Soper Farms - Back to the Future of Farming

Monday, December 20, 2010

NOW HIRING - Vegetable Manager Job Description

Job Opportunity – Organic Vegetable Manager, New Shoots Farm

About Soper Farms – We are a family-owned farming group spanning 4 generations and 71 family stockholders. We are absentee landlords working with farming partners. We are in the middle of transitioning our 1,000 acres near Emmetsburg Iowa from commercial corn & beans to sustainable organic systems with the desire to grow healthy food for our local and regional community. Our second organic transition program under way is our newly established New Shoots Farm.

New Shoots Farm – New Shoots a 260-acre vegetable and livestock farm. Over a four-year schedule, we are building a closed nutrient cycle organic farm with 100 acres of vegetables and extended season green houses as well as cow/calf operation with an annual harvest of 160 grass fed cattle and 9,000 broiler chickens. Our customers range from patrons in our in-town farm store with a bakery and deli, to farmer’s markets, CSA members and institutions. We also have plans to develop branded value-added food products from the farm.

We need you – We are looking for a great vegetable manager to help design and deploy our 100-acre gardens from the soil up. The position will be filled by March, 2011. Build-out and partial production will begin in 2011 with full production by 2012. If you have ever dreamed of building a larger-scale organic vegetable farm with strong support and resources behind you, this is your opportunity.

Job Description:
• Two or more years in-field experience growing fresh market produce
• Well organized and with great people skills
• A passion for all things fresh and organic
• As a member of the management team, you will plan and execute all field planting
and harvest activities and schedules.
• Familiar with biological pest control
• Familiar with green house management and production
• Enjoy being a hands-on mentor to your staff that will grow to 12-18 full-time and
seasonal field/harvest workers.
• Detail oriented towards organic records management, financial accountability and
interest in following organic standards
• Produce daily and weekly planting and production schedules
• Willing to cross train to help support the other aspects of the New Shoots Farm
• Basic tractor and equipment operation
• Quality control and post-harvest product management

Other management team members you will work with include a Livestock and Facilities Manager, Sales and Marketing Manager along with accounting and other support. Your salary will be determined by your experience and includes full health care benefits. For areas where you may lack experience we will support you with training.

You are a special breed of farmer. If you are interested, please contact me at your earliest opportunity. I prefer email but welcome all forms of communication. Please include a cover letter and resume.

My best,

Harn Soper
Deep roots, new shoots
Cell: 650-804-0198
Email: harnsoper@gmail.com
Blog/ http://soperfarms.blogspot.com/