Company description

The Farm School Inc. is a youth centered 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

Youth are at the heart of all our work at The Farm School. Our Program for Visiting Schools is the centerpiece of The Farm School. Each school year, over 1,500 children come to help us care for our farm during 3-day visits. The students come with their classes, in groups of up to 40 children at once.

Role:

The Youth Group Barn Farmer Teachers work as part of the animal care team responsible for centering youth engagement in the care and management of the livestock on the farm. Barn staff lead youth through every aspect of livestock care. Barn staff serve as a vital connection point between visiting youth and the livestock on the farm. They answer questions, set a tone and example for calm livestock interaction, and support a safe and caring livestock program on the farm. All TFS livestock are raised for either work or food production, and Barn staff must be comfortable with the full spectrum of livestock work. This includes hands-on veterinary support, support of the loading of animals for transport, and recognition of the facts of livestock slaughter.

This role is well suited for those that can engage small groups of youth in the moment at hand, have a sense of playfulness, can balance having a clear direction while maintaining flexibility on how to get there, can be responsible, clear and collaborative.

The Barn/Livestock Farmer Teacher works in collaboration with 4 other work areas across the farm which are the Forestry/Draft Animal work area, the Kitchen/Garden work area and the Market Garden. Farmer Teachers are often asked to work across work areas and all Farmer Teachers have a voice and hand in the success of every component of the program.

Core Role Responsibilities

• To be passionate about and gain joy from working with young people.
• To organize your work area, plans and programs in ways that uplift the FS mission and goals towards Racial Equity
• To organize your work in ways that prioritizes youths ability to engage in the task of your work area
• To be thoughtful, respectful, dependable, collaborative in your interactions with youth and staff
• Work within a schedule that has multiple transitions
• To be reliable in meeting your scheduled commitment and in your communication when changes or support is needed
• Respond to slack, email communications in a timely manner.
• Participate in weekly programmatic activities including options, class, chores, dish clean up, evening activities, community meetings, opening and closing circles
• Desire to work closely with animals that produce the meat, eggs, milk and compost used on the farm and for our partner communities
• Desire to treat the animals and land with respect and care and to provide timely care to a sick or injured animal.
• Previous work with youth/young people is a plus
• Familiarity with hand tools, saws, sanders, drills and other shop tools are a plus
• Familiarity with tractor operation, weed wackers and mowers are a plus
• Familiarity with milking cows and operating the dairy/creamery are plus
• To bring various aspects of your hobbies and to share these with youth and farmer teachers.

Community Based Responsibilities

• To be kind, gracious, open hearted and flexible to both staff and youth on the land.
• Participate in a rotation of weekend greenhouse and animal chores across the farm
• Participate in vacation work week activities for your work area and group work projects that fall outside of your specific work area
• Participate in weekly staff meetings and all staff meetings

HR Based Responsibilities

• Remain current on CPR/First Aid and Food Safety certifications in collaboration with the Program Director
• Participate in feedback, check-ins and reviews as scheduled
• Read the FS Handbook and Conflict Resolution Protocols and use them as a resources when necessary

The Barn Crew Team consists of Farmer Teachers, Assistant Livestock Manager/Mentors and a Livestock Operations Manager. The Livestock Operations Manager is your direct point person for feedback, questions and scheduling needs.

We offer a robust benefits package to offer some balance to the unpredictable nature of farming/working with youth. Our shared responsibility for the care of the farm requires that all employees engage in the process of meeting the needs of the farm/program- gardens, fields, forest, barns, bunkhouses, kitchens etc. and to do so in communication with your Program Director, Co-Directors and fellow farmer/teachers.

Compensation and Benefits include: $38,000 to $45,000 annually onsite housing as available, relocation benefits, employer paid health insurance, professional development funds, farm grown food, 6 days of sick/personal time, 6 weeks paid vacation, 2% annual retirement contribution.

If you are thrilled by the opportunity to work alongside young people and be in/contribute to a kind, generous and supportive farm environment, please don't hesitate to apply! We'd love to have you join us!

Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@farmschool.org

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 or race, gender or sexuality.

Compensation

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

Application instructions

Deadline

June 15, 2023