Agroforestry Manager
Year-round position with seasonal hours. Flexible time off. Compensation starts at $18/hour.
BBF vegetables and meat, and Farm Store 25% discount included.
General Information:
Bread & Butter Farm is a diversified regenerative farm on 600 acres in South Burlington and Shelburne Vermont. Our farm enterprises include organic vegetables, pasture-raised 100% grass-fed beef, woodland pork, year-round education programs, and on-farm events featuring our food and live music.
We grow certified organic, no-till, hand-managed market gardens focused on intensive production in small spaces with ¼ acres in high tunnels and 1 acre outdoor production with opportunity for expansion. Our animal herds graze 400 acres of grasslands and woodlands. Our education programs integrate kiddos, youth, and adults in all aspects of daily farm life. We offer our food primarily in our on-farm markets. These include year-round CSA , Farm Store and Blank Page Cafe, and on-farm events such as our summer Burger Nights.
Job Summary:
The Agroforestry Manager is a new position at BBF following several years of planning and design for farm-scale agroforestry implementations to begin in 2023. We have designed and sought funding for 400 acres of pick-your-own and market orchards, and animal-based agroforestry systems including species selection, layout, and economic analyses. Together with our Land Director, the Agroforestry Manager will work closely with the Animal, Vegetable, Education, and Markets Managers to finalize agroforestry designs and funding timelines, and begin site preparations and implementations fall of 2023. There may be additional opportunities in 2023 to teach in an agroforestry training program.
Agroforestry is at the nexus of all of our enterprises and, as such, the manager position requires excellent communication and teamwork skills to successfully integrate both land management practices and enterprise teams. Financial planning and daily hands-on work is primarily annual and perennial plant focused. In 2023, the Agroforestry Manager will work with the Vegetable Production Manager for daily execution of our organic veg enterprise.
Specific responsibilities of the Agroforestry Manager include:
Agroforestry systems design including financial management, crop and variety selection, planting layout, and vegetable and animal enterprise integrations
Securing funding sources for implementation cost-share and grant programs
Site preparation including Keyline plowing, compost and amendment applications, and cover cropping
All daily agroforestry plant management, harvesting, and wash/pack for markets
Participating in the Enterprise Manager team with regular meetings and financial reporting
Specific responsibilities in collaboration with Vegetable Production Manager:
Bed Prep (manual - with digging forks, broad forks, and hoes/rakes)
Seeding
Transplanting
Weed management, including hand-weeding, weed whacking, mowing, tarp
Harvest
Wash/Pack/Delivery
Tomato house work (trellising, pruning)
Qualifications in order of priority:
The most important qualifications are strong organizational, communication and teamwork skills and a positive, creative mindset
Significant perennial and annual plant production experience required, with preferred experience in agroforestry systems, perennial nurseries, and organic market gardening
Strong recordkeeping and financial management skills with spreadsheet proficiency
Team leadership and management experience, with preference for farm crew management
Some GIS skills with a minimum of proficiency in Google Earth Pro or similar software
Able to lift 30-50 pounds repetitively
Able to work at a fast pace, independently and as a team
Values community building
Passion for regenerative farming and living
Eagerness to learn and explore opportunities
Experience with grazing animals is preferred but not required
Experience in experiential education is preferred but not required
Tractor operation and mechanical experience preferred but not required
To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three (or more) references with “Agroforestry Manager” in the subject line to [email protected].
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.