Animal Husbandry Assistant

Hidden Villa is a nonprofit educational organization that uses its organic farm, wilderness, and community to teach and provide opportunities to learn about the environment and social justice. Hidden Villa stretches over 1600 acres of open space in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 40 miles south of San Francisco.

Our mission is to foster educational experiences that build connections and inspire a deeper appreciation and respect for nature, food, and one another.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The general responsibility of this position is to work under the supervision of the Animal Husbandry Manager. The Animal Husbandry Assistant will help in all aspects of livestock management, including breeding, nutrition, health care, facilities maintenance, slaughter, processing, and direct market sales. Opportunities to spearhead special projects in conjunction with the Animal Husbandry Management team, including refining animal management systems, infrastructure upgrades, the development of new products, and cross-departmental collaboration related to Hidden Villa’s four areas of focus: climate mitigation, healthy food systems, place-based outdoor education for all, and an antiracist and just society for all.

This position is a residential position housed on-farm in shared housing, and contracted for one year. While not guaranteed, the Animal Husbandry Assistant has the opportunity to continue with the position for a second year.

The farm at Hidden Villa is small but diverse. The animal team currently cares for a permanent herd of 2 dairy cows, 4 goats, 12 sheep, 2 sows, ~100 laying hens. We process 200-250 meat chickens, 10-12 lambs, 15-20 pigs, and 60-75 turkeys annually. The position will also include opportunities to educate the public, both children and adults, on topics related to regenerative livestock management and food systems.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work under the supervision of the animal husbandry management team to accomplish all livestock related work, including rotational grazing planning and execution, breeding, milking, health care, slaughter, and equipment and facility maintenance.
• Perform basic ranch maintenance tasks and repairs using a variety of hand and power tools, including basic plumbing, electric fence maintenance, and construction.
• Assist with meat and egg sales, including managing online store inventory, packing orders, working our stall at the Los Altos farmer’s market, and providing customer service.
• With the Animal Husbandry Manager and Animal Husbandry Assistant Manager, collaborate with the Education and Community Programs departments to design and conduct workshops, training sessions, and educational programming focused on sustainable animal farm management and regenerative agriculture for visiting school groups, community organizations, volunteers, and the general public.
• Assist with farm record keeping, including tracking feed inputs and calculating feed conversion.
• Support strategic initiative work related to Hidden Villa’s four focus areas, especially climate mitigation and healthy food systems.
• Work with Communications to generate food and livestock specific content with the goal of increasing community engagement with our food system.
• Support the development and implementation of outreach programs aimed at fostering partnerships with local schools, universities, and community groups to offer hands-on learning experiences focused on sustainable animal husbandry practices and regenerative agriculture methods at Hidden Villa.
• Opportunity to take a leading role on specific projects based on interest and departmental needs.
• May perform other duties as needed and/or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous experience with livestock and a willingness to learn principles of regenerative agriculture.
• Ability and desire to work independently, outdoors, and in physically demanding situations.
• Experience with or willingness to learn animal slaughter, especially poultry.
• Interest in experiential learning and an ability to work with a diverse group of children and adults.
• Demonstrated interest in innovative farming and ranching practices.
• Computer proficiency including email correspondence, document formatting and web-based applications.
• Experience operating a tractor and driving a livestock trailer is preferred but not required.
• Basic understanding of construction, power-tool usage, and utilities (water/electric) is preferred but not required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements listed are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Regular and consistent attendance and the ability to sit and work with hands and arms for at least eight (8) hours per day and five (5) days per week.
• Physical ability to stand, reach, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, walk, crawl, push, pull, and lift items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Proficient interpersonal relations and communicative skills in English.
• Communicate effectively and promptly to customers or employees of the organization.
• Ability to work overtime occasionally at the last minute.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

This position is a full-time, residential, non-exempt position. The compensation for this position is $21-23/hour, with onsite housing included. This position is fully benefited, including paid time off, health insurance and retirement matching. While not guaranteed, the Animal Husbandry Assistant has the opportunity to continue with the position for one subsequent year. Hidden Villa is a non-smoking environment. As a youth-serving organization, Hidden Villa requires all applicants to complete Live Scan fingerprinting and background check before hire. The hours for this position are roughly 7:30am-4:30pm, and the work schedule is Wednesday through Sunday, with days off on Monday and Tuesday.

TO APPLY:

You need a cover letter, resume and three professional references. Hidden Villa is committed to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization at all levels. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.