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This job expired on May 19, 2017

Assistant Manager Wild Folk Farm

  • Date Posted March 20, 2017
  • Location Fairfield, ME
  • Category Agriculture
  • Job type Full-Time
Company description

The farm was started 5 years ago with this mission:

The farm is designed and continually strives to be a place for community, subsistence, permaculture, experimentation, demonstration and education. We try to integrate small-scale organic principles into the praxis and philosophy of permaculture in order to maximize potential production without compromising responsible land stewardship. We work under minimal use of mechanization, partly out of principle, but mainly for the sake of conviviality and connection to our surroundings and each other.  We rely on human power coupled with hand and wheel tools, and the ecology around us to perform our work.   Other than our truck, and chainsaw, we are working to create systems in which we will not be reliant on fossil fuels for our operation.  We are in a period of much expansion and formation.  

The Land: Located in Benton, Maine, Wild Folk Farm features a diversified mosaic of natural landscapes (forests, meadows, wetland), agricultural landscapes (perennials, annuals, livestock pasture, rice paddies) and residential landscapes (housing, buildings, spiritual areas, etc.). Of the natural areas, forest comprises 30 acres and 8 are wild pasture/ wetland.  We cultivate one acre of no till plots, which are intermixed with a few acres of perennial zones. While young, we currently grow hundreds of different perennials.  We grow 12 different varieties of rice in a multi-acre rice paddy system in a polyculture of ducks and azolla. There is a sugar maple stand we tap, a pond where we swim, and a creek where we relax.  Almost all the farm is off the grid except for a tiny sliver down by the road, 1/4 mile from most of the other activity on the land.

Vicinity: Surrounded by rolling hayfields, forests, open sky, and a large dairy farm, we are in the heart of Kennebec Valley Farmland, though still only a quick drive, or bike ride from downtown Fairfield and Waterville; a good balance of town and country.  Both towns are undergoing a period of revitalization.  Nearby there is a yoga studio, Johnny’s and Fedco Seeds, a zendo, an independent movie theater, an art gallery, a great wine and beer shop, and a local foods market. The farm is also involved with some potential new projects in Fairfield.  We are close to hiking trails, and the Kennebec and Sebasticook rivers, which offer fishing, boating and swimming. The farm is around an hour from the coast, mountains, and Portland. We have developed close relationships with a wonderful and ever-growing community of people and farms in the area.

Buildings:  The building styles range from standard stick-framing (and more primitive) to some timber framing/natural building techniques, and we hope the latter will become more prevalent. There are no large buildings on the property, yet. Seasonally we have accommodated 4-6 people in the summer, and 2-3 in spring/fall.  Summer folks are usually a mix of apprentices, friends and wwoofers.

In Phase 1 we devoted much of our energy to building soil, systems and infrastructure.  Now, in Phase 2, we have switched focus to increasing production, finding collaborators, and growing our business, while still focusing on our mission. The farm is managed by Ben Rooney, who started the farm 5 years ago with the land owner, David Gulak.  Our produce goes to a 50 person CSA, a farm stand, and wholesale accounts. Our rice food is sold throughout the state and we sell rice seed throughout the world. We raise and sell shitakes, strawberries (u-pick), sheep, pigs, and ducks. We hope to expand into more perennial production and sales in years to come.

As the host site for the MRP (Maine Rice Project), we throw large work parties in the spring and fall. The goal of the MRP is to increase human powered grain operations, paddy agriculture, rice production and consumption and education of all these things mentioned above, throughout the state. We will work on these things throughout the season and with more collaborators, we plan for the MRP to expand and do more non-profit work. Check out more here

Our production is strongly reliant on cover cropping, rotations, animal integration, mulching, carbon farming, permaculture methods, a diverse array of homemade foliar sprays, prompt, observant and critical management, and faith in the biology below us. Our livestock is fed little grain, and we do not use black plastic.

The crops and livestock are not certified organic, yet.  We do follow organic practices and strive to go above and beyond organic standards whenever possible.  We favor heirloom and heritage taste over hybrid yields. We are the only human powered commercially viable grain operation we know of.

 

Job description Wild Folk Farm is Hiring - 

One more person an as assistant manager to join our 5 person team.  Looking to start in April and end in November, if not continue into next season. Winter housing is available.  This position will 30-40 hours of work a week, with room and board provided.  

  We are open to different work arrangements, and have multiple models in the works, so most importantly, get in touch if you are interested and we can chat.  

 Winter housing is available in Fairfield for folks that stay with us through the winter and into the 2018 growing season. 

Primary Responsibilities include: 

  • General carpentry, and "fix-it" tasks
  • Leading field crews on tasks
  • Assisting with the conceptualization and implementation of other farm projects. 
  • Collaborating on work planning/strategizing with the farm manager
  • Co-managing other personnel on the farm (apprentices, part-timers, wwoofers)
  • Helping to host guests, customers, and periodic small farm tour groups

Potential additional responsibilities include:

  • Maine Rice Project: Initiate and coordinate harvest groups and on site education tied to rice cultivation and processing with human powered equipment
  • Maine Rice Project: Develop the organization and work towards our areas of focus.
  • Helping to host guests, customers, and periodic small farm tour groups

Applicants should have multiple years of farm experience, and priority will be given to those with experience related to the duties listed above. Priority will be given for folks with some carpentry, and "fix-it" skills as well as those well versed and OK a little computer work.  Prior farm management is not necessary, but helpful.  Priority will also be given to those who are in New England and can visit. 

This is only our second season producing at a commercial scale, so this position will involve creating or modifying different systems for farm operations.  Thus we need people who are comfortable and motivated to take initiative, be inventive, be patient, work well both alone and in a group, manage other people (even when you yourself might be learning on the fly), and communicate openly and directly with our farm manager and team members.  There will probably be some lunch breaks where you might be running some errands and also some evenings during the busy part of the season, when you are working late.

For a young farm, Wild Folk has grown by leaps and bounds the past few years.  One of the biggest priorities for us now is to find longer term collaborators that can help us grow and expand our farm and its projects well into the future.   Therefore while we understand it takes a season or two to determine if people and the farm are a great fit, we will be giving preferential treatment to applicants with at least long term interest in mind.

We do not use much machinery and will be implementing many practices in evolving ways.  Thus, physical labor in conjunction with critical thought and attentiveness are important. Personal characteristics including honesty, reflection, adaptation, curiosity, love and respect are paramount. 

We strive for the farm to be in better shape every year, and it is currently at a fun point in its evolution (core infrastructure in place, and lots of room for potential additions). We want to be working towards integrating both human and ecological polycultures, including new ways of experimenting and modeling sustainability and self sufficiency in both the agricultural and human components of our farm.  For this reason, we have built an inherent flexibility for hours and tasks into this position.  The right person will be able to take it and run with it, maintaining an excited view into the future, and motivated to bring their own vision and aspirations into the fold. 

Compensation:

 We will discuss this with the candidate as part of the interviewing process.  For now, we can confidently say that we are neither the lowest nor the highest paying farm. This position will be salaried.   We maintain a high work ethic but very much respect the integrity of the body, mind and value our subjectivities.  Compensation will include farm food and housing (potentially year round).   Plus, David owns a wine and beer shop in town, so we get pretty set up in that department.

Compensation this position is : salaried Application instructions
This job expired on May 19, 2017
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