Position: Community Farmer
Status: Regular, Full‐Time, Non‐Exempt
Hours: 40 hours per week, Sunday-Thursday. Evenings, weekends, and holidays on occasion.
Reports to: Farm Production, Assistant Manager
About Coastal Roots Farm
Coastal Roots Farm (CRF) is a nonprofit community farm and education center. We cultivate healthy, connected communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom.
Since our inception in 2014, Coastal Roots Farm has provided dignified access to fresh food for those who need it most. Inspired by Jewish agricultural practices, we raise organic crops and share the harvest with our community through pay-what-you-can farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and direct donations to local hunger relief organizations. Through field trips, workshops, agricultural festivals, and community events, we offer hands-on education and invite our neighbors to connect to the land and each other.
Coastal Roots Farm is located in Encinitas, CA on approximately 15 acres of land. Our Farm consists of vegetable gardens, greenhouses, a food forest, animal pastures, compost systems, and a vineyard. Coastal Roots Farm was incubated by the Leichtag Foundation and received 501(c)(3) public charity status in 2016.
Position Overview
The Community Farmer will support the farm’s operations through cultivation, development, maintenance, and follow-through of projects within the following five organically maintained production areas: vegetables, food forest, vineyard, chicken runs, and composting operation. All Community Farmer roles require flexibility and agility, as well as the ability to specialize in certain areas. While all farmers float between all farm operation areas, each person has a workload with a specific focus in unique areas according to individual skill sets and organizational needs. Sometimes this even constitutes individualized scheduling to cover tasks and shifts.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
Production Areas:
- Support crop production on the farm, including pest management, greenhouse propagation, transplanting, sowing, weeding, watering, fertilizing and harvesting.
- Support compost operations on the farm, including gathering and tracking of compost throughout the property, operation of mid-scale aerated static pile compost system, and field sheet mulching
- Support care and maintenance of chicken flocks as needed, including feeding, watering, cleaning and moving mobiles coops, and processing of eggs for Farm Stand.
- Support infrastructure development, irrigation, farm maintenance, cleanliness and organization, distribution efforts, occasional deliveries, and farm stand shifts.
- Lead volunteers as needed.
- Collect data and support organized record keeping.
- Support resource development and staffing for all department as needed.
- Support farm stand restocking and staffing as needed.
- Incorporate Jewish agricultural practices into the development and management of the departments.
Education and Events:
- Assist in implementation of farm education and events.
- Host guests and lead occasional tours, highlighting our practices.
- Provide support for Coastal Roots Farm programs and events.
General Administration:
- Participate in regular staff meetings.
Required Qualifications and Experiences
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- 2-3 years of relevant work experience or a relevant college degree, especially within the fields of organic/regenerative farming focused on vegetable production and Community Supported Agriculture.
- Passion for interacting with, educating, and leading a diversity of community participants, volunteers and staff of varied ages and backgrounds.
- Knowledge and passion for community farming, food justice, food systems development, etc.
- Strong knowledge of agricultural equipment use and safety.
- Cooperative, service‐oriented attitude and ability to work independently and take initiative, set priorities and see projects through to completion.
- Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship development skills.
- Ability to be open and flexible to new ways of working with diverse communities.
- Creative skills and ability to experiment to attain new, better strategies, approaches, and solutions to challenges.
- Flexibility and willingness to take on a variety of tasks along with an ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, team environment.
- Strong work ethic and ability to perform strenuous physical labor in inclement weather.
- Excellent computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Detail oriented.
- A valid driver’s license.
Preferred Qualifications and Experience
- Certification in organic farming and/or experience with sustainable farming.
- Food safety training.
- Technical knowledge and familiarity with irrigation construction, troubleshooting, and repair.
- Knowledge of species and climate specific to Southern California.
- Experience as an agricultural or environmental educator.
- Familiarity with Jewish agricultural or arboreal concepts, texts, and traditions.
- Project management experience.
- Training in active listening and constructive communication techniques such as Non‐Violent Communication, meeting facilitation, etc.
- Understanding of working within a nonprofit organization.
Reporting Relationship
Reports directly to the Farm Production, Assistant Manager.
Compensation
Salary commensurate with experience. Coastal Roots Farm offers a competitive benefits package.
Typical Working Conditions
The Community Farmer will work outdoors conducting a variety of tasks, often times repetitive with technical support from supervisor and teammates. There will be exposure to Southern California outside temperatures, chemicals used in the agricultural industry, and loud noises.
Essential Physical Tasks
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Continuous walking, standing, climbing, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching, lifting and pushing/pulling up to 50 lbs., cutting and carrying.
Equipment Used
Mechanical and manual tools used in compost production, laying hen production, agriculture and landscape maintenance.
Application Process
Please visit our website, https://coastalrootsfarm.org/about/#jobs and click on the Job Openings & Internships box to apply online.
Coastal Roots Farm is an equal opportunity employer.
City:
Encinitas