Farming Co-Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Round the Bend Farm (RTB), a Center for Restorative Community, located in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, is a 115-acre working farm and educational non-profit. We are a living laboratory that cultivates, educates, and empowers people of all ages. We are devoted to the global paradigm shift toward hope and abundance by valuing diversity, modeling nature, and redefining wealth. RTB is seeking a passionate and motivated individual to join our team as a full-time Farming Co-Manager.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Anticipated start is March 2026.

Our Manifest Love (ML) program is a free weekly food share program currently serving approximately 150 families in New Bedford. Going into its seventh season of operation, Manifest Love is a collaboration between RTB, YWCA Southeastern MA, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, North Star Learning Centers, and Sacred Birthing Village. Food share contents are grown on site using approximately 6-8 acres at RTB and occasionally gleaned from nearby farms as well.

At RTB, we use a synthetics-free farming philosophy, rooted in regenerative relationships and a mix of biodynamic, permaculture, agroforestry, and soil remineralization practices. We emphasize sustainability, natural relationships, ecological vibrancy, and working in ways that mirror our mission of valuing diversity, modeling nature, and redefining wealth.

Working alongside the farm crew in a daily capacity – in close concert with the Garden Manager and Distribution Manager and with support from our extended RTB team and volunteers – this position will be involved with and responsible for all aspects of growing & harvesting agricultural produce for our kitchen & Manifest Love program. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: crop planning, seed sowing, greenhouse and nursery care, soil & field preparation, transplanting, weeding and cultivation, harvesting, seed saving, propagation, mowing and land management, efficient management and direction of RTB team and volunteers, food storage, and food processing and preparation for distribution of Manifest Love food shares (harvesting, washing, bagging).

We are looking to fill this new position with an individual who can easily learn and understand our systems and also evolve with us as we continue to grow and refine them. While we expect each of the above duties to be critical parts of this role, we envision that this position will play an especially important part of continued management of our nursery and planting schedules.

While the scope of this position will be focused primarily in our annual vegetable crop production, this work will also take place in the context of a larger, integrated and evolving agroforestry system (currently in its fourth year of development). As such, work may at times include support for some perennial and tree crop care activities – including harvest, mulching, pruning, etc.

As a year-round full-time position, winter tasks may include, but are not limited to: unheated greenhouse management (year round production), crop planning, food processing, supporting education initiatives for the Manifest Love program, and various other duties that support the multifaceted nature of our non-profit organization.

While not a primary focus, this position will at times (when needed) act as a liaison with the RTB educational team to support tours, demonstrations, direction, and provide educational contexts for our agricultural work to visiting students and the general public.

To a great degree, the above work will be performed outdoors (directly in the fields); however, this position may also include participation in shared community cooking, post-harvest processing & preservation, monthly Open Farm Days, and occasional support of other farm projects as needed.

This work will be physically demanding and challenging, but also grounding, nourishing and rewarding. We aim for a 40-hour per week commitment, however natural variations in seasonal workload and conditions will require openness and flexibility around work hours in the high season, and some days may run longer than others.

As an…