Farm Manager

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center’s Farm Manager oversees all day-to-day operational aspects of the Merry Lea Teaching Farm (MLTF), a small but diverse educational farm located on the Merry Lea property just south of Wolf Lake, IN. MLTF contributes to the center’s mission by serving as a place where environmental education programs related to sustainable food production are delivered to people of all ages. The farm also produces food used by other Merry Lea program areas. MLTF facilities include vegetable plots, fruit and nut orchards, an animal barn and pastures, a passive solar greenhouse, and a small hoop house.

The Farm Manager regularly draws upon specialized skills and technical knowledge in the fields of agroecology and food production, such as designing planting spaces, selecting site-appropriate crops, overseeing planting and harvesting activities, monitoring crop condition and modifying management approaches accordingly, and farm animal husbandry, all aimed at maintaining MLTF as a setting for teaching about food systems and increasing food literacy. In doing so, they play a critical role in the success of Merry Lea’s educational programs and have a high level of impact on the experience of participants in these programs. Primary responsibilities include managing all aspects of crop production, coordinating distribution of harvested crops, hiring/supervising farm staff, seasonal student works/interns, and volunteers, creating/managing financial budgets, and record keeping. The Farm Manager also regularly supports and delivers farm-related education and outreach programs for children, young adults, collegiate students, adults, and families. This position requires significant coordination with other Merry Lea staff members.

This is a full-time position with an annual salary of $42,224 plus benefits.

Essential Functions:

• Farm management – 80%
  • Maintain agricultural spaces in a state that directly supports educational activities, including Environmental Education Outreach (EEO) programs and undergraduate/graduate classes. Core spaces include:
    • Teaching garden
    • Orchard
    • Greenhouses
    • Produce preparation room
    • Livestock barn
    • Market garden
    • Woody perennial polyculture (WPP) site
  • Food production management
    • In consultation with other Merry Lea (ML) staff and faculty, determine annual crops, farm animal composition, planting regimes, and harvest schedules.
    • Perform day-to-day farm management tasks, including planting, weeding, pruning, mowing, pest management, mulching, harvesting, and animal care.
    • Operate light and heavy equipment and machinery (e.g., mowers, weed whips, tillers, tractors) necessary to complete the responsibilities of this position.
    • When necessary, preserve harvested food using appropriate methods, such as canning and freezing.
    • Coordinate distribution of farm food shares to undergraduate and graduate students in residence.
    • Coordinate farm food supplied to internal ML programs.
    • Coordinate donations of farm food to local food pantries.
  • Manage and supervise paid farm workers (short-term and long-term), student interns, and volunteers.
    • Advertise and coordinate hiring of paid farm workers.
    • Collaborate with ML Volunteer Coordinator to recruit volunteer farm workers.
    • Train paid and unpaid workers to perform farm management tasks.
    • Supervise and coordinate day-to-day activities of paid and unpaid farm workers, including tasking daily chores, long-term scheduling, approving timesheets, providing performance feedback, and designing/implementing performance improvement plans.
  • Financial management and record keeping
    • Create and manage annual MLTF budget, including calculating farm intern salaries and identifying/pricing materials.
    • Order farm materials/supplies and process associated payments, including issuing invoices and coding expenses to appropriate cost centers.
    • Keep budget tracking documents up to date.
    • Maintain digital databases relevant to the farm, including detailed care of perennial crops, and records of food produced and how it was used/where it was sent.
    • Annually summarize expense reporting for the entire MLTF budget.
    • Produce written reports as needed.
  • Other
    • Engage collaboratively with other ML staff in long-term strategic planning and programmatic assessment activities.
    • Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and other meetings as necessary.

• Teaching and Outreach – 20%
  • Demonstrate practical skills in gardening and animal husbandry to undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Mentor undergraduate and graduate students participating in the residential sustainability semester program, the M.A. in Environmental Education (MAEE) program, and internships.
  • Interact with children and young adults (PreK-12) as part of Merry Lea’s EEO programming, especially Conservation Leadership School and Indiana Junior Master Naturalists.
  • Collaborate with faculty to plan and facilitate on-farm experiences/lesson plans for Goshen College collegiate courses that demonstrate environmental education through agriculture for MAEE and undergraduate students.
  • Plan and facilitate farm-related workshops for families and adults.
  • Available for other on-farm, on-campus (Goshen College), or community-based public programs as needed and as schedule allows.
  • Serve as primary organizational resource person for farm- and food-related inquiries from the general public.

 Supervisory Responsibility:

• Supervises paid and unpaid farm staff (i.e., seasonal employees, interns, students, and volunteers)

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in agroecology, environmental science, horticulture, or a related field
• 1-2 years of related experience

Certifications, Licenses, Registrations:

• Driver’s license
• First Aid/CPR

Skills & Competencies:

• Passion for agroecology and sharing this approach to food production with others
• Specialized farm-related experience, such as gardening, crop production, livestock management, and equipment usage/maintenance
• Ability to operate light and heavy equipment and machinery (e.g., mowers, weed whips, tillers, tractors) necessary to complete the responsibilities of this position
• Ability to problem solve, take initiative, collaborate, and make sound decisions necessary to fulfill job duties and meet organizational objectives
• Strong commitment to working as part of a collaborative team
• Exceptional project and time management skills
• Demonstrated commitment to working with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Strong commitment to Merry Lea’s mission and Goshen College’s values
• Desire for lifelong learning
• Self-motivation
• Excellent communication skills
• Competency in Microsoft Office applications and/or Google Office suite

Special Requirements:

• Physical mobility: sitting, standing, walking, bending, kneeling, lifting heavy objects
• Ability to work outside in variable weather conditions
• Ability to operate power equipment

Work Environment/Environmental Conditions:

This position is located at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, 28 miles southeast of Goshen, IN. Merry Lea is comprised of 1,189 acres of diverse ecosystems and is managed as a preserve and environmental education center. There are multiple program sites and facilities including classroom and office space. Inside environmental conditions can be expected for a portion of the time, but this position does require a significant amount of work outside where there may be exposure to inclement weather, pollen and spores, venomous snakes, ticks, biting insects and other elements that are a part of an intentionally natural environment.

All essential job functions are subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform this job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform other job-related tasks as requested by the supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description may change at the option of the supervisor and/or Merry Lea Executive Director. Any significant change will result in the position being reviewed by Goshen College Human Resources for reclassification.

Benefits

• Health insurance (employee premium 100% covered)
• Dental, vision, life and LTD insurance
• Retirement plans
• Tuition discounts
• Free employee membership to Recreation/Fitness Center
• Flexible Spending Account
• Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave

See our website for additional benefits information.

About Goshen College

Goshen College is a nationally-ranked college and Hispanic-Serving Institution in Indiana renowned for its distinctive hands-on, real-world educational opportunities, and its commitment to creating positive change in the community and the world. The college offers over 65 undergraduate areas of study; as well as best-in-class graduate programs in nursing, business administration, social work and environmental education. This caring, safe and diverse campus prides itself on providing excellent academic programs that connect arts with sciences, and theory with practice — exposing students to multiple perspectives and encouraging them to think deeply, live creatively and lead purposefully.

The college is located in the City of Goshen in the heart of Elkhart County, within several hours of Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit, Residents of Goshen enjoy a culturally diverse small-town atmosphere with an active arts community, a vibrant and entrepreneurial downtown, the Maple City Greenway network of bicycle paths and affordable housing prices. Learn more at www.goodofgoshen.com.