The Opportunity.

This position is responsible for the planning and execution of the Farm Institute’s educational garden, The Friendship Garden. This is a half-acre garden with previously established beds as well as perennial beds including strawberries, herbs, currants, blueberries, and raspberries. The Friendship Garden has a small hoop house as well as corner of the garden designated for chickens. The Garden is an active space from April through October.

The Friendship Garden supports all the farm’s programming including providing a space and activities for farm camp, daily tours, weekend kids’ programs, adult cooking classes, educational field trips and groups, and being a public garden, constantly open to visitors during business hours. It is the Farm’s goal to begin most cooking classes in the garden with a harvest, meaning 2-4 times a month in the shoulder season, and 4-5 times a week during the high summer months of July and August. Produce grown in the Friendship Garden supports our programming, including weekly pizza nights and monthly farm dinners. If there is a surplus, it can be sold in the farm stand to help off-set costs.

The Gardener will work with both the Engagement Site Manager and the Education Manager to ensure that the garden is both an educational space and a viable garden.

Gardener may be asked to help with various other garden projects around the farm.

In This Role You Will:

• Develop and implement a garden plan to utilize the full ½ acre of the Friendship Garden with feedback and basic direction from the Engagement Manager and Education Manager
• Manage and maintain a clean, appealing garden space that is open and welcoming to guests
• Provide vegetables and flowers for culinary programs and camp
• Create tasks and projects that children can complete in the garden
• Lead garden based workshops and host volunteers

Qualifications:

• Must have gardening experience, preferably organic with knowledge of cover crops, succession planting, companion planting, compost systems, etc.
• Must be outgoing and friendly
• Must understand that the Friendship Garden is primarily used by children

Other:

• Background check required
• Flexible work schedule including weekends

Working Conditions:

Ability to lift 40 pounds required.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a seasonal, non-exempt, hourly paid position, with an optimal start date in April. This position is based in Edgartown.

About The FARM Institute

The FARM Institute is a 162¬-acre teaching and livestock farm on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, providing year-round, farm-based educational programs for families. Programs focus on farming, sustainability, nutrition, and land stewardship.

About The Trustees 

The Trustees is one of Massachusetts’ largest non-profits and the nation’s first conservation and preservation organization. Today, the places we care about are going fast, and the forces undermining them, including climate change, are moving faster. Our passion is to protect and share with everyone the irreplaceable natural and cultural treasures under our care. We are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and more than 60,000 member households. 

The Trustees has been featured in the Top 100 Women-Led Organizations in Massachusetts for six consecutive years. 

In addition to being an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trustees aims to create a thriving, inclusive workplace that values each member of its team. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts who are at the core of our mission. 

The Trustees is a signer of the Boston Women’s Workforce Council and a Member of the Boston College Center for Work and Family. 

We kindly request that you do not call to inquire about the status of your application. Those candidates chosen for interviews will be contacted.