Community Farmer

Position: Community Farmer 

Status: Regular, Full-Time, Non-Exempt 

Hours: 40 hours per week, Sunday-Thursday. Evenings, weekends, and holidays on occasion.  

Reports to: Farm Production Manager 

About Coastal Roots Farm

Coastal Roots Farm (CRF) is a nonprofit Jewish community farm and education center. We cultivate healthy, connected communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom. 

We share organic produce with those who need it most and connect people to compelling Jewish ideas and traditions through farming and food. We distribute food through our on-site pay-what-you-can Farm Stand, pop up mobile farm stands, and donations to hunger relief organizations. We offer hands-on education and experiences through School and Group Visits, Farm Camp Farm Tours, Volunteer Opportunities, Jewish Agricultural Festivals, and other community events, inviting our neighbors to connect to the land, Jewish tradition, and each other. 

Coastal Roots Farm is located in Encinitas, CA on approximately 17 acres of land which we recognize as indigenous to the Kumeyaay and Luiseño peoples. Our Farm consists of vegetable production fields, education farm and gardens, a food forest, chickens, and compost operations. Coastal Roots Farm was incubated by the Leichtag Foundation in 2014 and received 501(c)(3) public charity status in 2015. 

Position Overview

The Community Farmer will support the farm's operations through cultivation, development, maintenance, and follow-through of projects within the following organically maintained production areas: vegetables, food forest, chicken runs, and composting operation. All Community Farmer roles require flexibility and agility, as well as the ability to specialize in certain areas. While all farmers float between all farm operations, each person has a workload with a specific focus in unique areas according to individual skill sets and organizational needs. Sometimes this even constitutes individualized scheduling to cover tasks and shifts. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Production Areas:

• Support crop production on the farm, including pest management, greenhouse propagation, transplanting, sowing, weeding, watering, fertilizing and harvesting. 
• Support compost operations on the farm as needed, including gathering and tracking of compost throughout the property, operation of mid-scale aerated static pile compost system, and field sheet mulching. 
• Support care and maintenance of chicken flocks as needed, including feeding, watering, cleaning and moving mobile coops, and processing of eggs for Farm Stand. 
• Support infrastructure development, irrigation, farm maintenance, cleanliness and organization, distribution efforts, occasional deliveries, and farm stand shifts. 
• Lead volunteers as needed. 
• Collect data and support organized record keeping. 
• Support resource development and staffing for all departments as needed. 
• Support farm stand restocking and staffing as needed. 
• Incorporate Jewish agricultural practices into the development and management of the departments. 

Education and Events: 

• Assist in implementation of farm education and events. 
• Host guests and lead occasional tours, highlighting our practices. 
• Provide support for Coastal Roots Farm programs and events. 

Requirements

Required Qualifications and Experiences

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 1-2 years of relevant work experience or a relevant certification or Associate Degree, particularly within the fields of organic/regenerative farming. 
• Passion for interacting with, educating, and leading a diversity of community participants, volunteers and staff of varied ages and backgrounds. 
• Knowledge and passion around community farming, food justice, food systems development, etc. 
• Cooperative, service-oriented attitude and ability to work independently and take initiative, set priorities and see projects through to completion. 
• Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship development skills. 
• Ability to be open and flexible to new ways of working with diverse communities. 
• Creative skills and ability to experiment to attain new, better strategies, approaches, and solutions to challenges. 
• Flexibility and willingness to take on a variety of tasks along with an ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative team environment. 
• Strong work ethic and ability to perform strenuous physical labor in inclement weather. 
• Detail oriented. 
• A valid driver’s license. 

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Certification in organic farming and/or 1-2 years of experience with sustainable farming. 
• Food safety training. 
• Technical knowledge and familiarity with irrigation construction, troubleshooting, and repair. 
• Knowledge of species and climate specific to Southern California. 
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office. 
• Knowledge of agricultural equipment usage and safety. 
• Experience as an agricultural or environmental educator. 
• Familiarity with Jewish agricultural or arboreal concepts, texts, and traditions. 
• Project management experience. 
• Training in active listening and constructive communication techniques such as Non-Violent Communication, meeting facilitation, etc. 
• Understanding of working within a nonprofit organization. 

Reporting Relationship

Reports directly to the Farm Production Manager 

Compensation

$20-$24/hour and commensurate with experience. Coastal Roots Farm offers a competitive benefits package. 

Typical Working Conditions 

The Community Farmer will work outdoors conducting a variety of tasks, often times repetitive with technical support from supervisor and teammates. There will be exposure to Southern California outside temperatures, chemicals used in the agricultural industry, and loud noises. 

Essential Physical Tasks 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Continuous walking, standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching, lifting, and pushing/pulling up to 50 lbs., cutting, and carrying. Able to walk a minimum of .5 miles on uneven narrow trails with elevation gain. 

Equipment Used 

Mechanical and manual tools used in compost production, laying hen production, agriculture and landscape maintenance. 

Application Process 

Please visit our website at https://coastalrootsfarm.org/job-opportunities/ and click Job Openings & Internships to apply online. All applicants must submit:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Job questions

Coastal Roots Farm is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to building an inclusive workforce. We welcome and strongly encourage people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. All qualified candidates, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or genetic information will be considered for this position.