Company description

We are a Farm, Plant Nursery, and a Campground. We have two locations: Our Mountain Farm (home to our Icelandic sheep, poultry, and private campground) and the Nursery and Valley Farm, in Franklin, NC. Franklin is a thriving small town, which is actually investing in young people! It has a healthy farming community and is the first major stop on the Appalachian Trail, which means lots of great hiking and interesting people stopping by. We also have some amazing waterfalls, a couple of great breweries and a surge of young homesteaders, ecologists and home gardening enthusiasts. 

This job would be primarily located at our Valley Farm - where we grow our produce and vegetable/herb plant-starts. We start our produce from seed in our heated production house and raise our plants with a sustainable and ethical approach. The vegetable plants and produce we grow are Certified Naturally Grown, a grass-roots alternative to the USDA organic certification. We participate in the USDA SNAP/EBT program and offer 50% matching to make our produce accessible across income levels.

Our passion and our mission is to grow good food. The owners of our company have created a foundation whose primary mission is helping food insecurity problems on a local level, and we supply our local foodbank with as much healthy, organic-practices produce as we can.

Job description

To plan and execute a market garden that supplies produce and herb/vegetable plant-starts for retail sales. Our farm uses organic, regenerative, and humane practices.

The following job description is a general guide for expectations while employed by Winding Stair Farm and is not all-inclusive. The number one expectation is that you will use good judgement and strive for a positive outcome with all endeavors.

Reports To: General Manager (GM)

This position entails planning and executing a market garden that supplies 40 CSA memberships, a weekly farmers’ market, produce for local restaurants, and the Farm Shop at our retail location. This includes the following tasks: sourcing and ordering seeds, pots, and soil, preparing beds, planting, potting up plant-starts, weeding, pest control, fertilizing, harvesting, processing, packaging, and delivering produce.

Additional farm team members can be hired, as needed during the season. The Farm Manager will be integral in the process of hiring and supervising team members.

The candidate must be able to lift and carry fifty pounds, work outdoors year-round in potentially uncomfortable weather, hold a valid driver’s license, and have reliable transportation.  Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, Excel, Word, and our Point of Sale (POS) system is required.

Farm Administration Tasks:

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Assist in maintaining appropriate records, staying within the annual produce/garden budget and achieving revenue goals.
• Use the POS to update produce, plant availability, and enter off-site sales.
• Provide marketing team members with social media photos and content.
• Participate in company management meetings (weekly).

Weekly:

• Process and package produce for CSAs, retail farm shop, restaurant, and farmers market sales; keep up-to-date records in the POS.
• Attend and represent the farm at the Saturday Farmers’ Market.
• Coordinate delivery of produce to restaurants and foodbanks, as needed.
• Maintain all farm areas, shared spaces, and vehicles in a clean and organized manner.
• Work alongside the retail team to ensure the farm shop is well stocked and presentable.

Monthly:

• Ensure adequate supplies for packaging produce and plants are available.
• Submit expense receipts to accounting staff in the month occurred.
• Review monthly budget report with General Manager.

Annually:

• Plan garden and produce plantings and selection of plant-starts.
• Coordinate CSA with Admin/Marketing.

As required/scheduled:

• Conduct Farm Tours at the Valley location, if required.
• Customer Service: Share responsibility to respond to relevant farm-based customer service questions, when needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience with an organic practices market garden
• Ability to work in a team.
• Excellent organization skills
• Construction experience
• Machine operation and experience
• Integrated pest management certification

Breakdown of Responsibilities

• 80% garden work
• 15% retail and sales prep and market
• 5% administration

Hours, Compensation and Benefits

It is anticipated that this job will take an average of 40 hours per week. This is a year-round position. The schedule will be Monday to Saturday (to include attending the farmers market) where specific hours can be coordinated with other team members. Depending on experience, the hourly rate will start between $16 and $18/hour. Full-time management employees receive 17 days PTO per year (prorated quarterly) in addition to Official Paid Holidays (11 days). Opportunity for increase in pay after 60 days. Benefits: 30% Employee Discount at the Nursery. Access to harvest food for personal use from the farm.

We can offer up to 3 months’ free accommodation at our Mountain Farm for relocation purposes. Extended accommodation opportunities are possible.

There is room for expanded responsibilities and compensation for the appropriate candidate.

Winding Stair Farm does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

December 15, 2023