Farm Manager Job in Virginia

Farm Manager Job for the Catawba Sustainability Center  in Virginia, 2012 The Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center (CSC) is a 377-acre farm in Catawba, VA.  The CSC is located about 15 minutes from Roanoke and 35 minutes from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.  The mission of the CSC is to serve as community hub advancing economic growth and environmental stewardship.  The CSC supports beginning farmers through its incubation program, VT EarthWorks, by offering educational programs, land and infrastructure, access to local farmers markets, networking with potential sales outlets, and other business development resources. The CSC has recently partnered with Preston’s Restaurant, located at the Inn at Virginia Tech, to grow food for Preston’s Restaurant and to mentor beginning farmers.

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Position description:

The CSC is hiring a farm manager/ mentor 1) to grow organic produce at the Catawba Sustainability Center for Preston’s Restaurant, and 2) to offer workshops and serve as an educational resource for beginning farmers and other visitors.

The farm manager/mentor will be responsible for maintaining all aspects of the CSC’s hoop house and production plot.  Responsibilities will include working closely with the chef at Preston’s to determine crops, designing a crop plan, buying seeds and plants, implementing the crop plan, record keeping, and delivering the product to Preston’s.

The farm manager/mentor will also work closely with the CSC director to design and offer educational workshops and to assist other on-site farmers throughout the year.

There are also opportunities for the farm mentor/producer to establish their own for-profit production site at the Catawba Sustainability Center.

Desired qualifications:

·      Knowledge of organic agriculture, gardening, soil fertility, greenhouse production, and irrigation systems and/or the desire to learn more about these things.

·      Coursework in horticulture, agriculture, soil science, natural resource management or ecology.

·      Experience working with international populations and English language learners.

·      Good organizational skills, including record keeping.

·      Ability to work independently and be self-directed.

·      Interest in physical, outdoor work.

·      Reliable transportation.

·      Experience with Excel and MS Word.

Start date and compensation:

This position is an hourly position with a commitment of 30 hours per week.  The position will start in mid-March and will run through June 30, 2012.  Continued work after June is dependent on funding availability. Pay commensurate with experience.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants, please submit a cover letter and resume to Karie Gilliam at karieg@vt.edu.