Company description

Camino de Paz Montessori Secondary School and Farm in Santa Cruz, NM, produces fruits/vegetables and goat milk products for local farmers market and wholesale distribution. Our farm is integrated with a Montessori middle/high school and students play a big role in farm operations, research and sales.  Our ten acre campus includes 4 greenhouses, produce fields, orchard, pastures, milk parlor and make room, classroom, commercial kitchen and art/music studio. We are certified organic and grow year-round selling 50 weeks per year at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. We have been in business for 18 years and continue develop our products and markets. We host visiting groups from all over the world who come to learn from our farm/school model.

Our unique setting as a Montessori adolescent community located on a farm provides many opportunities to share your knowledge and to learn more about yourself through challenging experiences with developing young adults. During the summer, students rotate one week on the farm to help with the upkeep and daily routines.  We also hire high school students and alumni to help during the summer months.

Our staff meets weekly for planning and problem-solving. Our focus is to create a community of adults who are able to be flexible, express themselves openly and problem solve. We strive for an atmosphere of honesty and openness. The work is hard and usually involves work on weekends as we rotate staff through the 24/7 needs of a farm.

Camino de Paz is located in the northern Rio Grande Valley, bounded east and west by beautiful and accessible mountain ranges.  We are home to a diverse population of indigenous peoples (Eight Northern Indian Pueblos), descendants of Spanish settlers of the 1600's, recent Hispanic immigrants, and Anglo/European populations. The capital city of Santa Fe (25 miles to the south) is the second largest art market in the U.S. and tourism is the 4th largest industry. The surrounding countryside offers amazing camping, hiking, hunting, fishing and exploration of geological and ancient pueblo sites.  Over 100 small farms in the area sell at a variety of local farmers markets: Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Espanola, etc.  

Job description

IMMEDIATE OPENING

GOAT DAIRY SUPERVISOR

Work in a Montessori adolescent community on an organic farm (22 miles North of Santa Fe). Camino de Paz School & Farm is a Montessori middle school that is fully integrated with a working organic farm and goat dairy.  We sell our products at Farmers’ Markets, restaurants and distribute to 12 local stores and co-ops. You would be joining community of adults and youth committed to local, ecologically sound agricultural practices.

Help us continue to produce and expand our excellent line of goat milk products. This position requires you to take the lead in caring for our goat herd (approximately 60 milkers, 40 yearlings.) The position opens immediately as we prepare for kidding season in late February. Duties and responsibilities include general health of herd (feeding, supplements, hoof trimming,) care, cleaning and repair of animal habitats and milk parlor, directing pasture rotation, pasture management and fencing,  milking,  record-keeping for goat births, milk production and parasite testing. There will also be opportunities to assist in the make room, jarring and/or making cheeses and yogurt and/or supporting the horticulture staff.

You are supported in these efforts by a team of middle and high school students and teachers whose daily studies include work on the farm. Please be clear that, even though you will be working with students, this position is not as an outdoor educator.  Your primary responsibility is as a goat rancher/herdsperson.

You must be:  1) fastidiously clean and organized (seriously!); 2) capable of detailed record-keeping; 3) a team player capable of integrating dairy production with other farm operations and managers; 4) flexible but not spineless; 5) able to work alone with limited supervision. Experience in a commercial kitchen or as a cook/chef is a definite plus, as is ability to speak Spanish.  

On-site housing available for individual or couple.

 

Compensation this position is : salaried, varies DOE, $28,000.00 - $33,000.00 Application instructions DeadlineJuly 30, 2021 Attachment click here to download the attached document.