Reports to: Director of Ranch Operations
Available: Open until filled
Residence: One bedroom cabin
Compensation: $17,000 – $19,000/ year + housing, health benefits, food
Position: Ranch Steward (Full Time, Resident position)
Slide Ranch – Mission and Background
Slide Ranch teaches visitors the impact our choices have on food, health, and the environment, through hands-on activities and independent exploration of our farm and coastal wild lands.
Founded in 1970, Slide Ranch is a non-profit agriculture and environmental education center. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) between Muir Beach and Stinson Beach, the facility sits on a 134-acre historic dairy farm that is over 100 years old. Organic gardens, goats, sheep, and chickens, along with the coastal wild lands and tide-pools, provide an ideal outdoor setting for teaching environmental awareness.
We customize our educational programs to meet the learning needs of groups of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds, focusing particularly on elementary school-aged children. Approximately one-third of our programs support under-served populations. Throughout the school year children from urban and suburban areas travel to the Ranch and encounter the animals and gardens that are the source of foods they buy at the corner store or grocery store. Slide Ranch’s educational programs are taught by teaching interns, who spend 10 and 1/2 months living and working on site.
Position Summary: The Ranch Steward reports to the Director of Ranch Operations, and is part of the Ranch Management Team which also includes a Head Gardener and a Facilities Manager. The Ranch Steward is responsible for managing all livestock at Slide Ranch in a manner consistent with our mission. In addition to livestock management the Ranch Steward coordinates with the Ranch Management Team and assists with other farm facilities maintenance and chores as needed or directed. This position requires living on-site in Slide Ranch provided housing.
Primary Responsibilities:
- · Responsible for monitoring and health of all livestock at Slide Ranch in a manner consistent with the mission of Slide Ranch
- · Administers vaccinations and medication in a planned and consistent manner and seeks veterinary help as needed.
- · Monitors animal diets; orders and maintains feed, bedding and medical supplies.
- · Ensures that all animal housing and enclosures are clean, safe and maintained for educational program access and interaction.
- · Manages goat milk production.
- · Provides animal orientation to staff and incoming Slide Ranch teaching interns
- · Trains and supervises Slide Ranch teaching interns and staff to assist with daily animal chores.
- · Manages pasture fencing and feeding to benefit both land and animals.
- · Organizes and implements yearly breeding, birthing and hatching schedules in coordination with yearly teaching programs.
- · Maintains official records on livestock health and activities.
Other Responsibilities
- · Provides regular input to Director of Ranch Operations and Ranch Team about needed repairs and ideas for improving safety and operations around the ranch.
- · Assists with maintaining workshop and tools in clean and safe working order.
- · Assists with training and orienting all staff and interns on proper use of workshop, tools and machinery before authorizing use of tools.
- · Plans and leads weekly ranch educational sessions for interns.
- · Oversees maintenance of ranch vehicles to keep them in clean and safe working order.
- · Maintains firewood supply.
- · Prepares ranch facilities for site rentals, special programs and events.
- · Participates in annual health and safety inspections; implements changes as suggested or required.
- · Assist Facilities Manager with construction, repair and maintenance projects as needed.
Qualifications
- High school diploma.
- Experience with livestock and animal husbandry including breeding, birthing and health care.
- · Commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental education.
- · Carpentry, plumbing, electrical and other facilities maintenance skills.
- · Ability to lift 50 lbs. and perform strenuous outdoor tasks related to farm animals; (feed sacks weigh 80lbs. and hay bales weigh 120lbs.)
- · Flexibility to provide on-duty coverage on weekends on rotational basis or with other days off, as needed and arranged.
- · Teaching experience preferred but not required.
- · Ability to work closely and collaborate with a wide variety of people.
- · Clean DMV record and valid driver’s license required.
Compensation:
This is a full time, residential position. Room and board, health and dental benefits, paid holidays and vacation, with additional salary of $17k to $19k per year depending on experience. Food is mainly organic and housing is on-site and rustic, in a spectacular location on the coast just north of San Francisco.
To Apply:
No phone calls please. Please mail, email, or fax your resume, cover letter and three references. This position is open until filled. We expect to fill it quickly. In the cover letter, indicate why this position is of interest to you; describe any relevant experience in animal husbandry, carpentry and general facilities maintenance, training, supervising, teaching, agriculture, and previous experience living in a community.
Slide Ranch, Attn: Operations, 2025 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach CA 94965, email admin@slideranch.org, fax 415-381-5762. For more information about our programs, please visit www.slideranch.org
*Please note that Slide Ranch emphasizes diversity in both our programs and our staff. People of all colors, cultures, class, genders, and sexual orientations are encouraged to apply.
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