Evans & Evans Farm sits 2,000 feet above sea level on 250 acres in Delaware County in the Western Catskills, New York.  This is primarily a sheep farm in an area of outstanding beauty with high quality water and air. 

Our passion is regenerative agriculture, concentrating on healthy plants, healthy soils, healthy animals and healthy customers.

We raise 100% grass-fed and finished Katahdin lamb for the gourmet meat market in New York City and locally.  No corn, grains, GMO products, prophylactic antibiotics or artificial growth hormones are fed to the sheep we sell – just quality field forages (grasses, legumes and forbs) in the growing season and stored forage in the winter.

We currently manage 350 sheep including 180 lambs with 200 more due in April/May.  We also raise 50 pastured egg layers and a few beef animals.  We are considering increasing the size of these two operations.

The Position:

We seek a Farm Manager with a keen interest in working with 100% grass-fed animals using sound pasture management practices and a strong understanding of animal welfare.

The Job entails the following regular responsibilities:

• Well managed grazing practices to ensure our animals are fed the best quality forage at the right levels and given clean, cool water at all times. In the growing season this involves moving three or four groups to fresh pasture on a daily basis.  We use a mix of permanent, semi-permanent and temporary fencing with electrical charges to keep our stock in and predators out.  In winter, stored forage (round hay and/or baleage bales) is fed every day, usually twice a day.  We also stockpile grazing forage so we still move some or most of the livestock on a regular basis unless prevented from doing so by weather.   Some winter feeding is outside, some in the barns
•  We currently lamb in or around the barns in April/May.   Lambing is supervised with each mother given an individual stall to bond with her newborn lambs for one to three days.  Lambs are tagged, recorded and marked before moving to a small nursery where they get used to other sheep and lambs.  Once bonded, they go out onto pasture
•  Managing flock health issues including hoof-trimming, parasite control and dosing or injecting to cure sheep illnesses. We check and weigh our sheep regularly
•  Fence maintenance. Keeping the electrical charge high at all times is vital to keep predators out of the pastures 
• Learning to handle Working Border Collies. We have four on the farm.  They are a key part of our operation 
• Machinery. Tractor and skid-steer driving will be necessary for brush-hogging, mowing temporary fence-lines, bale-hauling and hay-making.  All-terrain utility vehicles are also used in managing the daily paddock moves  
• Management. In time, we expect the successful candidate to be able to recruit, educate, manage and motivate interns/apprentices to help with the workload as the farm continues to grow

 Required Skills and Experience:

• A keen desire to learn and practice the art and science of raising100% grass-fed and finished livestock with regenerative agricultural practices
• Strong interest in identifying plants/forage types that are beneficial to our animals and those that are not
• Experience with ruminants and poultry at a commercial level is preferable
• Proven ability to work with and relate to animals
• Skills in identifying and treating sickness in the flock or herd
• An affinity/empathy with dogs is important (we have four working Border Collies on the farm)
• The ability to drive larger vehicles (farm truck, tractors and UTVs). Training will be supplied in this area if experience is lacking.  A clean driver's license is mandatory
• A strong aptitude with mechanical issues - repairing faults in electric fencing and maintenance/repairs of farm machinery and buildings
• The physical strength and fitness necessary to catch and hold sheep weighting 100-220 lbs and to handle/move both square and round bales. This requires the ability to regularly lift 50 lbs
• Strong organizational skills necessary to proactively manage a diverse workload

Compensation:

This will be a salaried position.

• Salary dependent on skills and experience
• We provide disability insurance
• Paid vacations and Holidays will be earned after a pre-determined time period
• Housing on the farm is available.