Hiring: Equipment Operator, Relief Milker and Farm Assistant – Sidehill Farm
Equipment Operator, Relief Milker and Farm Assistant
35-50 hours per week
5 days/ week, some weekend and evening work required
Hourly rate, depending on experience
The position is for someone who enjoys working with and maintaining machinery, and balancing that with other jobs around the farm. About half the work is field, barn, and woods work, running tractors, a chainsaw, or a weed whacker. The remainder is split between 3-4 milking shifts per week, and other general farm work and maintenance.
This is a job for a technical- minded person who is concerned with safety and quality, and is accustomed to full days of sometimes heavy work. Some of the work is with other people, the bulk is solo. We are looking for a person who respects equipment and knows how to work efficiently with it, but also likes to get off the tractor and do other jobs around the farm. If you’ve spent a few years on vegetable farms and kind of always preferred the equipment end of the work, this could be a good position for you.
Required Qualification:
Minimum 2 years’ experience with tractors, chainsaws, and other typical farm machinery, in a farm or other related setting. Strong loader skills and background in equipment safety. Longer experience highly desirable.
Stongly Desired:
Animal handing experience.
Repair and maintenance skills. (Mechanical, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, etc.)
Major plus, but not required:
Milking experience
Breakdown of Responsibilities:
50% tractor, chainsaw, weed whacker, equipment maintenance
Summer:
Clipping pastures
Mowing field edges
Moving and stacking round bales
Spraying organic fertilizers
Turning and spreading compost
Tillage and reseeding of pastures and hayfields
Help with hay
Cutting back field edges
Clearing brush, weedwhacking edges, orchards, blueberries
Winter:
Feeding, Bedding
Plowing Snow
Year round:
All lubing and fueling of tractors and other equipment
Oil and filter changes and light maintenance and repair
Loading and unloading trucks
Firewood
30% milking
Milking 3-4 shifts/ week
Backup to herd manager during calving seasons
20% other general farm work
Summer:
Primary responsibility for feeding pigs
Moving K-line
Fencing
Water line maintenance and repair
Whatever else comes up
Winter:
Repairs and whatever comes up
To apply please email a resume and 3 references to amy@sidehillfarm.net. Questions? Call 413 339-0033
