Farm Operations Laborer - Sun and Bloom Farms, Lebanon, MO

About Us

Sun and Bloom Farms is a regenerative organic farm and permaculture learning facility outside of Lebanon Missouri. For our community, we grow nutrient dense vegetables and fruits, medicinal herbs, cut flowers, seedlings, we raise bees and free range organic fed chickens for market eggs. We also craft apothecary goods with wild and cultivated plants. We offer farm tours, hands-on homesteading workshops, community events and deep-dive training courses and apprenticeships on site. We are a smoke, alcohol, and drugs free farm environment. 

Position Summary 

We are looking for a hardworking, experienced Farm Operations Laborer to join our team on a contract basis. This is a year-round, full-time, live on the farm position, with willingness to work overtime during busy seasonal times. The main work will involve 3 main areas: 1. tending to chickens, goats and other farm animals; 2. maintaining production in the market garden; and 3. performing farmers’ market sales. Additionally, the Operations Laborer will also assist with building fences and other simple farm structures, cleaning and fixing equipment, and support the implementation of our events. Our ideal applicant has experience working on a farm in all types of weather, is comfortable working with various farm animals, and living and working amongst others in community.  We provide housing, a nutritious food budget, available transportation, percentage of farm product sales and other ownership perks.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Laying Hens & Broilers: perform daily water, feeding, egg collecting/cleaning/market-ready, chicken tractor moving, health monitoring, and data entry - weekly coops clean-ups for compost

• Dairy Goats: perform daily water, feeding, milking and pasture leading - weekly pasture mobile fence moving and stall clean-ups for compost 

• Market Garden: perform daily, as needed, planting, weeding, harvesting, preservation of harvests, watering, trellising, health monitoring, and data entry - weekly, as needed, row building, compost tea making and applying, soil testing, harvesting and preparing for market

• Farmer’s Market: assist with preparing for market and manage the farmers' market booth once or twice per week

• Other Duties: assist with seasonal hay cutting, raking, tethering and storing; assist with farm fence and simple structures building; assist with production of our on-farm or off-farm events.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Valid driver's license + Experience operating tractors and other farming equipment preferred

• Comfort working with animals + Experience preferred 

• Physical stamina + demonstrated ability & willingness to work overtime when needed

• 1 year or more of farming experience preferred

• Course Work, Degree or Certification(s) in farming, permaculture or related fields preferred

Benefits & Perks

• On-farm stellar living conditions - 1 bedroom in a new fully furnished 3 bedroom house with live-in roommate and all utilities included (internet, electricity, water, waste)

• Highly nutritious food budget -  (stocked pantry of organic food products, food from the farm, and some additional food stipend)

• Access to transportation - farm truck 

• Monthly stipend - $500 to $1,000 depending on work arrangement 

• Monthly farmers’ market sales percentage - depending on work arrangement 30-50% (April through October - average monthly sales possibility = $2,000/month) 

• Opportunity for certification in Permaculture Design 

• Opportunity for percentage % of other farm related sales (after 3 months)

• A $33,000+/year starting package 

Apply with a resume and cover letter at info@sunandbloomfarms.com Start Date March 2023