Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

With a love for the farmed environment, you’ll enjoy working with nature & livestock and want to inspire and motivate others. Reporting to the Agricultural Lead, you'll be primarily responsible for looking after the daily needs of the farm’s livestock, which include the dairy herd, sheep flock and beef herd as well as duties within arable enterprise. Accurate record keeping is essential to avoid cross compliance issues, and you'll support the Agricultural Lead to ensure records are maintained for animal and land audit purposes.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the important work we are doing. As part of the team, you will need to think about how we farm impacts on the environment and how you can help.

You will contribute to the land management work programme in the North region with the aim of:

• Conserving & enhancing wildlife habitats, natural resources and features of historic interest.
• Conserving landscape and visual amenity and facilitating appropriate public access
• Increasing public, employee and residents' awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment
• Ensuring we are producing sustainable food for our communities

As well as broad knowledge and practical experience of farm livestock keeping, you'll need to be an engaging and positive team member with a passion for learning and sharing your knowledge with visitors, volunteers and staff. You'll be responsible for volunteers, ensuring their safety, and that they are valued and feel a part of the Trust.  You'll be leading on activities such as following the health plan to ensure the health of the livestock. In addition, you'll undertake the daily and regular tasks such as feeding, mucking out, milking, stock checking and ensuring boundaries are kept in good condition.

This is a physically demanding hand-on role which will require a flexible work approach. The job is based outdoors in all weathers and will be physically demanding.

PLEASE NOTE: On site accommodation may be available for the right candidate. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the effective day to day operations of the farm by performing routine duties with the dairy herd, beef herd, sheep flock and breeding pigs including but not limited to
• Stock health checks
• Feeding, bedding up and cleaning
• Milking, calving, lambing
• Moving of stock to fresh pasture
• Ability to diagnose, treat and record treatments to sick animals where necessary
• To provide animal husbandry as agreed. This may include sheep shearing, lambing, trimming feet, tagging sheep and dealing with pests and diseases.
• Working of weekends within a rota and evening out of hour work where needed, for example lambing season
• Machinery and tractor operation work
• To work across both farm sites – Botton Village and Larchfield Community.
• To work under the direction of the Agricultural Lead in the supervision of those we support and others using the day service, apprentices and volunteers, to achieve agreed daily tasks. This may involve the instruction of new skills and the intervention and resolution of issues between clients and the reporting of any incidents.
• Undertake machinery maintenance and keep all machinery, equipment and premises clean and tidy.
• Adhere to the charities health & safety policies and procedures
• Delivery of Work Programmes as directed by the Agricultural Lead to deliver practical work programmes to enhance the Trust’s Natural Capital to include
  • habitat improvements,
  • Habitat maintenance
  • Land infrastructure such as hedges, walls and fences
  • Nature recovery projects
    • Lead and supervise volunteers in the practical delivery of agreed work programmes.
    • Be on-call out of hours to provide support for out of hours issues such as, escaped animals, animal birthing, disturbances on site and any other issues that may arise to be able to notify relevant managers.
    • To ensure all health & safety, COSHH and other legislative and regulatory stipulations and conditions are complied with, including all site risk assessments, safe working practices and staff training
    • Ensure safe operation, maintenance and cleaning of equipment, machinery, and vehicles. Carry out essential maintenance work, equipment checks, including daily and routine maintenance and duties as trained to do so.
    • To drive and be responsible for a company vehicle when required and in accordance with health and safety and fleet policy and driver's handbook, including conducting daily vehicle checks.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

Essential

• Certificate of competence or higher for tractor operation.

Desirable

• Formal qualification in Agriculture or related subject.
• Qualifications in bush cutter and chainsaw operation.

 

Experience & Knowledge

Essential 

• Practical experience in relevant farm and livestock management
• Experience of working in organic and regenerative farming systems
• Full driving licence, trailer (BE) would be an advantage
• Experienced tractor operator (essential)
• Demonstrate an understanding of the animal welfare requirements as required un the animal welfare regulations and specially in compliance with organic production.
• Animal and plant identification skills with a demonstrable passion for nature, heritage and the outdoors

Personal Attributes

• Ability to work in an organised, efficient and responsible manner.
• Practical countryside management skills and a demonstrable aptitude for a practical role.
• Ability to supervise, support and motivate volunteers.

• Good communication skills; the ability to communicate effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds.
• Willing to work with, engage, and be sympathetic to the wider team managing a traditional estate
• Able to understand and deliver on clear strategic aims as communicated via the Trust/estate management team.

Application information

Apply on the Camphill Village Trust website via the 'Apply Now' link

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs