Biodynamic CSA Co-Manager in Intentional Community

Save to Favorites

Sankanac CSA is a 130-member biodynamic vegetable CSA that is a part of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, an intentional life-sharing community of about 120 people including adults with developmental differences. Located in the gently rolling hills of southeastern PA, the 432-acre piece of land that we steward is a mix of woodlands, pasture, orchard, gardens, wild spaces, and home for all here.

Our daily life is full of social connection, as we share our homes, meals, vocation, and daily rhythms with each other. We have community gatherings weekly and various meetings to allow for an inclusive system of communication and decision making within the community. We have a diverse mix of workshops here that are both vocational opportunities for community members and also provide art, food, textiles, and other products to the surrounding area. Our CSA is one of these workshops.

The CSA garden operates on 20 acres of production fields/cover crops, including 6 hoop houses, berries, flowers, and 8 acres of pasture. Our Summer CSA provides for 30 shares within our community and 100 families from the wider community, and runs for 24 weeks. In addition to the Summer CSA, we sell to a local grocery store and at a farmer's market. We also grow winter storage crops and greens in hoop houses for our community and a 35 member 5-week Winter CSA. We work our fields with a combination of hand work and tractors, creating a socially therapeutic environment for our friends of all abilities. We also have two retiring draft horses with plans to incorporate animals into the farm organism as the horses move on. Our raised-bed system runs with the contours of the land with berm/swale buffers to manage rainfall. While we do not have biodynamic or organic certification, we work closely with biodynamic practices. We use biodynamic preparations that we make here on our land, work with the Stella Natura planting calendar, and are always working towards perfecting our farm organism.

Position Description:

The Co-Manager would run all aspects of the farm in partnership with the current manager. Daily communication and collaboration are very important.

Responsibilities would include:

• Oversight of and participation in daily tasks.
• Operation and education regarding tractors, BCS walk behind tractor, various tractor implements.
• Management of irrigation systems outdoor as well as in hoop houses. This includes sprinklers, drip tape, and overhead mist systems.
• Management and oversight of all livestock.
• Planning and implementation of all vegetable production, from propagation to harvest and storage.
• Management and communication pertaining to all CSA distribution, wholesale, and farmer's market sales.
• Management of perennial fruit and flower production.
• Management of post-harvest handling of all vegetables in accordance with food safety standards.
• Management and Education of all full and part-time farm crew, including adults with developmental differences.
• Management of soil and plant health through crop rotation, cover cropping, composting and nutrient management.
• Management and oversight of the Biodynamic practices (preparations, working with the calendar, oversight/vision for farm organism, etc).
• Management of all infrastructure and equipment (1 main CSA building with coolers, a pickup area, and a wash area, 1 barn, 6 hoop houses, 1 propagation greenhouse, 2 tractors, 1 BCS walk-behind tractor, tractor equipment, mowers, weed whackers, water pumps, various hand tools.)
• Management of finances & communication with the village finance office.
• Maintaining records of relevant farm information.
• Communication, accountability, and life-sharing in CVKH. This includes organizing community gardening days, attending regular meetings for community decisions and check-ins, being a part of a life-sharing household, attending community gatherings, and occasionally speaking at community events.
• Being an active member of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills is a unique and important part of the farmer's role here and requires a real commitment to the ideals of lifesharing and to the mission of the whole community.

Experience/Skills:

This position requires 3+ years of on-farm training, particularly with organic annual vegetables. Some knowledge of fruit production, livestock, flowers, and herbs is needed as well. Ample tractor experience and ability to educate others in this skill is required. Must have experience with PTO powered tractor equipment, a three-point hitch, and operating a bucket loader. Experience or at least enthusiasm for Biodynamic Farming is necessary. Enthusiasm for working with people of all levels of experience and ability is needed, as well as an interest and will to be in connection with the workings of the whole of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, both personally and for the CSA as a workshop. Camphill Village Kimberton Hills has a flat system of governance in order to give space for all to be part of decision making, and that all resources are shared. This requires the Co-Manager to have skills in teamwork and collaboration, from communications with the garden team to the whole community.

Compensation/Benefits

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills works out of a needs-based system of shared resources. We are not paid for our work, but are compensated for our needs. This allows our work to be motivated by the needs of those around us, the needs of the land, and working out of the free will of each individual, rather than a dollar amount. Food, housing, supplies, car, healthcare, ongoing education and Waldorf Education for Children is included.