REGENERATIVE FARM WORKER
W HAT IS G U A RD SWEL L … ? G ua rdsw e l l Farm is home to a n umber of s ma ll, la nd b a se d b u sine sse s- f oc u sing on g rowin g g o o d f oo d , w e l c o m i ng people out to the f arm (w he t he r t ha t s a n of f g r id hu t st a y or a p rod u c e ma r ket) a n d ac ti ve l y w o rkin g to regen erate the lan d t ha t we a re c u st odia ns of . G ua rd sw e l l Farm : Shetlan d Cat tle, Hebrid e a n S he e p a nd S hrop shire she e p , p lu s A ng ora G o a ts , D on ke ys and he ns. S t ea di ng: M ul ti purpos e rural ev en ts s pace - host ing we d ding s, p rod u c e ma r ke t s, c ra f t wor ks ho p s , b u s in e ss aw ay days , cooker y s chools , yog a c la sse s. . . p lu s ma ny ot he r t hing s. H u t s + H o use s: accommodation to s uit the mod e r n wor ld e sc a p e e - 3 hou se s a nd 4 hu t s ( 2 o f w h i c h a re e n ti re l y o f fgrid). P er f ect f or thos e who f a nc y t he mse lv e s r u nning a mic ro- f a r m, swit c hin g o f f f rom the i r di gi tal depen den ce an d takin g a d e e p b re a t h of Pe r t hshire a ir. D ig g e rs Fi ne C i der: L ow in ter v en tion , n atu ra l c id e r - g rown a nd ma d e he re on t he f a r m G ua rd sw e l l G ro w s : s mall s cale, chemical f re e ma r ke t g a rd e n st oc k ing ou r Fa r mst a nd a nd l o c a l w ho le sal e
W HE RE D O E S G UAR DSWEL L WAN T TO G O …? We are so bursti ng with ideas , an d with ea c h ne w a d dit ion t o t he rost e r of t hing s we wa nt to d o o n t he farm , w e need extra pairs of h an ds t o ma ke it a ll ha p p e n. The “ Fa r m” sid e of t he b u s i n es s i s s p e c if i c al l y fo c used on growin g a direct re t a il b ra nd f or ou r me a t , v e g a nd c id e r - wit h t he u l ti m a te g oa l o f se l l i ng m i xed produce boxes to ou r su r rou nding a re a . A t t he mome nt , we dire c t re t a i l o u r m ea t and ve g to our local commun it y, our g u e st s on t he f a r m a nd t o a sma ll nu mb e r of loc a l c a f es a n d restaurants. A N INTRO TO THE ROL E H av ing take n o n f ull man agemen t of the la nd 4 y e a rs a g o, we a re now in a p osit ion whe re w e re q uire an e xtra pair of h an ds to help us w it h t he d a y t o d a y op e ra t ions, a nd a llow u s more ti m e t o d eve l o p the re tail bus in es s an d f ocus e ne rg y b a c k int o t he ot he r p a r t s of t he whole b u si n es s g roup. Thi s i s a really excitin g mov e f or us a nd we c a nt wa it t o ha v e some one e lse on t he tea m w ho share s o ur pa s s ion f or activ ely regene ra t ing ou r lit t le slic e of t he B ra e s of t he C a rse w h i l s t m a in tai ni ng the highes t lev els of an imal w e lf a re a nd holist ic la nd ma na g e me nt . This is, in t he f i rs t in s t a n c e , a ve r y varied role, as we s cale u p t he f a r ming b u sine ss. A re a l c ha nc e t o b e p a r t o f the t ea m fro m the star t an d really dev elop the dire c t ion- le a r ning a long sid e u s. A B O U T YO U This rol e w o ul d suit s omeon e with a true ent hu sia sm f or p u r p ose d r iv e n, mixe d f a r ming - e n ti rel y p a s t ure base d, re gen erativ e, organ ic prin c ip le s. S ome one who p e r ha p s wishe s t o g a in e xp er ie n c e ac ro ss a number of areas . You s hould ha v e a p a ssion f or re g e ne ra t iv e syst e ms a nd ac ti v e ly s ee k i ng to l e arn more about them, h app y t o wor k u nd e r org a nic p r inc ip le s, a nd ha v e a c a l m a n d ge nui ne l y c ar in g at titude towards the we lf a re of st oc k - we a re p rop one nt s of v e r y low s tres s s ys t e ms. Yo u sho uld be practical an d en joy wor k ing ou t sid e t hrou g hou t t he y e a r - in a ll wea thers . P ro a c ti ve and hap py to muck in as par t of a sma ll t e a m- oc c a siona lly in a n e me rg e nc y ou r ho u s e kee p e rs m ay he l p with es capee s heep- and t he re ma y b e t hing s t he y ne e d a ha nd wit h onc e i n a b lue m o o n. We are i de al l y l o okin g f or s omeon e with ex p e r ie nc e wit h liv e st oc k - a nd if y ou a lso ha v e e x p e r ie n c e as a te am member as par t of a s ma ll f a r m or e st a t e t e a m, or hor t ic u lt u ra l t e a m- t he n th a t w o u ld be gre at. We are lookin g f or s omeone wit h t he r ig ht mind se t , e nt hu sia sm a nd willing n es s to lea r n and are happy to s pen d time train in g t he r ig ht indiv id u a l if t he y a re ke e n t o le a r n. A l ev el o f c om f o r t w i th c at tl e an d mach in er y is requ ire d - e v e n if more t ra ining is ne e d e d on t he ma c h i n er y f ron t .
W HAT IS TH E JO B… ? We a re al so ne ar the s tar t of our journ ey - so it s a c ha nc e t o join a n e nt hu sia st ic f a mily who t he mse l ve s are al s o s till learn in g an d ev ol v ing . A lot of t he p a st f e w y e a rs ha s b e e n sp e nd b u ildi ng be t te r i nfras tructure aroun d the f a r m- f rom ha nd ling syst e ms t o wa t e r syst e ms. We a re kee n to take the next s teps towards daily mov e s f or ou r f le rd a nd c ou ld d o wit h a he lp ing h a n d t o m a ke that happen . We are c urre ntl y workin g with ca.4 5 head of S he t la nd C a t t le ( mov ing t owa rd s 6 0 - 8 0 ) , 200300 H e bri de an + Sh rops h ire Sheep, 3 0 he ns a nd c a . 15 A ng ora Goa t s. Whe re do w e ne ed help? - S e t ti ng up and takin g down poly wire f e nc ing - M o v i ng and se t tin g up water trough s + a ssist ing wit h wa t e r inf ra st r u c t u re p roje c t s - V is u al l y c he c k i ng an d as s es s in g s tock hea lt h, q u ic k ly id e nt if y ing a nd t re a t ing a ilme nt s - M o v i ng sto c k bet ween cells , mov in g towa rd s d a ily mov e s - S e t ti ng up handlin g s ys tems - H elp i ng w i th ha n dlin g s tock when require d - f or v e t v isit s, b lood t e st ing , she a r ing e t c . - C leani ng o ut the ch icken tractor, mov in g t he t ra c t or, c hic ke n c a re a nd se t t ing u p ne w p e n s - A s s istanc e duri n g calv in g, lambin g an d k id ding inc he lp wit h t a g g ing - M uc k i ng o ut go a t an d f ield s helters - Tr im m i ng go ats hoov es - H elp i ng c re ate a compos tin g s ys tem bet w e e n t he f a r m a nd t he ma r ke t g a rd e n - Re c o rd ke e pi ng - A s s isti ng duri ng h ay makin g - Ke epi ng are as clean , tidy an d organ is ed - Po we r w ashi ng trailers an d mach in er y, b a sic ma int e na nc e of ma c hine r y - O c casi o nal assis tan ce with market garde n t a sk s t ha t re q u ire more ha nd s- e . g . b e d b u ildi n g - S e a so nal he l p i n the orch ards - f rom prun ing t o ha r v e st - S e t ti ng up agro f ores tr y s ys tems acros s the f a r m- inc lu ding he d g ing / he d g e la y ing / t re e p la n tin g - The c o nfi de nc e to “ hold down the f or t” d u r ing p e r iod s of holid a y c ov e r - The abi l i t y to w ork s af ely - with a clear u nd e rst a nding of he a lt h a nd sa f e t y re q u ire me nt s
A F E W M O RE D E TAI L S 3 d a ys a w e e k ( varied but on a rota)/min 24 hou rs p e r we e k , wit h sc op e t o mov e t o f u ll t i m e f o r t he r ight i ndi vi dual/or if the Grower role su it s y ou t oo + a d dit iona l d a ys f or holid a y c ov e r. A d egre e o f fl e xi bilit y in days worked in a we e k - a s a b ov e £14-£ 16 pe r ho ur, depen din g on experienc e . Id ea ll y to star t as s oon as pos s ible. U n f o r tunate l y w e do n ot h av e an y proper tie s a v a ila b le on t he f a r m t o g o wit h t his job . D r iv in g l i c e nse and car required. Re c ko n yo u fanc y bein g par t of Team Gua rd swe ll…? If so, p le a se se nd some t hing ( a dia g ra m , a v id eo , a C V, m aybe ev en a poem- wh atev e r y ou f e e l will show u s who y ou a re ) t o. . . f a r m@guardsw e l l .co.uk an d we’ll get back t o y ou a s soon a s p ossib le . H ea d o n o ve r to our webs ite www.guards w e ll. c o. u k , or ou r Inst a g ra m a c c ou nt @ g u a rd swel l f a r m to g et m o re o f a fe e l.
M A R K ET GA RD E N GR OWER A s w e l l as the abov e role, we are s eekin g a p a ssiona t e g rowe r f or t he ma r ke t g a rd e n 2 d a ys a w e ek . If yo u fi t the abov e f arm worker role , a s we ll a s t he g rowe r role , we wou ld lov e t o hea r f rom yo u. Thi s w o uld create a f ull time role on t he f a r m.