Assistant Herd Manager at Brookford Farm

Brookford Farm is a large, diversified operation nestled along the banks of the Merrimack River in central New Hampshire, a short drive north of Concord. The farm moved to this 650 acre plot about four years ago, as has been slowly rebuilding topsoil in the wake of the sod farm that once occupied it. We grow about 40 acres of certified organic vegetables, raise pastured layers, broilers, and hogs, and rotationally graze our dairy and beef animals. The dairy cows’ diet is supplemented with organic grain, but we feed no soy, corn, or corn silage. In winter the ladies are kept in a bedded pack barn and fed bales when they’re not being milked in our 6-stall (8 by next fall) step-up parlor. Our milk is all bottled raw or turned into various cultured products right here on the farm, and moved through our 300 member year-round CSA, farmers markets, and local groceries and restaurants.

As we grow, we are looking for new people to join our team. We currently have 65 cows in milk, and anticipate at least 80 by the end of next year. We follow organic and biodynamic principles and hope to have the herd certified organic by 2020 (when all the cows will have been born on location). Willingness to learn about and implement holistic veterinary treatments is key, as we do not use antibiotics. Our cows are a mix of various breeds, including Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn, and Guernsey. We are now breeding in primarily Normande for their dual-purpose qualities and docility.

The assistant herd manager would be expected to milk 5-7 shifts per week, feed out bales and bed down barns through the winter, monitor herd and calf health, set up and move temporary fencing during the grazing season, and assist with relevant construction projects. Those with tractor experience (preferred) may expect to help with mucking out, turning compost, cropping, and haying. Once settled in, the candidate will be expected to anticipate and execute tasks on their own or with the livestock team. Niches can be adjusted over time to suit the individual's interests and the farm's needs. At this time we are particularly interested in handy folks, who can recognize issues and use intuition and ingenuity to produce a solution.

Previous animal husbandry experience is required, and dairy experience is preferred, but not absolutely necessary. We are looking for patient individuals who are committed to low-stress livestock handling. As we deal largely in raw milk, animal health and cleanliness and parlor and equipment hygiene are very important. The ideal candidate would be observant and organized, possess strong communication skills and a positive attitude. Must be capable of lifting 50lb bags multiple times a day and working through inclement weather.

There is no staff housing at this time, but the farm hopes to find a house to rent nearby in the coming months.

Salaried, paid weekly. 5.5 days per week April-November, 5 days per week Dec-March. Compensation based on experience and skill set. Please send a resume, two references, and a brief letter of interest to brookfordherdmanager@gmail.com. Note that we also have a few vegetable crew positions open on the farm, and if the interest is there, milking a few shifts on top of veggie responsibilities is a possibility.

Canterbury, NH