Aletheia Farm & Garden

FARM MANAGER / MENTOR
Part-time Employment · $25–$30/hour + perks
OR Full-time Leaseholder relationship possible, read below…

Position Summary

Aletheia Farm & Garden is a ¼ acre organic, low-to-no-till diversified farm nestled into one of Sonoma Valley’s most beloved historic properties–and we’re looking for someone ready to take it to the next level.

We established Aletheia Farm & Garden in 2018 after having been on the land for a few years already. The farm currently grows diversified vegetables and cut flowers, has a beginning insectary, a half dozen establishing young fruit trees, and a new 720sf greenhouse coming online later this year. Ample water and irrigation is already established and power is immediately adjacent. From April through September, the farm supplies our onsite farm-to-table Café 108° as well as the year-round community of land stewards who live and work at the Springs. We’d love to see the quality, output and consistency of production grow under steady, passionate leadership.

This is a role for someone who is as comfortable working solo in the field as they are directing and mentoring a small rotating team of apprentices and volunteers. If you’re a regenerative farming advocate who finds as much meaning in building healthy soil as in building community around food, this might be your place.

The Role

As a part-time position, this role currently averages 8–12+ hours per week across 1–3 days depending on the season. Roughly 85–90% of your time is hands-on farm labor and management; the remaining 10–15% is mentoring, guiding and directing weekly apprentices and occasional volunteer work parties. The position is open now and ideally begins as soon as possible. After a successful first year together we hope this grows in both hours and scope.

The Land & Future Possibilities

Beyond the established ¼ acre, the property offers real and exciting room to grow. An adjacent area could be fenced and developed to expand the diversified veg farm to a total of ¾ acre of productive growing space. A separate ¾ acre field–currently unfenced–offers potential for expanded cut flower production or additional raised beds. And an additional ¾ acre parking area has been sited for development as a crated tree nursery, with support and partial funding already in place to build out a gravity-fed rainwater catchment system projected to collect an estimated 45,000–60,000 gallons of water annually.

Our long-term vision includes a small-scale diversified production farm and CSA with an onsite farmstand and educational programming. The right person could help shape what that becomes.

A note worth mentioning: During summer weekdays, a children’s camp operates adjacent to the farm, and we see real potential in deepening that relationship whether through integrated hands-on learning or more informal farm days to learn about where food comes from. This isn’t a responsibility of this role, but if you’re someone who naturally lights up around kids connecting to the land, there’s a wonderful collaboration waiting to be developed with this established camp’s mentors and leaders.

A Note on Long-Term Partnership

In addition to the part-time employment path described above, we’re also open to conversations with established growers or farmers interested in leasing this space to operate their own full-time farming vision–provided there’s a strong mutual fit in values, culture and long-term commitment to this land and community. There is a possibility to live on the land which also can be explored.

A leaseholder relationship could be structured as a separate but interconnected entity, or later folded under our organizational umbrella with autonomy over farm and garden operations and shared decision-making with the broader stewardship of the property. Either way, what we’re ultimately looking for in a long-term partner is someone who would want to grow into a year-round land stewardship role living on the land with us. This person’s or couple’s sovereign sphere would be the farm and garden, but they would also be genuinely on board with the long-term vision of this place and being a part of the community of land stewards building it together.

This kind of deeper partnership is something we’d explore carefully and collaboratively. So whether the path begins as part-time employment or a full-time lease arrangement, both roads point toward a similar destination: a long-term residential land stewardship partner who is equally passionate about the larger holistic vision we’re building together.

Whether you’re a solo farmer ready to put down roots or perhaps a dynamic duo looking for the right home for your operation, we’d love to hear from you.

Primary Responsibilities

• Planning, starting and maintaining seasonally rotating crops — direct sown and greenhouse started
• Seeds, starts and supply procurement
• Coordinating the rotating crop schedule and café deliveries with the Café Manager
• Irrigation maintenance and weed management
• Garden planning and infrastructure improvement projects
• Organic/humane pest abatement
• Mentoring and demonstrating farming skills to weekly apprentices
• Helping coordinate and anchor larger volunteer work parties

On Culture Fit

We’re a small, mission-driven, deeply DIY community of land stewards. The right person for this role is a passionate advocate for regenerative farming, local and organic food, the slow food movement and food sovereignty. You care about connecting people to the land they live on, the food they eat and the watersheds they inhabit. And you bring the same organizational integrity and emotional maturity to a volunteer work party as you do to a solo planting day.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a farm manager, assistant manager or similar–or a compelling track record in closely applicable work
• Experience planning seasonal crops and rotations
• Strong record-keeping and organizational skills; basic computer literacy in Google Docs, Sheets or Excel
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills–confident, self-motivated and self-managing
• Experience or genuine enthusiasm for training apprentices and coordinating volunteers
• Deep commitment to organic, sustainable and slow food philosophies
• Ability to lift 50+ pounds
• Valid California Driver’s License, active car insurance and safe driving record

Reciprocity

• $25–$30/hour DOE, negotiable based on experience
• Private access hot spring soaking/swimming
• All-you-can-grow-and-eat produce from the farm
• Artesian mineral spring drinking water fill-ups for personal use
• Access to the full range of other onsite amenities at the Springs

How to Apply

Please reach out to laurie@aletheiasprings.com with your current resume, brief cover letter describing yourself as well as your interest and fit, and 3 references (at least 2 professional references).