Who We Are
Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.  

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services.  Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities.

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Farm Based Educator

Year Round
|
Full Time
|
$42,000 - $47,000

Position Title: Farm Based Educator      

Supervisor: Farmyard Manager

Employee Status:  Year-round; Full Time 

Exemption: Non-Exempt

Location: In-person (Shelburne, VT)

Start Date: Immediate

Pay range:  $42,000 - $47,000

Work Schedule: 5 days a week, weekend and holiday work required

 

Who We Are

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.  

 

What We Do

  • Engage youth and people of all ages in learning experiences that inspire them to build just, diverse, resilient, caring communities. 
  • Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
  • Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide

 

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services.  Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.

 

Who We’re Looking for

The Children's Farmyard (CFY) is an outdoor educational space that is open to the public and school groups seven days a week, May through October. The goal of the CFY is to educate and connect visitors to agriculture in a safe, engaging, and hands-on environment. In partnership with the Farmyard Manager, you will provide care for the animals year-round, work as a farm-based educator, and help supervise seasonal farmyard staff. When the farmyard is closed for the season, you’ll focus on caring for the farmyard animals as well as supporting additional educational programs and events.

 

What You’ll Do

Farmyard Support 

  • Provide care for Farmyard animals year round in coordination with the Farmyard Manager.
  • Work as a farm-based educator using the Shelburne Farms Children’s Farmyard as a framework to educate for sustainability.
    • Greet and orient diverse audiences to the Farmyard including but not limited to day visitors from around the world, overnight inn guests, school groups, and summer campers. 
    • Lead engaging and interactive presentations and activities for groups of various sizes. Some activity examples include hand milking a cow, grooming an angora rabbit, spinning sheep's wool into yarn bracelets, and garden exploration.
    • Develop Farmyard displays, exhibits, and activities. 
    • Maintain a clean, inclusive, safe, and educational environment at the Farmyard.
  • Serve as Manager on Duty when Farmyard Manager is offsite or unavailable.
  • Supervise seasonal Farmyard staff in coordination with Farmyard Manager.
    • Support and nurture development of seasonal educators’ knowledge of public interpretation, animal husbandry, guest services, and day-to-day Farmyard duties.
    • Assist in the hiring process of seasonal farmyard educators.
    • Assist with developing and executing staff training of farmyard educators.
    • Model exceptional guest services - ability to remain calm, level headed, and flexible in any scenario.
  • Drive the public tractor shuttle as needed
  • Coordinate the Farmyard Work and Learn Program
    • Schedule participants
    • Organize health form and payment information
    • Work with and mentor program participants (ages 9-18) through positive role-modeling, observation, and feedback of their facilitation and instructional skills.

Additional Education Support

  • Assist with special events including but not limited to Maple Open House(March), Vermont Flower Show (March), Sheep and Shear Delights (April), Dairy Day (May), and Winter Gifts (December), Shelburne Winterfest (January) including prep, set-up, and teaching
  • Assist with family program planning, prep, and teaching (Sat/Sun programming)
  • School Program support
    • Teach custom, themed school field trip programs both on and off the farm. 
    • Develop and teach afterschool programming
    • Serve as animal outreach liaison with Education staff and plan and teach animal outreach programming 
  • Facilitate custom farm visits and tours with agricultural focus
  • Provide support for Farm Based Education Network

 

Additional farm-wide support

  • Mail order processing and support (November & December) including taking orders over the phone, order processing, creating shipping labels, packing orders

 

Core Qualifications 

  • Experience in education or public interpretation.
  • Knowledge/understanding of food and farm systems.
  • Comfort around animals including large animals such as horses and cows. 
  • Commitment to the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. 
  • In order to drive the tractor shuttle, you must have a valid driver’s license with the following requirements:
    • No more than one at-fault accident, two minor moving violations, or two non-moving violations within the past year AND
    • Zero major moving violations within the past seven years (examples: driving with suspended/invalid license, DUI, reckless driving, speed contests). No more than one major moving violation in the past 10 years.
  • Able to hear and respond to radio communication over running tractor while wearing a headset.
  • Able to maintain safe driving conditions for all farm visitors on the shuttle and along the farm walking trails.
  • Able to drive the tractor while sharing the farm roads with other farm equipment, farm and personal vehicles, and walkers. 
  • A completed background and MVR check is a condition of employment due to working with and around minors and operating the tractor shuttle.

 

Additional Valued Qualifications 

  • Valid First Aid and CPR Certification (certification provided if needed).
  • Flexible and positive attitude with a willingness to learn from others. 
  • Dedicated to excellent guest services.
  • Experiences in and comfortable working in challenging situations with flexibility, a solution-oriented mindset, and a calm demeanor. 
  • Positive attitude and a willingness to be a contributing member of a team, while remaining flexible to changing program needs.
  • Experience with receiving and providing clear and kind feedback.

 

Work Environment & Physical Demands 

  • Outdoor work environment with varied weather conditions.
  • Move over hilly and uneven terrain.
  • Work with and around large farm animals.
  • Lift and move up to 50 lbs.
  • Exposure to farm animals, hay, bedding, dust, and animal manure.
  • Ability to work weekends and holidays.

 

Benefits 

 

To Apply

If our vision and mission excite you, we hope you will share with us your experience and skill set that you feel would qualify you to make a contribution to the Farm.

 

You are invited to submit an application online, in person, or by mail to: 

  • jobs@shelburnefarms.org with “Farm Based Educator” in the subject line, or
  • Shelburne Farms attn: Human Resources, 1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne, VT 05482
  • Need additional support? Call our Human Resource Director at 802-985-0370.

 

All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.

 

In your application, please include responses to the following questions. These are not meant to be a writing exercise but to introduce yourself in a meaningful way.

  • How did you hear about the position, and what draws you to it?
  • Tell us about your unique characteristics and life experience that will help you thrive in this role.
  • What stands out to you about the Farm’s commitment to Equity & Inclusion, and how do you see your role contributing to this ongoing work?

 

At Shelburne Farms, we value equitable access to employment opportunities and career growth as central to our organization’s commitments and our collective future. We are committed to offering employment to individuals who face barriers to employment including but not limited to those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Women and non- binary individuals, domestic violence survivors, individuals with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those with non- traditional educational backgrounds. We utilize inclusive hiring practices and are committed to shifting our resources towards amplifying and uplifting historically marginalized communities to provide a fair and just opportunity for employment. 

 

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and we strongly stand against discrimination and harassment of any kind. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.

Date Posted: November 7