Farm Manager Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga
- Date Posted September 30, 2014
- Location Chattanooga, TN
- Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
- Job Type Full-Time
Description:This is a salaried, full-time position, which encompasses many aspects of the Urban Farm. This position reports directly to the Executive Director. Duties for this position include, but are not limited to:
- Planning and implementing growing, greenhouse, and ground preparation calendars
- Ensuring the farm remains a safe, enjoyable place for volunteers, school groups, and the general public
- Directing harvesting and post-harvest processing
- Facilitating general farm maintenance
- Overseeing crop maintenance such as weeding, cultivating, planting, and possible mowing
- Working with and directing volunteers
- As needed, there may be additional duties depending on the needs of the farm
- Administrative tasks will be assigned as necessary
- Most responsibilities are outlined below
- Experience: 3+ years, preferably one year with a community farm
- CSA experience preferred
- Mechanical, carpentry, and plumbing experience preferred
- Friendly, outgoing personality willing to work with the public and those interested in farming/gardening
- Proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite
- Experience with Quickbooks preferred
- Detail Oriented, use of common sense
Key responsibilities:
- Works closely with the Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant FM in leadership and management of volunteer and intern activities on the Farm. This includes delegating tasks, monitoring quality of work, and providing a positive work environment and educational instruction.
- Chooses WorkShare participants for the season, create their schedule, and monitors hours throughout the season.
- Keeps record of the crops: ground preparation, amendment, planting times, locations and harvests. During the growing season, this will include proper maintenance of summer crops through cultivation, fertilization, and spraying for pests/disease as needed.
- Ensures that proper soil samples are taken in the winter and will need a basic understanding in reading soil samples in order to create an amendment plan for the working season.
- Is responsible for proper storage of all vegetables.
- Manages the marketing of produce as needed seasonally, as well as packing for orders in an efficient and organized manner. Quality control is essential to ensure no mistakes are made in this process.
- Manages the full- and holiday-season CSAs, which includes the related paperwork, coordinating the daily harvests, maintaining high quality standards, and ensuring that the year’s boxes are meeting their estimated value. Collaborates with the Assistant Farm Manager to effectively and efficiently supervise running the farm and its finances
- Plans the next season. This includes crop profit analyses, crop rotations, adjustments in crop variety and quantity, the seed order for the Urban Farm and plant sales, soil tests and the calculations and ordering of soil amendments, and the Deerfield order for farm and greenhouse supplies. Additionally, the FM collaborates on the construction and execution of the winter list of duties.
- Oversees general care of all implements and machinery.
- Maintains the barn. This involves keeping tools in working order and annually cleaning and sharpening tools. The FM will manage all staff’s use of the barn and tools to ensure proper usage and placement.
- Tractor work on the farm. This includes managing the ground preparation calendar, noting weather conditions, and ensuring implementation. Amendments and cover crop implementation are also the responsibility of the FM.
- Manages all irrigation equipment, including proper storage, assessment of needs, and ordering parts needed ahead of schedule.
- Shares in the general responsibilities of all Crabtree staff.