Position Summary
The Park Community Development Corporation seeks an experienced, reliable and community-oriented Fractional Farm Manager to provide agricultural management and stewardship of the CDC's growing spaces, primarily Sunset Farm and the raised garden beds at Gilfield Park.
The Fractional Farm Manager is responsible for the agricultural planning, cultivation, maintenance and seasonal preparation of these assets. Responsibilities include crop planning, planting, soil and bed preparation, irrigation and watering oversight, routine maintenance, harvesting, seasonal transitions, agricultural supply management, and coordination of volunteers supporting farm-related activities.
The Farm Manager serves as a specialized organizational resource rather than a program-management position. The contractor will work collaboratively with the CDC's Programs function when agricultural assets are used for Healthy Living programming and with Development & Strategic Initiatives when the farm or garden beds support corporate volunteer engagement, partnerships, grants, resource development or external engagement.
The ideal contractor is an experienced agricultural professional who can independently manage a small urban growing operation, establish practical seasonal plans, effectively utilize volunteer support, and maintain productive growing spaces appropriate to The Park CDC's community-based mission.
Essential Responsibilities Agricultural Planning & Production
- Develop and implement seasonal growing plans for Sunset Farm and the Gilfield Park raised garden beds.
- Recommend appropriate crops and planting schedules based on seasonality, site conditions, available growing space, organizational priorities and anticipated community programming.
- Coordinate seed and plant procurement and identify other materials and supplies required for each growing season.
- Prepare soil, planting areas and raised beds for seasonal production.
- Plant, cultivate, maintain and harvest crops according to established growing plans
- Monitor crop health and respond appropriately to weeds, pests, disease, weather and other agricultural conditions.
- Maintain appropriate planting, cultivation and harvest records.
Make recommendations regarding improvements that could strengthen agricultural productivity, efficiency or sustainability.
Farm & Garden Maintenance
- Maintain approximately 1⁄4 acre of active growing space at Sunset Farm and approximately six raised garden beds at Gilfield Park.
- Monitor irrigation and watering needs and ensure growing areas receive appropriate care.
- Maintain planting areas, beds and surrounding agricultural work areas in safe and functional condition.
- Conduct seasonal cleanup and preparation.
- Prepare agricultural spaces and infrastructure for winter and other periods of reduced production.
- Identify maintenance, repair or infrastructure concerns and communicate them promptly to the Executive Director.
Maintain appropriate organization and accountability for agricultural tools, equipment and supplies.
Seasonal Planning & Transition
- Develop practical plans for spring, summer and fall growing seasons.
- Conduct end-of-season assessments and identify lessons or changes for the following growing cycle.
- Lead winter preparation of Sunset Farm and the Gilfield raised beds.
- Use lower-production periods for planning, soil/bed preparation, supply assessment and preparation for upcoming growing seasons.
Develop an annual agricultural operations calendar identifying key planting, maintenance, harvesting and seasonal-transition periods.
Volunteer Coordination
- Identify appropriate agricultural activities that can be performed by community and corporate volunteers.
- Develop clear tasks and work plans for volunteer workdays.
Fractional Farm Manager
- Provide agricultural direction, orientation and appropriate supervision during volunteer activities.
- Ensure volunteer assignments are appropriate to site conditions and agricultural priorities.
- Coordinate with the Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives when corporate or external partners are participating in volunteer activities.
- Coordinate with the Program Implementation Manager when volunteer activities intersect with CDC programming.
Ensure volunteer participation supplements rather than substitutes for the Farm Manager's responsibility for ongoing agricultural operations.
Program Collaboration
- Collaborate with the Program Implementation Manager when Sunset Farm or the Gilfield raised beds are incorporated into Healthy Living programming.
- Advise program staff regarding what is agriculturally feasible based on growing seasons, crops, site conditions and available resources.
- Prepare agricultural spaces appropriately for scheduled program activities.
- Coordinate harvesting or other agricultural activities that support approved CDC programming.
Provide relevant information to program staff regarding crops, harvests and agricultural activities.
The Fractional Farm Manager does not own program design, participant recruitment, program evaluation or overall program implementation. Those responsibilities remain within the CDC's Programs function.
Development, Partnership & Community Engagement
- Collaborate with the Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives regarding agricultural components of grants, partnerships and resource-development opportunities.
- Support planning for corporate volunteer engagements occurring at Sunset Farm or Gilfield Park.
- Provide accurate information regarding agricultural needs, anticipated projects, supplies, infrastructure and potential volunteer activities.
- Assist staff in identifying in-kind resources or agricultural partnerships when appropriate.
Provide information and updates that can support organizational communications and impact storytelling.
Budget & Resource Management
- Operate within the approved agricultural budget and purchasing procedures.
- Develop reasonable estimates for seasonal seeds, plants, soil amendments, tools, materials and other agricultural needs.
- Submit anticipated purchasing needs sufficiently in advance of planting and program activities.
- Maintain appropriate documentation for approved purchases.
- Identify opportunities to leverage donated materials, volunteers and partnerships while maintaining responsibility for agricultural quality and reliability.
- Responsible for maintenance of the pick-up truck – routine maintenance, oil changes, inspections Reporting & Communication
- Maintain regular communication with the Executive Director regarding farm conditions, seasonal priorities, significant needs and emerging issues.
- Provide concise periodic updates regarding planting, maintenance, harvests, volunteer activity and upcoming agricultural priorities.
- Maintain appropriate records of agricultural activity and resource needs.
- Participate in planning meetings when agricultural assets or activities are materially involved.
Immediately communicate significant site, safety, infrastructure or agricultural concerns requiring organizational attention.
Initial Priorities
The contractor selected for this role will initially be expected to:
- Conduct an assessment of Sunset Farm and the Gilfield Park raised beds.
- Assume responsibility for any remaining Fall 2026 crops and determine appropriate maintenance and harvesting needs.
- Assess irrigation, soil/bed conditions, tools, equipment, supplies and outstanding maintenance needs.
- Develop and implement a winter preparation plan for both sites.
- Identify any essential agricultural maintenance required during the CDC's year-end organizational closure.
- Develop a Spring 2027 Agricultural Operations Plan identifying the proposed growing approach, planting schedule, site-preparation requirements, supplies/materials, irrigation needs, volunteer opportunities and anticipated resource requirements.
- Participate, as appropriate, in the CDC's December 2026 planning process to ensure agricultural operations align with 2027 Healthy Living programming, volunteer engagement and organizational priorities.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience in farming, urban agriculture, horticulture, community gardening, sustainable agriculture or a related field.
- Practical experience with crop planning, planting, cultivation, harvesting and seasonal growing cycles.
- Knowledge of soil preparation, irrigation/watering, weed and pest management and routine agricultural maintenance.
- Ability to independently manage a small agricultural operation and prioritize work based on seasonal conditions.
- Experience coordinating or supervising volunteers strongly preferred.
- Experience working with community organizations, nonprofits, schools, faith communities or corporate volunteer groups preferred.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with staff, volunteers, partners and community members.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a broader organizational structure.
- Reliable transportation and ability to work regularly onsite at CDC agricultural locations.
Ability to safely perform the physical activities normally associated with agricultural work.
Core Competencies
- Agricultural Knowledge: Demonstrates practical knowledge of seasonal crop production and management of small-scale growing spaces.
- Independent Work Management: Can determine what agricultural work needs to occur and execute it without continuous staff direction.
- Reliability & Follow-Through: Maintains agricultural assets consistently rather than relying on episodic attention around programs or volunteer events.
- Seasonal Planning: Anticipates planting, maintenance, harvest and winter-preparation requirements. Volunteer Leadership: Can translate agricultural needs into organized, productive volunteer activities.
- Collaboration: Works effectively with Programs and Development & Strategic Initiatives while respecting functional responsibilities.
- Resource Stewardship: Uses organizational funds, donated materials, equipment and volunteer resources responsibly.
- Communication: Proactively communicates conditions, needs, barriers and recommendations.
Measures of Success
Successful performance will be demonstrated by agricultural spaces that are consistently maintained and seasonally prepared; growing plans that are realistic and implemented on schedule; timely planting, maintenance and harvesting; appropriate stewardship of tools, supplies and infrastructure; productive and well-organized use of volunteers; clear coordination with Programs and Development & Strategic Initiatives; and advance planning that allows the CDC to enter each growing season prepared rather than reacting to agricultural needs after the season has begun.
Contractor Relationship
This position is structured as an independent contractor engagement. The Farm Manager will be responsible for managing the methods and professional approach used to accomplish the agreed agricultural scope and deliverables, consistent with the terms of the contractor agreement.
Because agricultural workload varies considerably by season, the approximately 20-hour weekly commitment should allow reasonable seasonal flexibility, with greater onsite activity during planting, growing and harvesting periods and greater emphasis on planning, preparation and maintenance during lower-production periods.
Seasonal flexibility
Please e-mail Executive Director Chanda Hurms at chanda@theparkcdc.org.