Hiring: FarmStand Manager – Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts Farm Farm Store Manager Job Description

Simple Gifts Farm is a small, diverse market farm located in Western Massachusetts. We run a 300-member CSA program and were 18-year members of the Amherst Farmer’s Market. In July of 2017, we opened a full-service farm store on-site to converge our CSA and retail marketing efforts. While vegetables are our main crop, we integrate livestock into our production system to build soil fertility and to produce meat and eggs.

We lease a total of 30 acres from North Amherst Community Farm (NACF), a nonprofit formed by a coalition of passionate farm neighbors who own the land and have preserved it in perpetuity for farming. NACF selected us as farm tenants to ensure that the land remains an organic farm, a wildlife corridor, and a place for local residents to enjoy nature and walking trails. We run the farm as an ecological unit, working to improve the health of micro and macro-organisms alike, and connecting our CSA members and other neighbors with their local food supply. We also pride ourselves on being a working educational farm by offering an immersive organic farming apprenticeship program. We maintain a collaborative and professional work environment where all staff are encouraged to achieve excellent results, both independently and as members of a team.

Overview:

The Farm Store Manager will oversee all daily operations of the Simple Gifts Farm store and will work to ensure smooth and timely completion of duties, communication with other segments of the farm operation, and to foster a friendly, professional, collaborative and harmonious work environment at the store. This position is a full-time, year-round management position that will include some weekend duties. Please apply by sending a resume, a list of at least 3 work references, and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position to Jeremy Barker Plotkin at simplegiftsfarm@gmail.com.

Specific Responsibilities of Farm Store Manager

• · Maintain beautiful and bountiful produce display
• Collaborate with Harvest Manager and other Farm staff to keep inventory of produce from Simple Gifts and other farms well-stocked in farm store walk-in cooler and on display
• Proactively manage produce display in store to highlight seasonal specials and maximize produce quality and sales
• Supervise farm store staff to achieve above results
• Maintain Inventory and POS system
• Manage data entry to ensure accurate record-keeping and projections
• Order products for farm store as needed to optimize sales, maintain abundant display and minimize spoilage
• Source new products for sale in the store
• Collaborate with Farmer, Harvest Manager, and other farm staff to continually improve inventory, POS, and record-keeping systems
• Manage farm store staff
• Schedule and supervise farm store staff
• Train farm store staff in operation of POS system, display management, and all other tasks as needed
• Participate in hiring of new farm store staff as needed
• Foster collaborative, friendly, and productive work environment
• Manage physical appearance of store environment
• Maintain upkeep of perennial flower and herb landscaping around farm store
• Monitor PYO gardens and communicate with CSA members and other customers about PYO crop availability and location
• Build and maintain seasonal displays including signage, decorations, and merchandising (bedding plants in spring, pumpkins/squash in fall, etc.)
• Collaborate with other farm staff to accomplish the above duties
• Manage promotion of store
• Produce and publish weekly newsletter
• Regularly update farm’s social media account
• Regularly generate special sales and other promotions for stand
• Collaborate with other farm staff to solicit content for social media and newsletter
• Collaborate with farm management and graphic designer to generate and manage print, radio, social media, and other advertising