PRINCIPAL GROWER – Elkstone Farm

Last Updated On: diciembre 24th, 2024 at 09:36AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
40345 Virtus Way, box 776197
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, 80487

Primary Contact: Marco Lam
Secondary Contact: Marco Lam

Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 3033591161
    Email: marco@elkstonefarm.com

    Email: pranafarmer@gmail.com

Website: https://www.elkstonefarm.com

Internship information

General Farm Description: Vision Elkstone Farm is a mountain oasis inspiring people toward a regenerative culture that thrives in a changing climate. We exemplify abundant, ecological food production and land management practices. We nurture community through our premier, farm-centric dining experiences and education in land stewardship and restorative life practices. Mission We steward the land, and we share our knowledge and our harvest to connect land and people in a healing, joyful community. Philosophy Inspired by Strawberry Park’s natural beauty and vibrant agricultural heritage, we are cultivating a spirit of abundance at Elkstone Farm. On this special land we are growing nutritious food for our neighbors while we nurture a close community. Side by side, we are working with the soil, tasting its fresh produce, and learning to be better stewards of the Earth. We invite others who share this vision to join our CSA, so that we can foster growth and prosperity together. Our vision of abundance expands to our relationship with the land at Elkstone Farm. We are thoughtfully designing an agricultural ecosystem that is regenerative—that is evolving and growing and adapting over time. Using a whole-systems approach, we hope to restore the biocultural uniqueness of the place—paying close attention to soil and water quality, biodiversity of species, and resource management. In this pursuit we are guided by the land itself and steered by the principles of permaculture. We imbue our mission with gratitude for the replenishing power of the land and our supportive community. PRINCIPAL GROWER

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: February 1,2025
Internship Ends: ongoing, year round employment
Number of Internship Available: 1
Application Deadline: 2/1/25
Minimum Length of Stay: 1 year

Internship Details:

PRINCIPAL GROWER

Elkstone Farm

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

 

About Elkstone Farm

Elkstone Farm is a permaculture-inspired farm in the mountains of northwest Colorado, near Steamboat Springs. Its owners were inspired to start the farm by the agricultural heritage of the valley and the desire to improve the health of the land, using organic principles to enable it to be as productive as possible. The farm began operations in 2009 with the construction of a climate battery greenhouse that allowed for production of Mediterranean perennials (think figs, citrus and grapes).  Over the ensuing 15 years, our growing operations expanded to include five additional growing areas: 1) a pond garden containing fruit trees, berries, herbs, other perennials, and annual vegetables, 2) three passive-solar hoop houses for annual production, 3) a fruit forest (orchard), 4) a flower garden, and 5) an agroforest using an alley-cropping configuration to grow trees and annual crops.  Although not certified organic, we are committed to the exclusive use of organic practices.

The farm also has a commercial kitchen where we create value-added products, teach cooking lessons, and serve dinners.  We are driven by our love of the farm-to-table connection and our desire to inspire creative uses of produce to create an excellent dining experience. Our produce and products are sold at our CSA, farm stand, Yampa Valley Foods,, restaurants and specialty stores.  Summer farm tours are offered to the general public as well as to educational and non-profit organizations.  We offer a series of educational workshops and aim to help the community to bring ecological practices home with them.

Our commitment to nurturing the land endures, as does our desire to share our food and knowledge with our community.  Going forward, we aim to integrate science more systematically into our operations and continue to enhance the productivity of our land and what Elkstone Farm has to offer our community.

Visit our website, https://elkstonefarm.com, and search for us on Facebook and Instagram, @elkstonefarm.

Overall responsibility of Principal Grower position

Primary responsibility is oversight and management of annual growing areas: the hoop houses and scattered annual planted areas in the pond garden, ag forest, and fruit forest. You will also assist with work in the greenhouse, flower gardens, and other perennial areas. The goal is to optimize soil health and maximize productivity of plants, using organic practices, as well as optimize efficiency of operation. Elkstone farm is known for its elegance of design and we aim for high standards in each of our products.

 

Key areas of responsibility

• All growing areas
  • Manage operations of seedhouse, hoophouses, and outdoor annual areas
  • Manage soil and plant health using organic practices, e.g. cover crops, composting, soil amendments, IPM
  • Create and implement crop plans
  • Work with management team to determine best revenue sources from produce- balancing between CSA, farm stand, on site kitchen, food bank, transplant sales, Yanp Valley Foods, and restaurants
  • Manage weeds and pests with organic methods
  • Start seeds, prep beds, transplant, manage watering schedule, and prune, as needed

• Overseeing mushrooms grow operation

 

• Oversee harvest and wash house operations
  • Create weekly harvest sheets based on availability of produce in the field
  • Oversee harvest with assistant growers, ensuring harvest quality
  • Follow established farm practices of weighing, washing, drying, bunching, and packaging produce
  • Record all produce harvested
  • Record amounts of produce going to various end-users
  • Thoroughly clean wash house and all containers after every harvest and farm market

 

• Grower management

• Work with Farm Managers to interview assistant growers and interns, as needed
  • Identify work and time requirements
  • Evaluate candidates through interviews, a trial workday, and make recommendations to Owner
• Supervise all work of assistant growers and interns
• Plan each week’s tasks with farm managers

 

• Coordinate distribution of produce:
  • Work with chef to determine weekly harvest needs – timing, quantity, etc.
  • Coordinate CSA program and maintain communication with CSA members throughout the season, including weekly emails of share contents and farm activities
  • Decide contents of CSA share each week and lead harvest/wash/pack accordingly
  • Coordinate produce distribution across other sales channels – weekly farmstand, the Yampa Valley Foods store, restaurants, food bank, etc.
  • Manage weekly farmstand, including training staff on POS system

 

• Maintain clean conditions
  • Seedhouse
  • Washhouse
  • Growers’ office

 

• Administrative
  • Prepare annual budget for areas of responsibility
  • Create invoices in Quickbooks for restaurant sales
  • Develop system for collecting data to determine cost of production of each crop
  • Long-term: Review and update Best Practices Manual
  • Maintain records to inform decision-making, e.g.
    • Winter temperatures and sunlight; dates of first and last frost
    • Planting and harvest records
    • Soil amendments
    • Infestations of pests and diseases, actions taken to address problems, as well as preventative actions taken
    • Sales and revenues
  • Participate in team meetings

 

• Research – as needed
  • Plants
  • Beneficial insects
  • Pests
  • Organic and permaculture practices
  • Harvest practices
  • Soil amendment options

 

Reports to

• Farm managers

 

Consults and works closely with

• Owner
• Farm Managers
• Growers
• Chef

 

Qualifications (necessary skills and experience required)

Experience

• Minimum of two years overseeing growing operation of an organic or sustainable produce farm, in addition to several years of prior growing experience

Administrative

• Strong record-keeping skills and competency with Word and Excel
• Familiarity with Quickbooks a plus

Growing

• Knowledge and appreciation of permaculture principles, ability to implement them
• Experience growing successfully in high altitude/cold-weather environment
• Strong competency in creating annual crop plans
• Extensive knowledge of organic practices, e.g. amending soil, utilization of beneficial insects, composting
• Some knowledge of irrigation systems helpful
• Some experience with BCS walk-behind tractor preferable

Personal

• Exceptional integrity
• Strong work ethic
• Good communicator
• Strong interpersonal skills, can accept and give feedback
• Collaborative, team-builder leadership style
• Organized and meticulous
• Physical strength and endurance. Can lift 50 lbs.  This is a physical job, working at altitude in the mountains.  The growing season is short but the days are long!

 

Terms of employment

• Employment at will
• Full time, year round
• Weekend work will be required at times

 

Compensation

• Hourly wage commensurate with experience

 

Position available immediately

To apply, go to https://elkstonefarm.com and submit a cover letter and resume.

 

Educational Opportunities: Yes

Skills Desired: Yes

Meals: Once a week

Stipend: Paid

Housing: No

Preferred method of Contact: Email