Teen Farm Fellowship Lead

Full Time June - October
Part-Time November - May

The Teen Farm Fellowship is a 10-week program from June to August that provides hands-on experiences for participants to learn about small-scale diversified organic farming while gaining crucial job, team building, and leadership skills. The program splits time between on-site work at Cedar Circle as Production team members, classroom sessions, and service-based learning at other farms and organizations through the region.

About the Position

During the growing season the TFF Lead oversees the fellowship program for its duration and otherwise spends time working as a crew member for the Production Department. This allows the Lead a chance to mesh with the growing processes at Cedar Circle so that they can better guide the on-site work for the TFF program. This work includes everything from seeding, transplanting and plant care, to harvest and wash/pack.

The fellows play an important role in supporting harvest through its busiest season including strawberry and blueberry harvest and the Lead plays a key role in ensuring that harvest goals and deadlines are being met. Though a bulk of the fellows’ on-site work at Cedar Circle consists of harvest and cultivation, the opportunity will exist throughout the season for the fellows to participate in the other production aspects at Cedar Circle to gain a well rounded experience of what goes into growing vegetables, berries, and retail plants.

Outside of the growing season, from October to May, the Teen Farm Fellowship Lead will work closely with the Education Department Manager to lead or co-lead other education programs, including, but not limited to, afterschool, workshops, field trips, and early childhood education programs. This time will also be dedicated to planning for the following year’s fellowship program.

Responsibilities

Crew Coordination – Coordinate and supervise daily tasks of Cedar Circle’s Teen Farm Fellows, including:

Help to establish a positive, nurturing, educational and motivating work environment for all members of staff
Set a pace of work that keeps the team on track towards completion of daily tasks
Mentor, supervise and support crew members to ensure programs run smoothly.
Provide a positive experience for parents or caretakers of teens participating in crew.

Other Farm Duties – During the growing season, but outside of the fellowship tenure, this position will spend a lot of time with the production teams participating in all production tasks including but not limited to:

Vegetable propagation — Seeding, thinning, watering, grafting, tagging and organizing (retail starts)
Plant care & culture — Hand weeding, hoeing / Manual pest management (squish squish) / Setup and removal of row cover / Pruning, pinching, etc
Planting — Transplanting via water wheel, bare-root, manual / Direct seeding
Harvest — Nearly daily with morning and afternoon harvests depending on crop
Wash/Pack — Washing/packing, quality control, cooler upkeep
General farm and facility upkeep

Educational Programming – under the supervision of the Education Program Manager

Develop and deliver teen ag curricula, including lesson plans and educational materials.
Coordinate, implement and participate in service-learning projects both at Cedar Circle Farm and offsite at outside farms, businesses and organizations.
Collaborate with other departments at Cedar Circle Farm, lead or coordinate skill development and educational opportunities.
Assist in the organization of a culminating Open House event for Teen Farm Fellows to present their academic project(s).
Represent Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center at recruitment events, visits to other farms / organizations, etc.
Availability to work overtime during summer season, and occasional weekends for special programs / events.
Lead or co-lead other education programs, including but not limited to field trips, afterschool, early childhood and workshops.

Qualifications

Experience as an educator in a classroom or outdoor setting.
Additional experience in a related field, or combination of work experience and coursework.
Experience developing curriculum and teaching about farming, ecology, or related subjects preferred.
Positive, energetic interpersonal skills and passion for mentoring new farmers and enjoy building relationships with teens. Be inclusive and embrace diversity of all learners.
Be proactive and self-motivated.
Possess strong written and verbal communication skills in professional and educational settings. Strong organizational and time management skills. Clear and concise record keeping and note taking
Be detail-oriented and competent in balancing multiple projects and deadlines.
Farm or market garden related experience
Must be 21 years of age (this is a requirement of our vehicle insurance).
Ability to take direction, ask for help/clarity, and give/accept constructive feedback on work and technique
Be comfortable working outdoors–rain or shine!
Available to work a regular farm work day of 8 hours, Monday to Friday, from May to August.
Valid Driver’s License

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

Work is primarily outdoors in the field—in all-weather conditions such as hot sun, wind, rain, and cold—as well as in greenhouses and barns. Physical strength and endurance is required, including the ability to lift 40 pounds regularly. Awareness, respect, and care will need to be taken while working around equipment and agricultural machinery (tractors and implements).

Compensation

Hourly rate is $17-$19 per hour, based on experience. Benefits include paid sick leave, a 403(b) retirement plan, access to farm produce, and a 20% discount at the CCFEC farmstand and cafe.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references through our employment application online below.

apply now

Cedar Circle Farm is an EEO/AA employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Due to the volume of applications that we receive, we are not able to reply to every applicant individually. We will be in touch via e-mail if we are interested in scheduling an interview with you.