Company description

High Desert Harvest combines modern growing technology with time-tested regenerative farming practices that build healthy living soils, producing exceptional flavor, superior nutrition, and longer shelf life

Located in Washoe Valley’s unique microclimate at 5,200 feet elevation, our farm faces both the challenges and the advantages of high-desert growing. The cooler regional climate allows us to produce exceptional vegetable crops with distinct flavor and quality, while the mineral-rich soils of the Sierra Nevada give our harvests their nutrient-dense character.

Founded in 2025, High Desert Harvest is the culmination of over two decades of farming experience. Owner and farmer Chuck Schembre has been growing food for over 20 years and in this region for more than 8 years, bringing deep knowledge of how to thrive in Nevada’s demanding climate.

Our mission is simple yet ambitious: to strengthen the local food system by providing chefs, retailers, and families with nutritious, consistent, and flavorful harvests, while at the same time restoring the health and biodiversity of the land. Every crop is professionally grown with precision and delivered within 48 hours of harvest—fresh, clean, and grown with integrity.

Job description

Position Overview & Working With the Owner
The Farm Manager / Farm Manager in Training will work directly with Chuck Schembre, owner of High Desert Harvest and EcoSoil Solutions LLC. Chuck is the founder and owner, and is currently the Farm Manager and wears all the hats necessary to build and operate the business.

The purpose of this position is to gradually transition day-to-day farm management responsibilities from Chuck to the Farm Manager, allowing Chuck to spend more time running and expanding the business, including sales, marketing, business development, agronomy, crop planning, and EcoSoil Solutions.

During the first year, the position will include substantial collaboration, training, and oversight. As competency, judgment, reliability, and leadership develop, progressively more responsibility will transition to the Farm Manager, with the long-term goal of becoming Lead Farm Manager.

Primary Responsibilities
Seeding, propagation, transplanting, bed preparation, cultivation, weeding, and crop maintenance.
Greenhouse and field vegetable production, including trellising, pruning, training, fertility applications, and crop scouting.
Irrigation scheduling, operation, installation, troubleshooting, and repair.
Pest and disease monitoring and implementation of crop-management practices.
Harvesting, washing, cooling, packing, order preparation, inventory, and food-safety practices.
Orchard management.
Management of perennial herbs, food-forest, and permaculture garden areas.
Poultry care, feeding, watering, egg collection and handling, pasture management, and poultry infrastructure.
Compost management and production.
Managing and training a small crew of employees, seasonal workers, and volunteers.
Maintaining farm organization, infrastructure, tools, and equipment.
Record keeping and crop management office tasks.
Over time, a growing role in crop planning, production scheduling, and maintaining accurate production records.
Note: Many of these responsibilities will be shared with Chuck the owner, especially in year one as the new farm manager is integrated and the farm is still within a start up and growth phase.

Equipment & Practical Skills
Candidates should have experience with small-farm equipment, including BCS or similar walk-behind tractors, small tractors and implements, seeders, tillers, cultivation equipment, mowers, sprayers, utility vehicles, and trailers. Experience with loaders, skid steers, forklifts, and larger equipment is a strong advantage but can be trained.

Required Experience
We welcome applicants at two levels:

Farm Manager in Training: at least two (2) full seasons of hands-on farm experience, preferably in diversified vegetable production, and a strong desire to build the skills to manage a farm.
Farm Manager: three (3) or more years of meaningful farm experience, ideally as a farm manager, assistant farm manager, or crew leader with significant crop-production responsibility.
Experience in the following areas is valued, and the Farm Manager level is expected to be proficient in most of them:

Intensive vegetable and row-crop production.
Greenhouse or high-tunnel production.
Irrigation management.
Harvest and post-harvest handling.
Farm equipment operation.
Crop monitoring and troubleshooting.
Organizing and efficiently executing daily farm work.
The successful candidate must understand the precision, timing, organization, efficiency, and physical demands required for small-scale intensive farming.

Compensation
Salary depends on experience and is paid in addition to on-site housing:

Farm Manager in Training: $40,000-$45,000/year plus on-site housing.
Farm Manager: $50,000-$55,000/year plus on-site housing.
Candidates with proven farm management experience whose expectations sit above this range are encouraged to apply. We are open to that conversation.

On-site housing is central to how this compensation package works and is not offered as a cash alternative. If on-site housing does not fit your situation, we are still glad to hear from you, and compensation in that case will be discussed individually.

A performance-based bonus is part of the package (see below). There are currently no employer-sponsored benefits.

Farm Living & Housing
Living on site is strongly preferred. Housing is a small one-bedroom ranch-style studio apartment, best suited for an individual or couple. The apartment is very nice with modern amenities and appliances. The unit is part of a large employee house, but offers privacy and overlooks the farm. Housing is provided in kind as part of the position, and its terms will be set out in the written compensation agreement.

The long-term vision is to provide the Farm Manager with meaningful skin in the game through performance bonuses, revenue-based incentives, and eventually profit-sharing opportunities tied to the successful operation and growth of the farm.

The goal is to build a strong management partnership where the Farm Manager confidently leads daily operations, Chuck remains actively involved in farming and agronomy, and the business can grow without requiring the owner to personally manage every daily task.

Full job description can be viewed here: https://hdhfarms.com/job/farm-manager-farm-manager-in-training/

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Application instructions

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Deadline

November 27, 2026