Farm Manager

Job Title: Farm Manager
Department: Office of Campus Sustainability
Classification: Non-Exempt
Grade: 9

FTE/Working Schedule: 0.28 FTE / 15 Hours Per Week

Position Overview:

The Farm Manager is responsible for the overall management and coordination of activities at the Carleton Student Organic Farm. This is a part-time hourly position 15 hours a week that operates for 9 months, with a focus on the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities:

• Select 2-4 student employees for the upcoming season, conducting winter activities such as reading applications, interviewing applicants, and meeting with previous interns. Collaborate with past interns that have interest in this process.

• Meet with Food Services (Bon Appetit), Grounds Management, the Greenhouse, Student Employment, and other food and land management related  partners to understand what crops are of campus and local community importance, what tools and protocols are important to working on Carleton land, and what the process of student oversight entails. 

• Attend  a regional sustainable agriculture conference with student farm interns such as MOSES Organic Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, providing guidance, coordinating logistics, and ensuring a smooth experience.

• Conduct spring meetings with farm interns to plan the Carleton Farm Season, including organizing weekly sessions with interns to discuss farming practices, crop choices, purchasing, planting schedules, and business planning. Check in with individual students regularly to support their development.

• Oversee and mentor interns during the summer, conducting regular meetings to teach hands-on skills and farming techniques. Be accessible to students within a reasonable and communicated time frame for issues that come up.Provide a minimum of 2-4 hours of in-person mentoring and supervision in farming methods on site during the growing season or in support as well as supporting farm sales and community engagement. 

• Order all supplies for the farm, manage the budget, and track expenses.

• Coordinate funding for summer student labor with various stakeholders and request annual funding for term student work for students from departments and programs that have special resources such as Environmental Studies.

• Assist the Director of Sustainability with hiring as needed for farm-related positions.

• Maintain records and notes for the farm, ensuring organized documentation of activities.

• Support other farm related student activity and budget reporting as appropriate.

• Help farm activities reach broader audiences by helping students plan events that engage our campus or local community in caring for the farm, or building literacy about food systems. 

Supervision Received and Exercised:

This position reports to the Director of Sustainability.

Education, Experience, and Skills:

Required:

• At least a high school education with 2+ years of experience in farm management.

• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.

• Knowledge of organic farming practices.

• Experience with tillers and other small farm equipment.

• Ability to work collaboratively with students and stakeholders.

Must have the ability to understand and follow written and oral work instructions, operations, safety procedures, and hazardous labels. 

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the hire is complete. We accept only online applications.

Carleton College is an AA/EEO employer:

We are committed to developing our staff to better reflect the diversity of our student body and American society. Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota.  Nationally recognized as the nation’s top college for undergraduate teaching, Carleton is known for its academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and sense of humor. Carleton offers 33 majors and 38 minors  in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.