as various volunteers and interns. The Farm Manager will work directly under the Director of Education and will find effective ways to use the farm as an educational resource by developing and conducting farm, compost and agriculture related training and education programs for children and adults, as well as support the use of the farm by other QBG programs.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities:
Farm Development

• Create a plan for farm space and oversee implementation
• Supervise the Farm Apprentice and Educator serve as a liaison with the Education Department
• Conduct soil cultivation, mulching, watering, raking, propagating, watering, weeding, edging, pruning, ordering supplies, seed starting, bed preparation, planting, harvesting
• Maintain crops for at least three separate purposes: farmers market produce, CSA shares and food pantry donations, making sure that progress is made according to budget parameters
• Operate machinery such as tillers and mowers as well as basic hand tools
• Oversee volunteers and internso Assist with educational activities on the Farm site
• Conduct basic office work, including record keeping, database and file management
• Steer research and development for strategies to increase and diversify programs and sources of income for the project (ex. value added, alternative markets, etc.)
• Create “Standard Operating Procedures" for a safe, efficient farm operation
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment
• Manage budget and be able to document progress

Maintenance of equipment and farm structures

• Ensure that all equipment is secure and well maintained
• Perform preventive maintenance on assigned equipment and vehicles
• Maintain inventory of equipment and tools

Requirements

• Bachelors in Agriculture or related field or equivalent horticulture certificate/course work or 3 years hands-on applicable experience
• Strong farming skills, including a knowledge of organic farming practices, composting and integrated pest management
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills and experience interfacing with the public
• Ability to lift 50+ lbs.
• Ability to work outdoors in all seasons
• Team player, creative, organized, enthusiastic
• Self-motivated with the ability to work alone and in groups
• Strong work ethic
• Driver’s license
• Experience with a farm stand or farmer’s market a plus
• Basic carpentry skills
• Basic knowledge of MS office and other basic computer skills is a plus

The qualified candidate for this position will bring a mix of the energy, adaptability, judgment, coaching, communication and critical thinking skills and a “roll up the sleeves” attitude towards their work.

Compensation

this position is:

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline