Farm Operations Technician

The Farm Operations Technician facilitates and assists with implementing day-to-day farm activities and facilities maintenance to enable the successful operation of the Pacific Northwest Organic Center (PNWOC). The goal of the PNWOC is to conduct regionalized scientific research to support organic farmers, translate that research into practical advice, and provide one-on-one consulting to help farmers transition to organic. The Farm Operations Technician supports this work by ensuring research, production, education, and development projects function as designed. The Farm Operations Technician will participate in project design through completion, carrying out all daily activities while maintaining activity logs.  This position reports to the Farm Manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist Farm manager in the execution of day-to-day farm and facilities maintenance tasks
• Field:
  • Care for research, education, and production fields through seeding, transplanting, irrigation, cultivating, hand weeding, pruning, spraying, harvesting, and any other field tasks requested
  • Maintain field operations logs, including tillage, planting, inputs, etc., for organic certification and research records
  • Assist with in-field research needs such as data collection, plot layout, soil sampling, etc.
• Landscaping:
  • Maintain an aesthetically pleasing landscaping across publicly visible campus
  • Assist in planning and execution of pollinator/beneficial insect habitats and demonstration gardens
  • Maintain detailed records including input, planting, and other records
  • Prepare for on-farm meetings, tours, events, etc.
  • Transplanting, hand weeding, watering, seeding, dead-heading, harvesting, spraying, pruning, trellising, mowing, trimming fence lines, and any other landscaping tasks requested
• Equipment
  • Fulfill and follow equipment training, safety training, and operation protocols when operating equipment
  • Tractor operation and use of tractor-mounted implements
  • Operation of gas-powered hand tools including, but not limited to, chainsaw, weed eater, hedging trimmer, and walk-behind tractors
  • Fill out training, operation, and maintenance logs as required
  • Learn and perform regular equipment maintenance procedures necessary for safe and smooth equipment operation
• Livestock:
  • Provide support where needed
  • Maintain animal/chore logs
  • Feeding, watering, moving fences, moving animals, collecting data, and any other livestock tasks requested
• Harvest/Sales/Distribution
  • Support raspberry and blueberry U-Pick operation
  • Hand harvest, sort, and pack raspberries and blueberries for direct-to-consumer sales
  • Assist in machine harvest of blueberries for wholesale market
  • Follow all food safety protocol through harvest, processing, and sales/distribution
  • Help with the safe transportation of blueberries to market
• Events/Infrastructure
  • Assist in preparing event sites, including cleaning, organizing, and set up
  • Assist with structure, fence, and driveway maintenance and repair projects
  • Assist with maintenance and repair of on-site hydro-electric project

• Maintain a clean and organized work area and office space
• Lead and/or supervise volunteers when requested
• Participate in webinars and interviews when requested.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• At least 2 years of experience in manual labor, agriculture, or landscaping
• Ability to maintain and organize activity logs
• Positive, motivated, professional attitude
• Flexible schedule, as farm work can be unpredictable
• Works well in both a teamwork-oriented environment and alone
• Able to lift and carry +50lbs
• Able and willing to work in any weather
• Willing to persevere through repetitive tasks with hand tools and/or power equipment
• Eagerness to learn and master new skills
• Safety first mindset

Other Institutional Expectations: Willingness to provide input, explore new tasks, try new or different approaches and openness to new ideas.

Be honest, respectful and take ownership of our work and mission.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity or handicap.

Powered by JazzHR

WRjVI0GElf