Company description

The Farm School Inc. is a youth centered 35 year 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 and Summer Program, which brings youth to the farm for overnight trips and to engage with all aspects of the farm (small animal livestock, diary, gardens, forestry and the kitchen). 

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.

-The 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 are seeking individuals who get joy from sharing their love of land and farming with young people. 

Job description

PVS Garden Farmer/Teacher 

The Farm School’s Program For Visiting Schools is looking for a highly motivated, energized individual who wants to help us give authentic farm experiences to over groups of middle school students while supporting our production vegetable growing operation. The Farm School Program for Visiting Schools hosts two groups of school youth for 2.5 day trips per week as well as a 7 week Summer program. 

The Garden Farmer Teacher leads youth through every aspect of growing veggies, fruits, flowers, perennials, herbs and growing related things from crop planning, seeding, watering/irrigation, cultivation, disease/pest management, harvest, wash up and pack out for delivery to cover cropping and the care of equipment, growing/cultivation tools, hoop houses and the greenhouse. Beyond the vegetable work area you will also work alongside youth in all other Program for Visiting School tasks including morning or evening chores, washing dishes, farm courses, evening activities and our summer programs. 

 

The role of the Garden Farmer Teacher is to have the foresight and ability to organize your assigned work area in ways that are accessible for youth and allow youth to equally engage, side by side with you, in the core elements of the work area listed above.

Core responsibilities:

• Kindness, ability to have a warm hosting, welcoming nature
• A  team player with a genuine enthusiasm for sharing things you love with youth
• An understanding and openness to multiple foodways and knowledge of food systems/history
• Reliable with an ability to work within a schedule that has multiple transitions and independently keep    track of your daily shifting responsibilities
• Flexibility, comfort with multiple transitions throughout the day, solution oriented and capable of pivoting to meet the ebbs and flows of farming and youth work and best host the group during their stay. 
• Energized by a full day working alongside youth grades 5th to 12th in all aspects of Program operations
• Support all aspects of the growing operation, including regular participation in (and potential management of) harvest/wash up and greenhouse tending
• Delivery of food to partner schools/organizations locally and in the Boston area
• With growing team, participate in all aspects of PVS programming including chores, washing dishes, 

      scheduled options, class, evening activities,    
      bunkhouse/bathroom cleaning, pre and post program setup

• Participate in facilitation and preparation of FS fundraising and community events
• Participate in rotation of weekend animal chores
• Participate in all hands on deck activities like harvest, sap collection and bringing in the hay.

 

Interpersonal skills

•   A passion for working with youth in all aspects of the PVS program 
•   A genuine interest in sustainable agriculture, greenhouse watering, bed prep, transplanting, weeding 
•   Ability to kindly and effectively communicate, directly to co-workers, coordinators, directors and team. 
•   Ability to work collaboratively and participate in team meetings at the start and end of each week.
•   Dependable with an ability to prioritize, work efficiently and ask for help when needed.

 

Hard Skills

• Experience with weed management, greenhouse management, harvest and post-harvest handling. 
• Comfort with repetitive, physical work that includes heavy lifting.
• 1 or more seasons of growing experience is a plus
• Strong organization and follow up skills 
• Some knowledge or experience with soil fertility management, weed management, pest & disease management practices, greenhouse support, harvest and post-harvest handling. 
• Must be able to bend, lift and carry 50 lbs and work in various weather conditions.
• Knowledge & experience with drip & overhead irrigation set up & operation is a plus. 
• Comfort operating farm vehicles and driving in both urban and rural settings is a plus
• Comfort with farm machinery operation a plus
• Basic carpentry and building/equipment maintenance skills are a plus.

 

In addition to your particular position, the unpredictable nature of farming/working with youth and 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. 

 

Timing of job:

Immediate opening: This year-long full time position. For 9 months of the year, from February to November your schedule can begin as early as 6:15 and end as late as 7:30 pm. December and January schedules are reduced. Farmer teachers are able to take vacations during the months of December, January, February, June and August.  

 

Compensation/benefits: 

• Annual salary of $38,000 to $42,000 
• Employer Paid Health Insurance coverage (employee paid dental option)
• Relocation Benefits (up to $1000)
• Professional development funds
• 6 days sick time
• 6 weeks of paid vacation annually (to be taken during designated blocks of non-program)  
• On-site housing provided (as available)
• 3 meals and 2 snacks a day during our programs (prepared by our talented nourishment team)
• Farm School produced food, including eggs, meat, milk, veggies, herbs, bread and maple syrup!

Compensation

this position is: salaried, 35,568* - 50k

Application instructions

Deadline

April 22, 2024