ANNUAL AND PERENNIAL DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Full-time February-October, Part-time November-January

*Full-time year round potential for candidate with ideal skill set and ability help in other departments as needed

ABOUT CEDAR CIRCLE FARM AND EDUCATION CENTER

Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center is a community hub with a farmstand, education center, retail greenhouses, a cut flower garden, a farm kitchen, a coffee shop, and acres of certified organic vegetables & fruits with a unique CSA program.

Our organization has a deep commitment to developing regenerative agriculture systems for our farm and to educating others about agricultural practices and the importance of supporting farms that improve and nourish our natural resources. We are looking for a detail oriented, positive team member to manage our greenhouse and outdoor cut flower systems, develop a robust perennial/native/edible plant enterprise and who is eager to be involved in a mission driven organization that focuses on agricultural education and research.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Annual and Perennial manager is responsible for all stages of planning and implementing our annual and perennial department growing environments at Cedar Circle including propagation areas, greenhouses, garden retail area, outdoor cut flower garden and perennial nursery. You will be responsible for planning, ordering, record keeping, and hiring and training a team to implement the department’s seasonal plans. You will be excited about developing educational opportunities and finding creative ways to connect visitors to the land and food production systems. By working closely with our retail, education and marketing staff, you will ensure that our visitors are provided with top notch customer service and educated about the products and systems at CCFEC.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Department responsibilities

• Oversee all production of Annuals, Perennials and Cut Flower Garden to include seeding, potting, watering, fertilizing, and monitoring of greenhouse temperatures and systems
• Hire, train and supervise a seasonal team to accomplish all department goals
• Staff scheduling, project/ task coordination and quality control
• Review and analyze sales data from previous year and adjust orders and cropping plans accordingly
• Order all plants, seeds, pottery, garden tools, and supplies needed including receiving orders, unpackaging, displaying, and pricing
• Keep greenhouses in working order, including watering and fertilization systems, the physical function of greenhouses, coordinating efforts with Operations Manager
• Maintain all retail areas during 8 month sales season including creating and maintaining aesthetically pleasing displays
• Oversee customer service for all Annual and Perennial department sales
• Coordinate and implement with your team all aspects of the cut flower garden including planning, field preparation, planting, weeding, irrigating, and fertility management.
• Organize cut flower CSA, PYO and bulk flower operations including customer coordination, maintaining order records, staffing harvest days and organizing delivery
• Enter and price all department products into the Revel System (our POS) so that sales can be tracked and create barcode labels for all plants to be sold
• Research and create informative point of purchase signage for all annual, vegetable and perennial plants
• Department budget development and review in conjunction with Director of Agriculture
• Pest management through detailed scouting and implementation of organic pest and disease control methods
• Work with marketing and retail staff to promote products
• Work with Education Manager to develop educational opportunities for our customers and find creative ways to engage the public with our local food system and our farming practices
• Research and plan field maps, charts and seeding plans to adjust our offerings to suit the organizational and customer needs

Farm Team Responsibilities

• Proactively communicate workload and equipment needs with other departments
• Participate in planning and development throughout the season with CCFEC team
• Support other departments as needed
• Maintain records for compliance with USDA organic certification requirements
• Maintain a smooth, timely flow with team members while working through projects
• Make sound judgment calls on project implementation and time management
• Participate in educational activities or events as required and pre-arranged by Education Program Manager
• Ability to contribute to a positive, meaningful work experience for your team and all co-workers

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least two seasons previous greenhouse growing & plant propagation experience and two season of outdoor garden/ flower garden/ nursery experience
• Comfortable developing and leading workshops and training opportunities
• Knowledge of regenerative agriculture and passion for growing native, medicinal, edible and/or pollinator plants
• Knowledge of and experience with pest scouting, IPM, and organic pest control
• Previous experience managing a seasonal team or business prefered
• Excellent time management skills and consistent attention to detail
• Positive, energetic interpersonal skills and clear consistent communication skills
• Ability to take direction, ask for help/clarity, and give/accept constructive feedback
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• Flexible, creative, and able to perform well in diverse conditions and under pressure
• Hands on manager with ability to work for long durations in inclement weather – standing, sitting, bending over, lifting and kneeling

COMPENSATION

This is a part-time year-round position. Full-time February-October, Part-time November-January. (Full-time year round potential for candidates with ideal skill set and ability to help grow the department). The Annual and Perennial Manager is an hourly position with benefits including sick time accrual, health insurance contributions, fresh produce, and discount to our farm stand. Salary starts at $20/hour plus, DOE.

TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references through the employment application on our website:

www.cedarcirclefarm.org

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: From $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience level:

• 2 years

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

COVID-19 considerations:
Cedar Circle Farm requires employees to mask indoors.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• East Thetford, VT 05043: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• greenhouse growing & plant propagation: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location: One location

teachering.org is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, teachering.org provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, teachering.org is the ideal place to find your next job.