Company description

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is hiring for the 2020 season at our Rock Bottom Ranch site in Basalt, Colorado. Rock Bottom Ranch (RBR) is an educational site with a focus on regenerative agriculture practices; the ranch raises livestock and grows vegetables and cut flowers. The ranch, its agricultural practices and products are educational components used to meet ACES’ mission of “educating for environmental responsibility.”

Rock Bottom Ranch’s vegetable and livestock production uses natural systems for inspiration and utilizes regenerative and sustainable practices. The 113-acre site dedicates approximately 70 acres to natural wildlands and 35 acres to pasture-based, rotationally grazed livestock systems. To maximize production and extend the growing season, one acre of outdoor vegetable and cut flower production is supported by four-season extension structures (a stationary hoop house, mobile hoop houses, and a passive solar greenhouse).

Rock Bottom Ranch is open to the public during the summer and offers daily farm tours, youth and adult programs, and food events. Crew members 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.

Job description

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

1) Livestock Production / Site Maintenance: (80% time allocation)

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

• Assist with the daily care of cattle, sheep, goats, laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, and bees.
• 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.
• Participate in humane, on-property animal harvesting of chickens and turkeys.
• Assist with sales of produce and meat at local farmers’ markets and at the ranch.
• Site maintenance including mowing, weed whacking, fence repair, trail repair, event preparation, cleaning, or other site duties as needed.

2) Vegetable Production: (20% time allocation)

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

• Assist with vegetable production including: soil preparation, seed propagation, watering, transplanting, and cultivation.
• Assist with harvesting, washing, packaging, and sales of final vegetable products.

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

• Provide welcoming and educational environment to all guests.
• Lead public farm tours.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• 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.
• Friendly, inviting personality and positive attitude.
• Respect for farm products, fellow crew members, and the ACES education staff.
• Strong willingness and desire to learn.

Preferred but not required, candidates will have the following:

• An interest in pursuing farming as a career.
• 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.

Work schedule: 5 days per week, Tuesday through Saturday. Additional rotating weekend chores responsibilities required.

Compensation and benefits: Weekly rate based on a 5-day per week work schedule, paid twice monthly. This is a full-time, seasonal, exempt position and is currently ineligible for ACES benefits package.

Housing: Off-site shared housing provided.

Position Dates: May 15, 2020 – October 15, 2020. Start date is non-negotiable.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, less than $50,000

Application instructions

Deadline

February 15, 2020