Director of Pasture Management

Handsome Brook Farms is a pioneer in pasture-raised organic egg production. Founded in upstate New York with just five hens, we have grown into the nation’s leading producer of organic pasture-raised eggs with partner farms in 10 states. Dedicated to acting handsomely in all aspects of operations, Handsome Brook Farms is committed to treating farmers, animals, and the land with the utmost respect. Our mission is to provide consumers with a clean, responsibly-raised source of protein that they can trust—from coop to carton. As a certified B Corp since March 2021, Handsome Brook Farms upholds the highest standards of social and environmental performance. In 2022, we acquired The Farmer’s Hen, expanding our grower network and diversifying production and distribution to include Organic, Conventional Free Range, and Cage-Free eggs. 
 
HBF Development was established in 2022 in Morristown, TN, an area in which we are proud to provide employment. The creation of HBF Development was the first step in closing a production loop by using  excess eggs to create high-quality, ready-to-eat, hard boiled eggs and other egg-based products. The innovative approaches we use at HBF Development to reduce waste and maximize resource utilization further reflect our commitment to sustainability and excellence in specialty egg production.

Position Description:
The Director of Pasture Management (DPM) will play a pivotal role in leading Handsome Brook’s on-farm sustainability initiatives across our farms located in ten states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  
This role will lead the efforts in the development and execution of pasture management plans created for each farm in the Handsome Brook Farms network with the goal of moving HBF farms closer to an “Ideal Pasture” model as defined by HBF.  The DPM will collaborate/coordinate with Live Operations field personnel to ensure that projects are monitored for on-going maintenance and reporting (where applicable) and will provide support and education for the farmers working on projects. 
As part of the Pasture Management Program, HBF conducts initial benchmarking and annual assessment of farms participating in pasture improvement programs to determine program implementation is successful and to track project outcomes.  The DPM will coordinate farm assessments, the project implementation and monitoring efforts, and will report findings to the VP of Sustainability, on a cadence to be determined.
In addition to pasture management plan development the DPM will provide field support, project management, monitoring and reporting for HBF grant programs and will oversee the coordination of HBF’s corporate farm pasture management and predator loss mitigation programs.
 
Pasture Management:
The pasture plans will be designed to enhance the sustainability of farms, specifically with the goal of moving farms toward the “Ideal Pasture” model created through collaboration of the Live Operations and Sustainability teams so that both sustainability and farm operation considerations are included.  The DPM will be instrumental in contributing to that “Ideal Pasture” model and will work with others in both Sustainability and Live Operations in its development. 
The Pasture Management Plan will focus specifically on the interaction between the land and chickens (and potentially other livestock), with the goal being to define implementable practices that create a symbiotic relationship between the two. The DPM will be expected to listen to a given farmer’s concerns/goals, and use his/her expertise to propose options for how objectives can be addressed through a Pasture Management Plan.
•     Coordinate field visits at network producer’s farms
–        Conduct Pasture Assessment Survey. This survey is designed to help HBF better understand what the farmer currently is doing to manage pastures and how they handle their chicken manure.  
–        Oversee HBF’s Pasture Improvement Cost-Share Program.
•   Discuss potential “interventions” that could be introduced on-farm to support HBF’s goals of moving farms towards HBF “Ideal Pasture” model including:
1. Maintaining Vegetative Coverage
2. Avoiding Standing Water (i.e. controlling stormwater runoff and erosion)
3. Providing shade/predator protection to encourage birds to better utilize the pasture
4. Providing guidance on infrastructure needed to manage grazing, i.e., apron fencing, cross-fencing
 
–        Understand and provide information about state and/or NRCS resources, economic incentives, and funding opportunities in place to help farmers adopt best practices.
–        Work with farmers to sketch on pasture maps the interventions that will move the farm closer to the “Ideal Pasture” model. Recognize that each farm will be different and will be at different places on the spectrum moving to the ideal. 
–        Communicate outcome of assessment and agreed upon plan to VP of Sustainability, Sustainability Team and other HBF personnel, as directed.
 
•     Develop a Pasture Improvement Plan within an agreed upon budget with each farmer. Plans should include: the activities, location(s), materials needed, unit costs, vendor information, and timeline for completion.
–        Connect and collaborate with NRCS and County Extension technical agents for support when developing Pasture Management Plans. Plans should follow agency standards and best practices. Technical assistance is mandatory for any project involving infrastructure additions, like gutters and/or drainage tile installation
–        Coordinate with other Team members to ensure projects are completed in compliance with Organic, animal welfare and other certifications, as needed.
–        Act as project manager for pasture improvement projects
–       Approval will need to be obtained before any work commences. This is especially important for ensuring HBF and producer are on the same page as to who will be paying for what.
 
•       Coordinate, Support, and Monitor Pasture Management Plan Implementation
–        Every project will look different, but the DPM should be prepared to take soil samples, coordinate the purchase of materials, procure seeds/trees at the appropriate rates, and/or hire additional labor as necessary
–        Update HBF Sustainability Team tracking document as projects are identified, started and finished
–        Track expenses and report to VP Sustainability and other HBF personnel, as directed
–        Check-in regularly with producers on progress; address questions and challenges as they arise
 
Grant Program Support:
HBF currently manages multiple grants that fund on-farm projects across the HBF network. The DPM will take the lead on oversight and management of pasture projects and will coordinate with other HBF personnel, grant partners and others, as directed. 
•       Provide on-going monitoring and reporting on progress of farm plans and assist in the development and execution of subsequent annual plans.  Provide support, assistance and project management to the CSOEP Technical Coordinator for implementation of pasture improvement projects designated as Full Regenerative Practices (FRP) or Partial Regenerative Practices (PRP)
 
Corporate Farms Support and Predator Mitigation Programs:
The DPM will collaborate with HBF leadership, Live Ops and Sustainability teams to assist in the design, implementation and monitoring of pastures in Corporate Farms.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
 
·       Work with Sustainability and Live Ops teams to identify infrastructure needs for pastures including fencing, pasture waterers, shade structures, trees/shrubs, predator controls, and other needs on a case-by-case basis
·       Create annual monitoring program for corporate farm pastures and oversee annual pasture evaluations
·       Coordinate and oversee pasture projects to achieve the idea pasture environment at each corporate farm
 
Additionally, the DPM will oversee the development of HBF’s predator mitigation program.  Responsibilities include:
 
·       Investigate and provide reports on aerial and ground-based predator mitigation measures for cost-effectiveness, reliability, etc.  Identify vendors, costs and timelines for installation.
·       Coordinate with Live Ops team to identify network producers with high predation losses. 
·       Where appropriate, conduct pilot projects to determine effectiveness of measures
·       Monitor and report on mitigation measures effectiveness
·       Communicate effectiveness of predator control measures to HBF producer network and work with farmers to implement measures, where needed
 
 
Qualifications:
•       A background in Agriculture, Environmental Science, or Agronomy is preferred
•       Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects at one time
•       Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with a range of farmer types, including Amish and Mennonite
•       Excellent written and verbal communication skills
•       Excellent data management and information organization skills
•       Comfort working in a dynamic organization that is building infrastructure as they go
•       Ability to work with a small team based remotely around the country
•       Proficient with technology; including using Dropbox, Excel, and Google Docs, experience with ArcGIS preferred
•       A “hands-on” approach and commitment to task completion
•       Both a vision for improvement and the ability to execute and dig into the details
•       A team player with a collaborative approach to work
•       Experience working with smaller family farmers
•       Ability to effectively manage time. There are many moving parts to this position and little supervision, so self-discipline is a must
•       A high degree of initiative
•       Ability to be in the field, but also research and work from home
•       Experience with taking soil samples and planting trees/shrubs
•       A valid driver’s license and ability to travel to multiple states in the region
 
 
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@hbfeggs.com
 
Handsome Brook Farms is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions without regard to age, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, military status, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), disability, pre-existing conditions, familial status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.