Black Dirt Farm
Job Description - Compost Operator

Farm Description
Black Dirt Farm is an integrated, diversified family farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Our five enterprises dovetail one another to follow the carbon cycle with the intent of energy and ecological efficiency, while also allowing us to develop an economy of scope, rather than one of scale, as a farm.  We operate a year-route food scrap collection route and collect discarded food  from our community. Food scraps are then blended into a compost mix which provides forage for our flock of 1200 laying hens. We then make compost and worm castings with the excess food and manure. Finally, we use the resulting products to nourish our soils and crops. Crops include hay, salad greens and other loose leaf greens, tomatoes, and a small number of row crops.  Our farm is firmly based in regenerative agricultural practices and the creation of sustainable food systems. Since 2014, we’ve diverted over 15 million pounds of food scraps from the landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of not burning 603,598 gallons of gasoline and capturing enough nitrogen to fertilize over 1,000 acres of mixed vegetable crops.

Black Dirt Farm is an environment that is both caring and efficient. The farm requires creative and driven individuals who can work as part of a dynamic, and often, fast paced team but also be individually responsible for managing their own tasks with professionalism and quality.  We cherish a highly collaborative, supportive and inspired crew culture that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable, where all Crew Members, volunteers, and customers—of all genders and gender-identities, races, ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientations or identities, educations, or abilities—feel valued and respected. We are committed to equal opportunity for employment and advancement, and believe the farm as a whole will thrive when all those involved are thriving and able to contribute their full selves. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages, and work to create an environment where these contribute to a more vibrant working community.  Black Dirt Farm does not tolerate marginalizing behavior of any sort. 

Description of Compost Operator Role
The Compost Operator plays a central, multifaceted role in the farm’s composting operation.  The Compost Operator fulfills two primary roles, 1) producing compost and managing composting operations, and 2) managing the farm’s worm herd and producing worm castings. The Operator’s time will be roughly 60-70% composting operations and 30-40% worm operations.  

When food scraps are tipped here at the farm, they are blended into a compost mix with other materials and fed to hens.  What material the hens don’t consume is removed each week and built into free-standing windrows. These piles are actively managed in order to satisfy Organic Certification and BDF product specifications through a combination of pile monitoring and pile management.  A portion of the material is then used to feed worms each week, who turn the product into worm castings in our continuous-flow worm composting system. The remaining material continues to be thermophilically composted (high temperature, bacterially-driven composting) in either windrows or an Aerated Static Pile (ASP) system for sale or field application.  Compost is managed with a telehandler and screened with a trommel screen.  Worms are fed and watered by hand, but their castings are harvested mechanically, and screened with a trommel screen.

Job Tasks/ Sphere of Responsibility

  1. Coordinate and receive incoming feedstocks

  2. Blend materials into compost recipe

  3. Monitor conditions of compost piles and worm bin, and record and maintain data

  4. Turn compost piles and move material with tractor (Kubota M4700) or telehandler (JCB 505)

  5. Move material with the farm dump truck (Ford F-350) or hooklift trailer

  6. Feed and water worms manually

  7. Coordinate and receive incoming feedstocks

  8. Maintain compost pad with grading and other maintenance as required

  9. Product sampling and testing

  10. Screen mature compost and worm castings

  11. Bag finished compost and castings products for sale

  12. Packaging inventory management

  13. Load customers and handle on-farm sales of bulk compost and castings

  14. Manage VOF Organic re-certification process bi-annually, and ensure Black Dirt Farm adherence to required standards

  15. Attend monthly Crew Meetings, participate in planning

 

Qualifications

  1. Excellent work ethic, appreciation for efficiency, and good sense of operational rhythm

  2. Experience operating tractor, loader, skid steer or like equipment

  3. Comfort operating a variety of equipment

  4. Experience integrating operational speed with calm diligence

  5. This job requires the Employee to:
    o   Lift 50 pounds safely.
    o   Execute semi-repetitive tasks over time.
    o   Operate outdoors, in variable weather and temperatures.
    o   Bend, stoop, and climb stairs.
    o  Climb in and out of truck bed routinely with comfort

  6. Five years of driving experience

  7. Good spatial awareness

  8. Superior communication and collaboration skills

  9. Excellent time and task management

  10. Attention to detail and good information retention 

  11. Willingness to follow and develop protocol.  Curiosity and ambition for operational excellence.

  12. Personal commitment to undertake the on-going work of dismantling personal bias and all forms of supremacy

  13. Excitement about compost, farming and the food system.

 Compensation: Competitive wages commensurate with experience.

Hours per week: 40 hours per week, additional hours available.

Starting Date: ASAP

To Apply: Please send resume, cover letter, and three references to info@blackdirtfarm.com.