Join us for the growing season in the mountains of Colorado.

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), a nonprofit celebrating 50 years of educating for environmental responsibility, is offering opportunities for the 2019 growing season at our Rock Bottom Ranch site in Basalt, Colorado.  Rock Bottom Ranch raises livestock and grows vegetables featured at our annual summer dining events, weekly farmers’ markets, local restaurants, and on-farm sales.

Rock Bottom Ranch’s vegetable and livestock production is inspired by natural systems and is continually working towards more regenerative and sustainable practices. Pasture-based, rotationally grazed livestock systems occur on about 35 acres of our 113-acre property. Additionally, one acre of outdoor vegetable and cut flower production is supported by four season extension structures to allow us to maximize production for an extended growing season at our 6,400’ elevation mountain site. 

Our production farm and educational site is open to the public and offers daily farm tours, youth and adult programs, and food events.  Agriculture staff will be given the opportunity to become involved in a diverse array of agricultural operations in addition to numerous customer service, event, and educational experiences.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

1) Livestock Production (60% Time Allocation)

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead the daily care of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, and bees. Notify manager and director of any illness, abnormal behavior or predator pressure. 
• Provide basic veterinary care as needed to maintain health of animals.
• Maintain current records of animal’s lifecycle and care.
• Provide daily care with the assistance of crew members. Daily care includes providing feed and fresh water, creating electric fencing paddocks and moving animals through a multi species rotational grazing system, mucking out stalls and houses, collecting and washing eggs.
• Execute pasture irrigation plan.
• Assist with inventory management of animal and meat products as well as assist with marketing/sales.
• Assist with hay cutting, raking, baling, transport, storage and sales on several sites.
• Lead humane, on-property animal harvesting of chickens, turkeys, and pigs.
• Communicate updates and education to all ranch staff.
• Lead crew member(s) in daily livestock tasks.

2) Site Maintenance (30% Time Allocation)

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Execute all weekly site maintenance including mowing, weed whacking, fence repair, event preparation, trails maintenance, landscaping, irrigation, farm building repairs, construction or other site duties that may arise.
• Assist with basic vehicle and small engine maintenance.
• Maintain and improve overall appearance and cleanliness of the site and buildings.
• Ensure that landscaping around the buildings and visitor areas remains in a clean, attractive appearance.
• Lead crew member(s) in daily site maintenance.

3) Vegetable Production (10% Time Allocation)

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide support to vegetable production staff including soil preparation, seed propagation, watering, transplanting, cultivation, harvesting, washing, packaging, and sales.

4) Customer Service (100% of your time at ACES):

• Provide welcoming and educational environment to all guests.
• Attend weekly farmers markets to sell meat and produce.
• Lead public farm tours.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Site maintenance including cleaning, event preparation or other site duties that may arise.
• Participation in on-farm events including, but not limited to, dining events, educational programs, and farm tours.
• After hours, on-call responsibilities which may include animal emergencies, animal birthing, or site maintenance issues.
• Other duties as assigned to further the mission of ACES.

Qualifications:

Candidates must embody the following characteristics:

• Strong work ethic and understanding that farm work is rewarding, yet physically demanding.
• Enjoy working outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Able to lift heavy items.
• Ability to work with a sense of urgency.
• Friendly, inviting personality and positive attitude.
• Respect for farm products and fellow crew members.
• Strong willingness and desire to learn.

Preferred but not required, candidates will have the following:

• An interest in pursuing farming as a career.
• Experience working with a variety of livestock.
• Bilingual, particularly conversational Spanish.
• Able to drive manual transmission and comfort with towing large trailers.
• Construction/woodworking skills.
• Culinary and/or food service experience.

Reporting Relationship: This position reports to the Agriculture Manager.

Location: This position is located at ACES’ Rock Bottom Ranch site in Basalt, Colorado. 

Work schedule: 5 days per week, 8 or more hours per day, 2 consecutive days off per week.  Weekend chore responsibilities rotate between all crew members.

Compensation and benefits:Day rate salary commensurate with experience.  This is a full-time, seasonal, exempt position and is currently ineligible for ACES benefits package.

Housing:On-site housing provided. 

Position Dates: March 15, 2019 – October 15, 2019.