Amber Waves Farm is a mixed vegetable farm on the easternmost end of Long Island. The farm operates 25 total acres on three fields, raising 20 acres of vegetables, 5 acres of grains, and a small flock of laying hens. The farm’s production serves a 250+ member CSA and on-site retail farm market and kitchen, as well as local restaurant wholesale accounts. Amber Waves is located in downtown Amagansett and is a popular destination for families and foodies who visit the farm to shop in the retail market and tour the fields. The farm is deeply involved in intensive educational work with nearby schools and the public, which includes frequent field trips, tasting tours, demonstrations, and public events at the farm. While the farm is not certified organic, we do subscribe to the Northeast Organic Farmers Association’s (NOFA) “Farmer’s Pledge” program of growing fruits, vegetables, and grains sustainably and responsibly.

Amber Waves Farm is a fun, fast-paced work environment where we champion good ideas, hard work, common sense and cooperation. The physical nature of the work is both challenging and rewarding, as is the considerable time we spend interacting with the public both on and off the farm. The entire organization at the height of the season includes a staff of 70 people including farmers, educators, retail market staff, and kitchen staff. The farm crew typically consists of 10-15 people, a Field Manager, Crew Managers, first and second year apprentices, and part-time seasonal help.

Amber Waves Farm is seeking an experienced and energetic candidate for the Assistant Field Manager position. We are always looking to expand the talent on our team and are accepting applications for this position on a rolling basis.The Assistant Field Manager is an essential part of our core management team and is expected to think and work like a professional, which includes the ability to identify and carry out big-picture projects, communicate clearly and confidently with other managers, maintain an upbeat attitude, and to operate with autonomy. The Assistant Field Manager coordinates with the Field Manager to develop the farm’s daily plan and priorities and assists in implementing the day’s worklist by participating in field work and doing tractor work. The Assistant Field Manager will ensure that all tasks are completed correctly, efficiently, and safely while maintaining a positive work environment for crew members.

This position requires practical knowledge and experience in vegetable production to actively participate in goal-setting and prioritization in the context of both whole-season planning and daily execution. The Assistant Field Manager must have consistent attention to detail and strong independent decision-making capabilities while remaining flexible and adaptable to changing situations. Candidates for this position should have excellent communication skills, be comfortable holding a group accountable to safety, efficiency and quality standards and be comfortable working on or around medium sized farm equipment. The field work is physically demanding and requires someone who is motivated, has a good attitude, can tolerate working in inclement weather, and is able to lift at least 50-lbs at a time.
 

Core Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Field Manager to carry out systems-oriented fieldwork tasks; sometimes lead and participate in daily field work (weeding, pruning, trellising) while instructing others and keeping the pace up
• Greenhouses, Seedling Care, and Transplanting: Participate in greenhouse seeding and make sure everything is done correctly, maintain the greenhouse seeding calendar, keep good records of greenhouse seeding in general, plan and execute greenhouse plant moves, execute transplanting (hook up and set up the transplanter, drive the transplanter); keep inventory of supplies and out of stocks, assist with the plan and execution for the Spring Seedling Sale
• Cultivation: help maintain the mechanical cultivation schedule, be involved in scheduling hand cultivation, and operate equipment
• Direct-Seeding Program: Help execute the direct seeded plan; keep records of seeding schedule as well as results/comments
• Irrigation: operate the pump, schedule and run irrigation weekly or as needed.
• Pest and Disease Management: scout for pests and disease to help dictate urgency and timing of spray schedule.
• Field Crop Oversight: assess the health, readiness, and general conditions of all crops throughout the farm; participate in making the weekly priorities for field work
• Independently complete tasks associated with mechanical tillage, bed preparations, and cultivation, requires comfort and willingness to work on medium-sized tractors and equipment (after thorough and proper training).

Skills & Qualifications:

• Ideally looking for a multi-year commitment
• Three+ seasons of experience working on a small to medium scale vegetable farm, and a desire to continue to pursue an agricultural career
• At least one year of experience managing employees/interns/apprentices
• A strong, foundational understanding of food production systems having experience with seasonality, plant propagation and seedling care, plant life cycles, scouting for pests and diseases, harvest and post-harvest handling, farmers markets, etc.
• Excellent time management and strong sense of pace and urgency associated with task completion
• Strong communication skills, positive attitude, and desire to teach crew members and set the daily tone for the crew
• Ability to quickly pick up new concepts and techniques and then teach them to others
• Strong work ethic and excellent attention to detail
• Ability to lift 50 pounds at a time and do physical work for 50-60 hours a week in the high season
• Prior experience using small or mid-size tractors and equipment 
• Valid drivers’ license (must be able to transport crew members and supplies between fields throughout the day using farm vehicles, but a personal vehicle is not required)

Work Schedule & Compensation:

• Position duration: flexible start date, year-round work opportunities available
• Full time (40-50 hours/week in the spring and fall, 50-60+ hours/week in the summer high season), one guaranteed day off/week
• $18-$22/hour, depending on experience
• Access to farm housing