Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project
Sacramento, CA
Phone: (916) 363-9685
website: www.soilborn.org
Job Description: Assistant Farm Manager
Program: Food Production and Farming Education – American River Ranch
Reports To: Farm Manager, Co- Director
Organizational Background:
Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project is a non-profit educational farm in Sacramento, California. Our programs focus on promoting health and providing experiential learning opportunities for youth and adults, producing healthy food, improving access to healthy food for all and modeling land and environmental stewardship. Beyond producing healthy, certified organic produce for our 100 CSA members and local stores, local food banks, restaurants, and a weekly farm stand and farmers’ markets, Soil Born Farms has also developed several innovative education and food access programs in partnership with area schools and non-profit agencies.
The American River Ranch, a 55-acre historic ranch located within the American River Parkway, is the permanent home of Soil Born Farms. It provides a wonderfully diverse landscape to engage both youth and adults in hands-on activities that educate and connect them with the natural world, healthy food, healthy eating, job and life skills, hard work, and service opportunities. The American River Ranch also provides the opportunity to expand the production of vegetables and fruit to meet the needs of more Sacramento residents, particularly those in underserved neighborhoods with little or no access to fresh, nutritious food. Our original site, the 1.5-acre Farm on Hurley Way, is a model hand-scale market garden and serves as a training and educational site.
Job Summary
The Assistant Farm Manager is a developing farmer with a passion for educating young farmers and growing high-quality organic fruit and vegetables. The Assistant Farm Manager must be able to manage their time well and provide assistance on a variety of farm duties. Main duties focus on apprentice training and supervision, produce pack oversight and general field assistance for the vegetable operation.
Key Responsibilities
• Conduct and assist management of daily vegetable production field work
• Produce pack management
• Assist in field-based training and instruction and apprentice management in all farm tasks
• Oversight of field-based volunteers and work-traders to support harvests and field work
Required Qualifications:
• Two years experience working on a diversified vegetable operation
• Knowledge of sustainable agricultural systems
• Ability to work quickly, multi-task and be flexible on a daily basis
• Ability to relate, interact and empower people of all ages from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds
• Good communication skills and a “can do” attitude
• Ability to lift 50#
• Ability to work in all weather conditions and especially heat
• Interest in learning and growing as a leader, both in farming and in educating apprentices
Preferred Qualifications:
• CSA program coordination and farm stand/farmers market experience
• Experience managing interns, apprentices or staff
• An inclination to mechanical knowledge and skill
• Mixed fruit orchard management
• Interest in long-term employment at Soil Born Farms
Hours and Compensation
• Between 40-50hrs/week. 5 day work week. Chore weekend rotation every 3 weeks.
• Salary: Dependent on experience
• Benefits: 90% medical and accrued paid time off of 10 days per year (PTO).
• Opportunities for advancement
Please email cover letter, resume, and two references to Shawn Harrison, Co-Director, at sharrison@soilborn.org. Position open until filled.
