Company description

Elkstone Farm is a permaculture-inspired farm in the mountains of northwest Colorado near Steamboat Springs. Its owners were inspired to start the farm by the agricultural heritage of the valley and the desire to improve the health of the land. The farm embraces organic principles to maximize productivity and emphasize the health of its farmers and its crops. Throughout the year we host culinary and educational events which are open to the community. We also teach cooking lessons and create a line of value-added products from the farm’s produce. Our produce and products can be found at our farm stand during the summer, and at local stores throughout the year. Find us on Instagram @elkstonefarm.

Job description

About Elkstone Farm

Elkstone Farm is a permaculture-inspired farm in the mountains of northwest Colorado, near Steamboat Springs. Its owners were inspired to start the farm by the agricultural heritage of the valley and the desire to improve the health of the land, using organic principles to enable it to be as productive as possible. The farm began operations in 2009 with the construction of a climate battery greenhouse that allowed for production of Mediterranean perennials (think figs, citrus and grapes). Over the ensuing 14 years, our growing operations expanded to include five additional growing areas: 1) a pond garden containing fruit trees, berries, herbs, other perennials, and annual vegetables, 2) three passive-solar hoop houses for annual production, 3) a fruit forest, 4) a flower garden, and 5) an agroforest using an alley-cropping configuration to grow trees and annual crops. Although not certified organic, we are, at our core, committed to the exclusive use of organic practices.

The farm also has a commercial kitchen where we create value-added products, teach cooking lessons, and serve dinners. We are driven by our love of the farm-to-table connection and our desire to inspire creative uses of produce.

Our produce and products are sold at our CSA, farm stand, agriculture alliance, restaurants and specialty stores. Summer farm tours are offered to the general public as well as to educational and non-profit organizations. We offer a series of educational workshops and aim to help the community to bring practices home with them.

Our commitment to nurturing the land endures, as does our desire to share our food and knowledge with our community. Going forward, we aim to integrate science more systematically into our operations and continue to enhance the productivity of our land and what Elkstone Farm has to offer our community.

Visit our website, https://elkstonefarm.com, and search for us on Facebook and Instagram, @elkstonefarm.

Overall responsibility

Primary responsibility is oversight and management of annual growing areas: the hoop houses and scattered annual planted areas in the pond garden, ag forest, and fruit forest. You will also assist with work in the greenhouse, flower gardens, and other perennial areas. Goal is to optimize soil health and maximize productivity of plants, using organic practices, as well as optimize efficiency of operation. Elkstone farm is known for its elegance of design and we aim for high standards in each of our products.

Key areas of responsibility

• All growing areas

• Manage operations of seedhouse,hoophouses, and outdoor annual areas

• Manage soil and plant health using organic practices, e.g. cover crops, composting, soil amendments, IPM

• Create and implement crop plans

• • • Work with management team to determine best revenue sources from produce- balancing between CSA, farm stand, on site kitchen, food bank, transplant sales, agriculture alliance, restaurants

• Manage weeds

• • Start seeds, prep beds, transplant, manage watering schedule, and prune, as needed

• Schedule and oversee harvests, using best practices

• Oversee wash house operations
  • Follow established farm practices of weighing, washing, drying, bunching, and packaging produce
  • Record all produce harvested
  • Record amounts of produce going to various end-users
  • Thoroughly clean wash house and all containers after every harvest and farm market

• Grower management
• Work with Farm Managers to interview assistant growers and interns, as needed
  • Identify work and time requirements
• Supervise all work of assistant growers and interns
• Coordinate with chef to determine
  • Annual plant needs – choices, quantities
  • Weekly Harvest needs – timing, quantity, etc.

• Maintain clean conditions
  • Seedhouse
  • Washhouse
  • Growers’ office

• Administrative
  • Prepare annual budget for areas of responsibility
  • Develop system for collecting data to determine cost of production of each crop
  • Review and update Best Practices Manual
  • Maintain records to inform decision-making, e.g.
    • Winter temperatures and sunlight; dates of first and last frost
    • Planting and harvest records
    • Soil amendments
    • Infestations of pests and diseases, actions taken to address problems
    • Sales and revenues
  • Participate in team meetings
• Research
  • Plants
  • Beneficial insects
  • Pests
  • Organic and permaculture practices
  • Harvest practices
  • Soil amendment options

Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum of two years overseeing growing operation of an organic or sustainable produce farm, in addition to several years of prior growing experience

Administrative

• Strong record-keeping skills and competency with Word and Excel

Growing

• Knowledge and appreciation of permaculture principles, ability to implement them
• Experience growing successfully in high altitude/cold-weather environment
• Strong competency in creating annual crop plans
• Extensive knowledge of organic practices, e.g. amending soil, utilization of beneficial insects, composting
• Knowledge of perennials, e.g. fruit trees, berries, herbs and flowers, in addition to annuals
• Some knowledge of irrigation systems helpful
• Some experience with BCS walk-behind tractor preferable

Personal

• Exceptional integrity
• Strong work ethic
• Good communicator
• Strong interpersonal skills, can accept and give feedback
• Collaborative, team-builder leadership style
• Organized and meticulous
• Physical strength and endurance. Can lift 50 lbs.

Terms of employment

• Full time, year round
• Weekend work will be required at times

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

February 27, 2025