Farm Manager & Crew Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Heartbeet Lifesharing - Hardwick, VT 

Heartbeet Lifesharing is a licensed non-profit licensed therapeutic community residence for individuals with developmental disabilities located in Hardwick, Vermont. In addition, Heartbeet is also a vibrant Camphill community that interweaves the social and agricultural realms and is fully dedicated to the healing and renewing of our society and the earth. Community members live and work together, in beautiful extended family households, forming a mutually supportive environment that enables each individual to discover and develop their unique abilities and potential. Come see what puts the HEART in Heartbeet today!

Position Available

Title: Farm Manager & Crew Lead

Residential and Non-Residential Positions Available!

Job Description

Heartbeet is looking for a Livestock Farm Manager that is able to hold both the care and oversight of the farm life as well as manage and run our Farm Crew. The responsibilities on the farm changes with the seasons and the tasks are centered around care of our livestock. Some of the activities include livestock husbandry, building paddocks/fencing, milking cows, honoring (slaughtering/processing), composting, upkeep and maintenance of the barn, making/using the biodynamic preparations, and small carpentry projects. All of these tasks include supporting adults with developmental disabilities, using person-centered adaptive methods.

About The Farm

• All of the agricultural land is stewarded based on Biodynamic and organic principals
• Heartbeet Lifesharing is 165 total acres
• 40 acres of pastures & hayfields
• About one acre of annual vegetable gardens
• Fruit trees/bushes/vines throughout the property
• Over 100 acres of forest with a forest management plan

Diversity of Livestock

• 3 Milking Cows
• 12-15 Head Grass-Fed Beef (mixed ages)
• 6 Pigs
• Around 400 Pastured Laying Hens
• Around 400 Pastured Meat Chickens

Roles and Responsibilities
The Livestock Farm Manager is responsible for the following areas:

BARN

• Creating Chores Schedule (including weekends):  With updated “To Do” Lists
• Chores Training:  Volunteer and Friend Training.
• Cleanliness & Supplies:  Daily, Monthly & Annual Cleaning.  Chores are supplied with Milk Filters, Pitchforks,
• Shovels, Brooms, Feeders/Waterers, Light Bulbs, Sawdust, Etc.

ANIMALS

• Animal Health & Balance:  housing, feed, water, hay, grain, animal/pasture health, etc..
• Meat Birds: Ordering, Housing and Raising, Organizing Butchering, Storage & Distribution.
• Layers: Housing and Flock Health, Honoring the Old, Ordering New.
• Cows: Organize Cow Heat/Breeding/Pregnancy/Milking/Calving. Also rotational grazing.
• Pigs: Housing, Health, and Honoring
• Beef Herd: Honoring & Butchering: Schedule, Organize & Distribution of All Meat Goods.

PASTURES & HAY FIELDS

• Fencing:  Setting New Posts & Wire, Maintaining, Fixing Old & Broken Fence.
• Annual Hay Crop and Storage including Maintenance of Pastures and Hayfields: Mowing, Tedding, Bailing, and proper hay storage. Including Brush Hog, Clear Back Forest, Rock Removal & Care of the Pasture and Hayfields, Crop Rotation, Seeding, Manuring, BD Prep Application.
• Ordering: Hay, chicken feed, and other supplies. Also keeping track of inventory. 

MACHINERY

• Tractor & Equipment Maintenance:  Order Diesel Fuel, Fluids, Grease, Hay Equipment.
  • (Mower Blades, Tedder Forks, Rake Teeth, Baler Twine, Sheer Pins, Wagons, Screws, Nuts, Bolts)

Farm Crew Lead

As a crew leader you will have the responsibility of organizing and overseeing a crew, where quality is at the heart of the activities and of productions; and where each individual has the opportunity or the environment to learn and to develop social ethics and vocational skills. It is of utmost importance to create a safe environment that promotes joy, enthusiasm, and friendship; in addition to promoting inclusion, individual growth, responsibility for others, the well-being of the Heartbeet community, and of the earth. The Farm Crew lead is also responsible for:

• Facilitating a crew that meets the needs and well-being of each individual and the Heartbeet community.
• Creating an overall understanding for the overall goal(s) and purpose(s) of each project.
• Promoting interest, safety, and quality in all activities and all products.
• Striving to be financially sustainable either in value savings and/or to eventually provide a source of income for the Heartbeet community.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Creative problem-solving skills
• Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive
• Clear organizational/time -management skills
• Good communication skills 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks at a time
• Self-motivated and able to work both with little supervision and in a team environment
• Passion for working with people of all abilities 
• Demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations
  
• Ability to perform well in an environment that requires compassion, helpfulness, patience, and resourcefulness
  
• Commitment to the human rights of people with disabilities and the organizational mission

Qualifications

• At least 18 years old
• Valid U.S. Driver’s License
• I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification 
• Proficient in the English language
• Valid Driver’s License
• Must pass required Background Checks for position
• An interest in agriculture
• Ability to lift 50lbs required
• Willingness to work outdoors in all types of weather
• CPR Certification Required (training provided)

Please include a Resume and Cover Letter with your application.

Reports To: Executive Director

Hours / Job Type

Full-Time: 40 Hours/Week

Job Location: In Office

Compensation: $52,500/Year OR Live-In Stipend

Heartbeet Lifesharing actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates and welcomes people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, religions, ages, and sexual orientations to apply; as an EOE/AA employer, Heartbeet Lifesharing will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, veteran or disability status or any other factor prohibited by law.