Habitera Farms (d.b.a. Very Mulberry) is an 84 acre, sustainable mulberry farm based in Brentwood, CA. Founded in 2018, our goal is to bring mulberries to the larger Bay Area, while exploring new and innovative ways to farm and harvest this unique fruit. We would love to have you join our growing 5 person team!

We are looking for an Assistant Farm Manager, who is a farming enthusiast with 2-3 years of experience in horticulture and food safety systems, organic certification knowledge and administration competencies. The role requires the ability to design experiments and collect data for research and development, while working closely with the Farm Manager to experiment with the planting, growing, and harvesting of the crop. The Assistant Farm Manager will report directly to the Farm Manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Food Safety

• Write and update existing food safety plans with the guidance of the Food Safety Consultant, General Manager, and Farm Manager
• Consult on food safety best practices during the harvest season and beyond
• Lead, schedule and organize relevant trainings

Organic Certification

• Complete documentation, data collection and record keeping for transitional organic certification
• Create and continually update record keeping systems for organic certification
• Consult on crop management based on organic requirements

Research & Development

• Design, implement and collect data on irrigation, fertilization, pruning and post harvesting handling experiments, under the guidance of the Farm Manager
• Help the Farm Manager create excellent shaking, catchment systems and post-harvest handling systems that will allow berries to be picked efficiently and kept in cold storage until the berries are delivered to customers— within 24-48 hours from the time they are picked
• Work with different varieties of packaging materials to optimize product quality, shelf-life, and freshness
• Work with local universities to develop new varieties of mulberries
• Assist tree nurseries in selecting new materials
• Perform R&D in areas related to derivative products like wine, jam, chutney, syrup, puree, etc.
• Collaborate with Farm Manager and General Manager to develop SOPs for growing, harvesting and cooling mulberries

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Committed to creating a just food system, social and economic justice, and sustainable development
• 2-3 years’ experience in agriculture, infrastructure, general sustainability sector
• Must be highly organized, with excellent attention to detail
• Must possess a Driver’s License
• Have excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and excellent team-work skills
• Have excellent ability to problem solve and consistently work collaboratively with other departments, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and turn around assignments quickly without compromising quality
• Possess strong project management skills - experience with creating project plans, setting goals and deadlines, and keeping a team on schedule to meet deadlines

Candidates with a background in Agriculture, Horticulture, Botany, Environmental Sciences or Biology preferred

HOURS/SCHEDULE:

• This position is an exempt full-time position
• Flexible Monday through Friday weekly hours plus weekends and evenings as needed to manage events
• This position works out of Brentwood, CA

COMPENSATION/BENEFITS:

• Base Salary of $65K - 70K, depending on experience
• Medical Stipend Benefit
• Three weeks paid vacation
• End of year bonus based on objectives