Growing Gardens’ mission is to cultivate community through sustainable urban agriculture. Our programs empower people of all ages, income levels, and abilities by connecting them with their local food system, each other, and the environment. 

Our organization values the diverse skills and individuals that come together to create a thriving community and workplace.  We are committed to the work we do, and bring our best selves each day, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously, have fun, and enjoy the process of doing good in our community.  We take care of each other and put people at the center of everything we do.

This position will work across all operations at the Boulder Farm, with a specialization in dairy and goat herd. The primary focus will be caring for our small and mighty dairy goat herd. Our dairy also serves as a space for educating all ages about animal husbandry, and the important role animals play in a regenerative agricultural system. This position will also support growing staff to maintain pastures, annual cover crops, and annual vegetable crops as well as supporting farm events and programming as needed. 

Hours: Part time, November - March (20 hours/week)  Full time, April– October (40+ hours per week)
Regular weekend work is required
Pay:  Starting pay is $18-$20/hr and is eligible for benefits
Start Date: As soon as possible.
Benefits: Generous Benefits Package includes: Health and Dental Insurance, paid Holiday, Floating Holiday, PTO and paid sick time, monthly cell phone reimbursement stipend, discount on plant starts and vegetables, IRA Benefit.

Reports to: Herd Manager

The experience we offer:

• The opportunity to pair your work with your passion and to have a real impact in affecting positive change in our community.
• Professional development opportunities
• Supportive organizational culture where you have independence and room to be creative.
• The chance to be part of a thriving team culture where successes are celebrated together and coworkers enthusiastically share knowledge and support.
• A beautiful location: our office is on an urban farm in Boulder, Colorado.

Candidates from minority or marginalized groups or with multicultural backgrounds or experience are especially encouraged to apply. Growing Gardens is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We actively foster an environment that is free of racism, discrimination, bias, and harassment; where all individuals are treated with dignity, safety and respect.

Qualifications:

• 1 year experience working with livestock (goats preferred!)
• Experience milking is preferred
• Regular weekend and evening work is required
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions, year-round
• Available to lead with various on and off-farm events, including leading small tour groups
• Ability to interact with volunteers, interns, youth, people with disabilities and the general public on a daily basis
• Ability to work on uneven terrain in the field
• Must be able to engage in physically active work every day
• Must have a cell phone.  
• Must submit to a fingerprint background check

Specific Job Functions

Herd Care

Ability to lead a typical chore shift that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Milking animals with adherence to food safety protocol
• Herd share program maintenance, milk fulfillment, and delivery 
• Feeding and watering animals according to seasonal needs
• Moving animals to/from pens according to rotational grazing plan 
• Assembling/disassembling electric fencing
• Moving shade structure, water buckets, and hay to designated grazing areas
• Raking pens and moving compost to designated areas
• Deep cleaning various areas around dairy (ie. milk parlor, milk processing room)
• Restocking/moving hay bales
• Restocking grain
• Ability to work in a wet, cold, and hot environment
• Ability to lift/move water buckets, hay bales, and other heavy objects - up to 75 pounds.

Animal Healthcare

• Monitoring and logging general health of herd on a daily basis
• Assist Herd Manager with vaccinations and other medical procedures
• Assist Herd Manager with breeding, prenatal goat care, and kidding 
• Hoof trimming and logging
• Identify sick animals and work with Herd Manager and/or vet to develop a health plan

Education and Tours

• Assist the Herd Manager with educational activities on the farm. This includes leading Field Trips, Tours, Bottle Feedings, Goat Yoga Events, Team Building Events and Offsite Events
• Ability to communicate effectively with visitors to the farm, fellow staff and interns, volunteers and the land owners
• Effectively engage with farm visitors of all ages including: children, teens, people with disabilities and seniors

Overseeing and Training Volunteers

• Ability to lead a chore shift with clear instruction, and oversight, of volunteers
• Assist with volunteer work groups 

General Farm Support - 40-45% of time in Summer (primarily April -October)  30%  overall time

• Work in greenhouses as needed
• Assist with harvesting, weeding, and planting of annual vegetable crops
• Assist with growing crops in the Children’s Peace Garden
• Assist with tractor work, cover cropping, irrigation, infrastructure, and pasture management

Event Support - 5-10% of Time

• All growing staff, including this position will support farm events as needed. This may include set-up, break-down, and staffing actual events. 

Administrative 

• Log animal health and feed/water amounts after every shift
• Maintain records for herd share and grazing 
• Assist in maintaining herd share database and inventory

Organizational Participation

• Attend weekly dairy and growing staff meetings
• Attend all-staff meetings 3 times per month