Company description

The Farm School Inc. is a 30 year plus non-profit organization with a mission of connecting people to the land. The 4 major areas of our organization are the Program for Visiting Schools, which brings over 1500 youth and young adults per year to the farm for overnight trips and to engage with all aspects of the farm (small animal livestock, diary, gardens, forestry and the kitchen) alongside our Farmer Teachers. The Chicken Coop School is our year round Middle School open to local 7th and 8th graders that includes farm life as part of its curriculum. Our Food Donation program brings over a thousand of pounds of meat, eggs, milk and veggies to our local community, seniors, co-op market, partner school community in the Boston area and to the Nipmuc tribe. Our Nipmuc Land Project is dedicated to providing the space for Nipmucs to direct a process of connecting back to their ancestral lands where the Farm School resides. We welcome your spirit and vision as we carry forward in our mission of connecting people to the land and centering our commitment towards the intersections of race and equity with our communities.

Job description

Bring your passion for preparing tasty meals and be filled up by sharing your skills with young people simultaneously. The Cook Teacher is the heart and soul of the Farm. Tasked with making sure all those tending to the farm are nourished each day.

The setting is a rural farm in central MA. The work space is a commercial kitchen on a dynamic farm that produces its own milk, eggs, beef, pork, goat, vegetables and orchard fruits. The Cook Teacher uses these and other ingredients alongside youth to bring 3 family style farm to table meals per day for their classmates and farmers at The Farm School. The youth and Cook Teacher announce the meal and shouts out all those who helped in the process. Then we get to sit down and enjoy each others company as we eat together. When the meal is done, we turn on the music, sing with broom handle mics and throw down on some dishes. It's a special way to share a love for sharing food with others.

This is a year round position. If it brings you joy to work with youth, you have experience as a Cook and embrace a farm/nature lovers life style please click here or continue reading below to learn more and apply! We can't wait to speak with you!

-Cook Teacher

The Farm School is looking for an experienced cook to join our Nourishment Team as a Cook/Teacher. The Nourishment Team consists of a Kitchen Coordinator and Cook Teachers, all of whom work closely with our Farmer Teachers to give an authentic farm and kitchen experience to visiting students while feeding our community.

The Cook Teachers empower small groups of students in preparing various components of each meal, as well engaging in independent prep, dishwashing, organizational tasks and menu planning. Our menu is highly variable based on seasonal availability. Opportunities for exploring other farm work and play areas are available- and exploration of this sort is encouraged.

Qualities We’re Looking for:

• Love of cooking, at least 1 year professional cooking experience
• Experience cooking for large groups of people with diverse dietary needs
• Ability to work collaboratively with youth in ways that exhibit respect, dependability and recognition of their value, autonomy and personhood
• Ability to independently manage time and details of responsibilities consistently
• Past organizational and/or personal work in areas that uplift racial equity and liberatory practices
• Desire to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Ability to work within a fluid schedule with many transitions
• Patient and clear communicator
• Able to lift and move items weighing up to 50 pounds
• Able to work in the cold (specifically our walk-in freezer space)

Responsibilities:

• Organize your work area, plans and programs in ways that uplift TFS mission
• Participate in our striving for consensus based decision making and distributed leadership culture, including staff meetings and facilitation rotation.
• Contribute to menu planning, preparation and service for youth programming, up to 3 meals per day (5 days per week) plus snacks
• Hold an awareness of dietary and allergy related needs and protocols for staff and visiting youth/ adults. Ensure dietary needs are met throughout all stages of the food preparation and serving process
• Connect with youth and visiting teachers, be a team player, build relationships that engage youth in the fun, joy and relaxation possible on the farm
• Participate in programmatic activities including options, class, chores, variety shows, campfires, dish clean-up, evening activities, community meetings and opening and closing circles.
• Work to keep all kitchen spaces clean and organized (including walk-in freezer), receive food orders,
• Follow all health code and safety protocols
• Participate in kitchen specific upkeep, staff meals and general farm work during non-program times

Hours: Full time, year round position. Hours vary during year round school and summer programming, but will average out over the course of a year to around 45 hours a week. Mostly Monday - Friday, with limited weekend fundraising events + some occasional weekend cooking events with additional pay. Given the nature of farming, when all-hands-on-deck scenarios arise (emergencies, seasonal tasks like hay and fundraising support etc.) that may require your assistance – likewise folks will show up for kitchen needs that fall into this category).

Compensation: $38,000 - $45,000 (based on experience) + housing as it is available, health insurance (no dental), 6 weeks paid vacation, simple IRA w/ 2% annual contribution by TFS + farm fresh veggies, meat and eggs.

We serve diverse communities of students and we are striving to develop a staff that reflects that. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply to our open positions. The Farm School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in any of its school administered policies or programs.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $35,568* - $50,000

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline