Livestock and Pastures Manager

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

The Accokeek Foundation is seeking a Manager for its Livestock and Pastures program. The Manager will serve as a faculty member of the Foundation’s Center for Agricultural and Environmental Stewardship (CAES). The Manager of Livestock and Pastures is a hard-working, resourceful, detail-oriented individual who will manage all aspects of the Foundation’s Heritage Breeds of Livestock Program. The Manager will also be responsible for the management of the Foundation’s hay and pasture land, and will contribute to the development and presentation of the Foundation’s training programs.

The AF is a progressive work environment and invests in the professional development of its staff. Essential functions include:

Essential functions include:

• Livestock Management: The management of our small populations of heritage and legacy breeds of livestock and poultry. Livestock includes Milking Devon Cattle; a team of Milking Shorthorn Oxen; Hog Island Sheep; Leicester Longwool Sheep; Ossabaw Island Hogs; Dominique, Buckeye, and assorted other chickens; and Spanish Black and assorted other turkeys; assorted other poultry and fowl. The routine care and management will meet or exceed the current standards for humane and sustainable care of livestock as specified by the US Humane Society, and in the USDA standards for organic livestock and poultry production, with the exception of the use of antibiotics for treatment of illness.
• Pasture Management and Grazing: Development of appropriate rotational grazing and multi-species grazing, including plans and implementation, and sound and sustainable pasture management on approximately 50 acres of open land.
• Marketing:The Manager will explore and help to develop various marketing opportunities for livestock and hay products as appropriate.
• Public Outreach and Education: The CAES provides workshops, field days, pasture walks, and coordinated training opportunities to enhance the education of the visiting public as well as target audiences in our areas of expertise, including the training of the new and beginning farmer apprentices. The development of a livestock apprentice program is a major focus of future development of the CAES. The Livestock and Pastures Manager will work with the other CAES faculty to develop and coordinate educational and outreach activities.
• Institutional Responsibilities and Accountability: The Livestock and Pastures Manager will work closely with other Accokeek Foundation agriculture and program staff, particularly with the CAES faculty, to ensure close coordination between the various Foundation operations. The Livestock and Pastures Manager will assist with and support other agricultural operations as needed.

Professional Experience and Qualifications: Four years farming experience with personal responsibilities for the management of livestock, and an associate degree or relevant educational experience. Machinery operation experience required. Computer skills (e.g., Word, Excel) highly recommended. The Manager must be able to perform the physical requirements of working in a sustainable agriculture operation.

The Manager must possess creative problem-solving skills, initiative, sound judgment, diplomacy and discretion, as well as the ability to maintain poise and professionalism under pressure. While the Manager must demonstrate excellent independent decision making skills, he or she also must work well within the Foundation’s agriculture management team, understand the significance of organizational culture, and support organizational standards.