Director of Regenerative Agriculture

Position Summary:

Carnation Farms (CF), a historically significant agricultural asset of the Snoqualmie Valley of King County, Washington, has embarked on an evolution of its 100-plus year role, purpose and mission in the broader Pacific Northwest farm and food communities. The board, staff, and family members of this nonprofit organization have embraced a transformation, focusing on healthy, regenerative food systems as its purpose and regenerative practices throughout its farming, culinary and educational activities. 

CF has operated an 800+ acre certified organic farm, mixed vegetable farm with a livestock program, for many years, and the organization’s leadership will now go further to fully engage in regenerative practices that build soil health, protect watersheds, and make resources and farm assets open and available to a broader, diverse community of stakeholders. The Director will play a leading role in this transformation. 

Carnation Farms is seeking an experienced Director of Regenerative Agriculture who will lead the development and implementation of the farm’s future regenerative agricultural strategies, in partnership with the Board and Executive Director. This leader will help shape a vision for CF’s role in promoting healthier, regenerative food and farming systems in the Pacific Northwest. This person will need to be entrepreneurial, flexible, and ready to adapt to and lead change. It is a unique moment and opportunity. It is vital that this leader be as much of a businessperson and team manager & leader as a farmer.  This position has 3-4 direct reports and a total of 10-12 full-time staff.

Responsibilities – 

Developing and Directing Strategy and Partnerships –

• Lead, influence and manage CF’s regenerative food and farming strategies.
• Create an annual strategic plan and budget for the regenerative direction of the farm and lead its implementation. 
• Develop relationships and work closely with local entities, farms, culinary entities and other civic organizations to identify mutual-value partnerships and establish CF as a valued partner and Hub for the region.
• Don’t look at farming as the end game, think about CF’s work in the context of the broader food system. 

Leadership and Management –

• Lead and manage a farm team of 10-12 full-time staff along with seasonal positions. Supervise and support 3-4 direct reports in place, including livestock, crops, & operations leads.
• Provide goal-setting, evaluation and performance development for direct reports. Team in place will own much of day-to-day capacity. 
• Effectively work across all functions and groups at CF, including Facilities, Farmstand, Culinary, & Admin
• Assist and partner with the Executive Director in occasional fundraising responsibilities. 
• Data based and solutions driven.

Directing the Farming and Land Use (working through and with the whole Regen Ag team) –

• Oversee each of these programs (current plan, specificity provided below to understand scope), in partnership with full-time, day-to-day leadership in-place, provided by farm, livestock, and crops managers.
• Vegetable / Crops Production: 10+ acres of mixed vegetable production including but not limited to annual fruits and vegetables, perennials, fruit trees, berries, grains and cover crops. 
• Livestock Production: 50-100 head cow-calf beef cattle, 15-30 head sheep for meat and fiber, 1-2 250-hen laying flocks, 1200 annual broilers (possibly), 100-200 annual turkeys 
• Develop strategy and support, w/ the ED and Marketing Manager TBH, for the following sales revenue channels: Farmstand, Wholesale, Retail, Online & DTC. Unlikely to pursue all, but involved in many
• Direct and support the CF team in Organic, Regenerative and other certification processes. 

Requirements –

Core –

• 10+ years’ experience on an organic / sustainable farm, having played strategic, operational, and management roles. Familiar with practices like diversified crop rotations, no- / low-tillage, rotational grazing, etc. 
• 5+ years’ experience leading and managing teams of people working on an organic / sustainable farm.
• Demonstrated leader in and commitment to the importance of regenerative agricultural practices. 
• A range of knowledge about various farming practices across produce and livestock.
• A commitment to equity and inclusion as core principles that need to be embedded across CF’s work.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and problem-solving ability.

Preferred –

• Prior experience working with or in non-profit organizations. 
• Local / regional knowledge and relationships 
• Experience in the process of community engagement, including public sector (county and state level)
• Degree in food, food systems, agriculture, soil science, environmental science, land management, or similar.

Compensation and Benefits – 

• Full medical, vision, dental, 401K 
• On-farm housing or housing subsidy as part of benefit package 
• Salary Range, DOE – $125-135,000 annual

If you want to make a difference every day in support of the mission of Carnation Farms and have the experience and capabilities required for this position, please send your resume, along with a cover letter with salary expectations, explaining how your qualifications are a fit and why you are passionate about this leadership role, to jobs@kkandp.com and pauls@carnationfarms.org. Women, People of Color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and people from other marginalized lived experiences are encouraged apply. We will accept applications until filled and begin interviews right after Jan 1, 2024. Reference and background checks for finalists are part of the recruiting process of Carnation Farms.