Farm Stand Manager, Land's Sake Farm, Weston

Farm Stand Manager

Full time, seasonal, at-will position (May – October). Reports to: Executive Director and Farm Director

Land’s Sake is a nonprofit farm located in Weston, MA. Land’s Sake strives to connect individuals to the land to build community and inspire lifelong stewardship. Land’s Sake is currently looking for a Farm Stand Manager (approx. a 7-month position) to run the retail side of the Farm Stand, as well as oversee the hiring, scheduling and management of summer Farm Stand staff. The seasonal Farm Stand serves as the hub of the Farm from June through October, and each year we assemble an awesome team to sell our vegetables, guide and educate our community, occasionally battle chipmunks, and have a lot of fun doing it. The Farm Stand is the face of the Farm, and the proper running of the Farm Stand is key in maintaining our relations with the public and helping to coordinate many of the events that we hold on the Farm every year. Because this position straddles so many areas of the Farm it will report to both the Executive Director and the Farm Director. The Farm Stand Manager position will report to the Executive Director (in matters of outside marketing, vendor relations, and staffing) and will report to the Farm Director in matters of produce ordering, management and handling.

Vital qualities for this position are: great customer service skills, an ability to work quickly and efficiently, knowledge of farming, organized, enjoys being outside and flexibility. Interest in sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and/or cooking is a plus.In order to communicate with customers as to how they can become more involved with Land’s Sake, Farm Stand staff are trained about the organization’s many offerings.

Job Description

--Land’s Sake produce management (reports to the Farm Director)
--Communicates with the Farm Director and Growers regarding what will be available for sale. The Farm Stand Manager keeps the produce up to the agreed upon standards
--Learns about produce varieties, growing standards and Farm Stand products and works with the Farm Director to select produce and quantities for the Farm Stand
--On a daily basis, sets up and breaks down the Farm Stand and maintains produce quality throughout the day (e.g. temperature control, hydration). The Farm Stand is a very basic structure with limited power and shade.
--Maintains the cleanliness and organization of the Farm Stand, including the area around the stand
--Sales/marketing, vendor relations & staff management (reports to the Executive Director)
--The Farm Stand Manager is the representative of the Farm Stand and should be bright, cheerful and excel in customer service and salesmanship. Ensures that unsurpassed service is being given by all Farm Stand employees
--Hires, trains, schedules and manages all Farm Stand labor. The manager instructs the seasonal staff in what the Farm has to offer and instills in them excellent customer service skills. Every Farm Stand employee is a sales person
--Oversees the ordering, procuring, and maintaining of inventory for the Farm Stand and updates two inventory systems, weekly
Updates the point of sale (Square) system and understands its inner workings to maintain proper records of sales. This also includes understanding what we should be charging for our products.
--Updates the Vendor spreadsheet (a google sheet) weekly in order to maintain a more easily accessible history of vendors, vendor contact information, and timing of orders
--Operates cash register (knowledge of Square is desired), scales, and counts cash
--Understands what is selling and what is not through analyzing and interpreting sales reports. Responsible for bringing in new items to increase profits and cutting items that do not sell.
--Handles complex customer service issues
--Responsible for marketing of Farm Stand items to existing and new Land’s Sake customers:
--Markets the items available in the Farm Stand by creating signage, weekly email communications and posting on Facebook, Twitter and our signage outside the store.
--Packs the Farm Stand for the season at the end of October
--Plans and executes the Pre-Thanksgiving sale for November

Requirements

--At least 2 years of retail experience as a sales person and 1 year of experience in management.
--Flexibility in your schedule with the ability to work at least one weekend day per week.
--Prior experience with a farm and the wide variety of vegetables we grow is necessary. Should understand the value of sustainable, integrated and organic growing practices for vegetables.
--Must enjoy a fast-paced environment when we are busy and have the ability to create projects and tasks for those times when we are slow.
--Able to repeatedly bend and lift 50 lbs throughout the day.
--Be willing and able to work in all weather conditions, stand for long periods of time (The Farm Stand is a very rustic structure and much of the time is spent in the elements.)

Hours and Compensation

The Farm Stand opens the first week of June.  It is open 6 days a week through the end of October. There is one additional sales day in November.  This position begins in early  to mid May to clean and stock up the Farm Stand and learn about the Farm and continues 30-40hrs/wk, until the stand closes at the end of October. There is some flexibility with the schedule depending on the staff schedule, but the Farm Stand Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the Farm Stand is staffed during all open hours. There is the possibility of hiring an Assistant Farm Stand Manager to help fill necessary hours.

Compensation:

Dependent on experience
The position qualifies for some benefits including earning vacation and sick time
As much free produce as you can eat
Discount on other products sold at the Farm Stand
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to pam@landssake.org