Help Wanted at The Karma Farm
Small pay-as-you-can egg farm needs farmsitter/roommate/housekeeper for 6-8 months to assist one owner while the other undergoes medical treatment out-of-state. We operate under permaculture ethics to maximize sustainable and compassionate living. Applicants can choose indoor housekeeper/cook/assistant concentration, farm hand concentration, or a combination of both.
Details:
- Located 1 & ½ hours from Memphis.
- Farm and/or housework experience a plus, but not required. Training provided.
- Absolutely no drugs of any kind.
- Alcohol is permitted off-duty.
- Dates flexible. Stay a week, a month, or the duration.
Perks:
- Room/board
- Gas for farm errands run.
- Share in profits (after farm expenses) of egg deliveries made on behalf of owner.
- For every week of satisfactory work, receive complementary 3-day stay at our creek-side mountain cabin just outside of Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Time may be banked for up to a full week stay at a time, a $1400 value.
General Requirements (farm concentration):
- Submit to background check
- Tetanus up-to-date with documentation
- General good health
- MUST be in good physical condition
- Able to lift and carry 50-60 pounds easily
- No animal allergies
- Prepared to work in all weather conditions & have appropriate clothing
- Must understand compassionate farming sometimes means making emotionally difficult decisions such as sending stray dogs to the local kill shelter, killing a bird who is injured, culling roos, etc.
- Must be willing/able (after training) to successfully and satisfactorily complete daily farm chores alone 2x per week on a regular basis, and occasionally for a full week while owner goes out of town (about every six weeks).
- Must be flexible in work schedules and know/learn how to prioritize tasks. Farm work is completely unpredictable, and there are no time cards or guaranteed "off" times. They do happen, but one must be flexible and be ready to get back to work in an emergency.
General Requirements (housekeeping concentration):
- Tetanus up-to-date and be able to provide that documentation
- General good health & physical condition
- Able to lift and carry 40-50 lbs easily
- Must be willing/able (after training) to successfully and satisfactorily complete daily farm chores alone 2x per week, or for up to 1 week while owner goes out of town. This occurs roughly every 6 weeks.
- Prepared to work in all weather conditions when farmsitting
- Must understand compassionate farming sometimes means making emotionally difficult decisions such as sending stray dogs to the local kill shelter, killing a bird who is injured, culling roos, etc.
Specific Tasks (Farm Concentration):
- Assist owner in animal routine for 40 chickens, 2 donkeys and 4 dogs. This involves feeding, collecting eggs, cleaning nest boxes, providing fresh water daily, changing water frequently during hot days to ensure cold water, etc.
- Assist owner in maintaining/repairing fence lines
- Learning our business model well enough to answer questions should you make any deliveries
- Grounds maintenance: Using weed eaters, riding mowers. Being present while owner uses tractor for bush-hogging (a safety issue)
- Running general farm errands, possibly making egg deliveries on occasion to established clients
- General maintenance/repair where needed (carpentry experience a real plus)
- Occasional house/farmsitting for up to a week
- Grocery shopping & food prep for 2 meals daily, lunch and dinner
- Errands run
- Laundry
- Floors swept, vaccumed 4 x per week
- Weekly laundry (except for work clothes, which need to be washed at least 2x per week
- Bed linens changed weekly
- Bathrooms cleaned
- Pet hair removal from sofa and loveseat 3x per week
- Sofa and loveseat slip covers washed and replaced 3x per week
- Heavy dusting as needed per room
- Dog feeding and releases to the fenced-in back yard with heavy supervision in extreme hot or cold. No more than 15 minutes outside during such conditions
Living Arrangements (General life as a roomie):
- I respect all kinds of religious affiliation (or none), race, sexual orientation, political ideology, etc. I expect the same understanding of a roommate. Well okay, maybe I do object to some personality type. Absolutely no racist homophobe Sarah Palin fans or animal rights activists need apply. Our differences would be too extreme to get along. Other than that, it's all good.
- Share in household duties (cooking, cleaning etc)
- Share in errand running (groceries, etc)
- No animal allergies, you will be miserable with 4 dogs in this house.
- ABSOLUTELY NO DRUGS. ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO DRUGS NEVER EVER EVER...just in case I'm too subtle here, let me reiterate. NO DRUGS.
- Alcohol is permitted so long as you aren't a "knee walkin' drunk."
- Men welcome but if you dip and drop a spit cup on the carpet, I. Will. End. You.
- Vegans welcome, but if you can't handle flesh in the fridge this is a deal-breaker
- Couples or singles welcome, but please no children or pets.
