Employment Opportunities

Job Summary:

The Production Farm Manager is primarily responsible for producing high-quality organic fruits and vegetables using sustainable and efficient gardening practices. This position also supports community engagement, volunteer coordination, and helps facilitate educational opportunities in the Learning Garden. The Production Farm Manager works closely with the Director of Operations, Garden Educator, and volunteers to maintain a thriving, productive, and welcoming garden space.

 Garden Production & Maintenance

• Plant, maintain, and harvest crops to meet needs of school cafeterias, CSA and other wholesale outlets.
• Use crop rotation, succession planting, and propagation to ensure year-round productivity
• Manage soil health creating and maintaining compost, amendments, and cover crops
• Monitor and respond to pest and disease issues using proven techniques
• Maintain garden beds, trellises, row covers, hoop houses, and other infrastructure
• Set up, maintain, and repair irrigation systems
• Keep tools, supplies, and nursery operations clean, organized, and functional
• Follow food safety standards when handling and delivering produce
• Create and follow seasonal planting and harvest calendars
• Set clear daily goals for volunteers and for yourself and track task completion and progress
• Record plantings, harvests, deliveries, and volunteer hours
• Balance daily upkeep with time-sensitive tasks like harvests and planting
• Build and maintain practical garden infrastructure (raised beds, trellises, etc.)
• Propagate plants and organize bi-annual plant sales

Volunteer & Education Support

• Train and oversee regular volunteers in practical gardening tasks
• Lead volunteer/community work days that are organized by Director of Ops
• Support the Garden Educator with the hands-on portion of educational programming

Communication & Reporting

• Provide a monthly garden report to the Board of Directors on garden, including harvest quantities
• Report challenges, needs, and progress in a timely manner to Director of Operations
• Record and communicate harvest quantities and produce distribution to Director of Operations
• Implement operational guidance as directed by the Board

Community Engagement

• Volunteer at NFF’s two annual fundraisers- manage the Plant Sale at Earth Day Festival and attend the Annual Benefit to support event operations and community presence.
• Interact with garden visitors and represent Noyo Food Forest at community events when needed

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Minimum requirements include: a high school diploma, CA driver’s license, TB Test, a background check, and fluency in English, both spoken and written
• Demonstrated hands-on gardening experience (minimum 2 years)
• Practical knowledge of organic gardening techniques
• Ability to work independently and complete garden tasks efficiently
• Experience using and maintaining garden tools and equipment
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks effectively
• Experience tracking and documenting work progress
• Experience with task delegation

Physical Demands:

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.

• Work is performed primarily in the Learning Garden
• Regular physical activity including digging, planting, weeding, and harvesting
• While performing duties, the employee will be required to frequently bend, twist, reach, push, etc
• Moderate exposure to low and high temperatures, both inside and outside
• May be required to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds