ECOLOGY ACTION POSITION:
GROW BIOINTENSIVE Farmers
Position: GROW BIOINTENSIVE Farmer
Location: Mini-Farm – Mendocino County, CA
Date: November 2010
Position Overview:
Ecology Action is currently seeking three to six farmers as part of staff for three separate sites in Mendocino County California.
The GROW BIOINTENSIVE method is a system of sustainable mini-farming that is designed to dramatically increase food production, rapidly build farmable soil, increase income and provide ecosystem services such as improved water holding capacity, specie biodiversity, increase sequestration of carbon to mitigate greenhouse gases, and other benefits.
This position will work closely with Assistant Garden Managers, apprentices, seasonal garden interns, workshop participants, as well as other staff. There will be a range of tasks and responsibilities. There will be a range of tasks and responsibilities, including garden planning, bed preparation, planting, composting, weeding, watering, harvesting, data collection and record keeping.
The ideal candidate will be able to work within a research, training and farming structure, with the ability to be flexible and adaptive, as well as draw on the innate skills of working on the land. Good interpersonal skills are necessary in order to be a team player as well as interacting with the people that come for tours and short trainings. The successful candidate will be able to give and receive instruction as required. We have a group of international interns every year, so openness and acceptance of others perspectives and opinions is highly valued. A secondary language, particularly Spanish or French, will be a plus. We desire to bring a candidate who is willing to take on a variety of tasks, and is not afraid to take on special project.
Background on Ecology Action:
Ecology Action is an educational nonprofit organization that has spent over a third of a century developing and codifying the organic GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming approach that is low-cost and non-polluting. It maximizes agricultural yields, builds soil fertility, and minimizes inputs of water, energy, and nutrients in organic fertilizer form. Ecology Action has demonstrated results in helping communities in the U.S. and worldwide to grow plentiful and nutritious food without depleting precious natural resources, and by using sophisticated, yet low-technology approaches to farming and marketing.
Ecology Action’s work is centered at its Common Ground Research and Demonstration Garden/Mini-Farm located in Willits in northern California. The site was chosen due to its difficult growing conditions, including poor soil quality and hilly terrain, to best demonstrate the effectiveness of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE approach and its adaptability to diverse climates and cultures. The garden serves as one of the oldest, long-term sustainable agriculture research projects in the world.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Research Garden
Assist with raised-bed growing area (approx. 10,000+ sq. ft.)
Assist with supervision and teaching/training of 4 to 6 apprentices and/or interns
Daily gardening tasks
Data collection
Teaching Responsibilities
Under the guidance of the Garden Manager prepare GROW BIOINTENSIVE topical and crop classes for students and the general public
Outreach Education
Assist with 4 tours annually
Assist with 2 3-day workshops annually
Teach at our Palo Alto location periodically
Research
Assist with management of data
Desired Attributes:
3 years of organic agricultural experience, either based on a degree in Sustainable Agriculture or related field, or from life experience.
Cross-cultural experience a plus
Strong communication skills
Excellent organizational skills
Flexibility
Desire to live and work in community
A self-starter, solutions-oriented person and a co-creative team player
Desire for continued training, including using Ecology Action’s Apprentice Program’s objectives in teaching and learning
Ability to work with Microsoft package applications—especially Excel
Ability to work with MAC computers
Knowledge of data management systems a plus
Salary and Benefits:
$20,800 annual salary
$200 monthly medical stipend
Up to $600 reimbursable for dental/vision care annually
4 weeks of paid annual vacation upon completion of 1st year
8 paid holidays each year
Housing may be available in the future
Timeline and Application Procedure:
Submit resumes to: Jake Blehm, Assistant Director, Ecology Action, 5798 Ridgewood Rd., Willits, CA 95490 or email to: jakeblehm[at]growbiointensive.org
Preferred start date: As soon as possible, but we will work with the prospective candidates.
Applications will be accepted until we find the right candidate. Thank you for your interest in Ecology Action!
ECOLOGY ACTION POSITION:
Mini-Farm Data Manager
Position: GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farm Data Manager
Location: Mini-Farm – Mendocino County, CA
Full time equivalent: 25%, year round, approximately 10-15 hours average per week.
Posted: March 2011
Position Overview/Desired Skills and Attributes:
A good working-knowledge of data collection, compilation, analysis and evaluation. The right candidate can be trained in this on the job. A good working knowledge of basic statistics, with some coursework or experience with advanced statistical program packages can be useful. Familiarity with food-raising practices and gardening and farming practices desirable, but the right person can be involved in these processes on the job.
Specific duties include:
- Monitoring crop, compost, water, soil and other research data for accuracy as they are developed and completed. Communicating with staff and students when corrections need to be made by them.
- Ability to use Microsoft Excel.
- At the end of December, remove any remaining log sheets that are complete for annual crops. For annual crops still in bed (e.g. carrots that will continue to be harvested, winter grains, compost crops), leave log sheet in the log book.
- For perennials, make a new log sheet with the new year at the top of the log sheet. Transfer relevant information: area, date initially planted, map, harvesting approach, etc. Remove old log sheet.
- Update relevant sections, as appropriate, in Garden Manual each November. Correct original materials in computer and printout a master. Each sheet needs to have the date updated at the bottom of the page in the format used for this, so everyone can know if they have the latest information.
- When all data sheets have been completed, all log sheets for the year should be checked organized by section and bed.
- Summary Data Sheets for each crop should be updated in January and February with the date revised at the bottom of the page in the format used for this, so everyone can know if they have the latest information. Copies of these sheets will then be issued to the relevant staff.
- We are hoping to find someone with a sharp attention to detail and a discerning eye for subtle differences in quantitative and qualitative characteristics in regard to multiple datasets. Some knowledge of agriculture and/or gardening would be quite helpful, but not required (a good candidate can be trained in these things). Flexibility, patience, sense of humor, respect and understanding for others, especially people who do not necessarily know anything about the importance of data and statistics and/or do not have significant interest or motivation in these things, are all highly desirable. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team is also important.
General:
The Mini-Farm Data Manager will work under the direction of the Ecology Action Director and together with the Managers, Assistant Managers, Field Coordinators and Coordinators for the Mini-Farms at the Ecology Action Headquarters, Golden Rule Community, Green Belt Community and the Palo Alto Demonstration Site during the November-December Mini-Farm Planning period. This person, with the Director of Ecology Action, will train the Mini-Farm staff, apprentices and interns in data collection using the Garden Manual at the beginning of the six-month Summer Course, which begins mid-April annually.
Data Log Sheets will be reviewed at the relevant mini-farms:
• weekly at the Ecology Action Headquarters and Golden Rule Community in Willits
• monthly at the Green Belt Site in Mendocino, and
• quarterly at the Demonstration Site in Palo Alto.
Timeline and application procedure:
Ideally, we would like to have someone hired for the position by April 11, 2011. Please send cover letter and resume to Jake Blehm, Assistant Director, Ecology Action, 5798 Ridgewood Rd., Willits, CA 95490 or email to: jakeblehm[at]growbiointensive.org
Salary and Benefits:
The position is long-term with an hourly rate of $10 and an average (flexible) of 10-15 hours per week, including travel, on a contract basis. If and when the job evolves to 20 hours a week or more, the position will become a staff position with benefits.
Applications will be accepted until we find the right candidate. Thank you for your interest in Ecology Action!