Field Production Manager

Atlas Farm Field Production Manager

Job Description 2024

The Field Production Manager is a very important position in the overall scope of Atlas Farm with direct responsibilities for the production of all field grown crops. In addition to the responsibilities of being the lead grower, the field production manager also carries responsibilities for field crew management, coordination with other farm management staff, and general operational management. Field production tasks are the focus of the job year-round, but especially during the field growing season of April-November with additional areas of focus from December-March. Following are the primary responsibilities of this position:

• staff management: direct management of two to three Equipment Operators and one Field Crew Foreman
• field preparation: spreading fertilizer and making fertilizer calculations and calibrating equipment, tillage, bed prep, shaping beds, laying plastic mulch
• planting: coordinating with Greenhouse Manager for scheduling transplanted crops, setting up and managing transplanting jobs with field crews, direct seeding vegetable crops and cover crops, managing row covers
• cultivation: managing field crews in hoeing, hand weeding, staking and other crop maintenance tasks; setting up cultivators for various crops; scheduling cultivation priorities with Equipment Operators
• pest management: scouting fields and making pest management decisions; selecting materials, making spray calculations and spraying crops; calibrating and cleaning spray equipment
• irrigation: scheduling irrigation priorities with Equipment Operators; setting up and operating pumps, drip irrigation, solid set irrigation, and hard hose travelers as needed; maintaining inventory of irrigation supplies and repairing or purchasing as needed
• harvest: managing field crews during daily harvests; coordinating with Sales Manager and Packing House Manager about crop availability and field conditions; operating equipment for mechanical harvest
• equipment maintenance: monitoring and changing fluids, cleaning and maintaining tractors, vehicles, and implements, coordinating maintenance and repair priorities with equipment manager
• supply management: maintaining inventory of field supplies including fertilizers, pesticides, drip tape, plastic mulch, and hand tools;purchasing supplies as needed

• crop planning: analyzing production data, coordinating with other farm management and creating crop plans for the coming season including field plans, seed orders, greenhouse plans, and crop rotations
• equipment sourcing: assessing production needs and sourcing new equipment
• field production research and training: researching new production techniques and equipment, attending industry conferences and training sessions
• staffing: conducting performance reviews with Equipment Operators and Field Crew Foreman; hiring for Equipment Operator positions
• building maintenance and repair: assisting Equipment Manager and Facilities Manager with “handyman” work on farm buildings

• April-November: average 55 hours/week with ramp up and down on both ends of the main growing season; typical schedule M-F, 6am-5pm with weekend hours as needed
• December-March: average 32 hours/week; typical schedule M-F, 8am-4pm
• competitive hourly wage
• free farm produce
• 80 hours paid vacation time in year one with annual review; up to 2 additional weeks of unpaid vacation time available from December-March

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $25.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 – 55 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• produce sales: 2 years (Required)
• Management: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $25 - $35