Resident Gardener

~ Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) is a highly-respected nonprofit organization that protects farmland, supports farmers, and advances the future of farming. ~

Our goal is not just to protect Maine farmland, but to revitalize Maine’s rural landscape by keeping agricultural lands working and helping farmers, and their communities, thrive. 

We work with farm families across the state. We also work closely with dozens of other partners, including statewide groups, local and regional land trusts, and municipalities.

Position Overview

The Resident Gardener is responsible for establishing and tending a vegetable and flower garden at Rolling Acres Farm, as well as covering caretaking and hosting functions for the Fiore Art Center.

• Reports to: Co-Director of the Fiore Art Center.
• Term of seasonal position: This position will begin May 1 and end October 4, 2019.

Responsibilities

• Preparing, planting, and maintaining a kitchen garden that would provide food for residents and guest dinners (Note: includes informing residents at the Center which vegetables may be harvested, or in the alternative, harvesting the vegetables for the residents).
• Maintaining existing flower gardens.
• Weeding and weed whacking around house perimeter.
• Maintaining compost pile.
• Keeping outside areas of house clean (porches & doorways, garden tool areas, studios).
• Taking trash and recycling to transfer station once a week.
• Distributing Open Studio Day posters in the area once a month.
• Being on-site for gallery visitors for 4 hours each Saturday during June, July, August and September (Sat. 12-4).
• Helping Center Staff prepare for and clean up after Wednesday or Thursday dinners and monthly Sunday Open Studio Days (setting table, making coffee/ ice tea, clean up etc.); must be on-site 4-9pm for weekly Wednesday or Thursday dinners, and 10-4 last Sunday of July, August and September.
• Offering garden tours to visitors during Open Studio Days.
• Working in collaboration with staff from Maine Farmland Trust and Veggies For All to support planning and design efforts relating to the proposed food bank food forest, including keeping a journal of key site conditions throughout the season.
• When outside guests are staying at the Center during the off-season (May/June), the resident gardener may act as the point person and host for certain related details, e.g. welcoming guests, laundry, answering questions (but Center staff will be responsible for checking in/checking out, and other administrative details).
• Serving as an ambassador for MFT, and reaching out to patrons for potential membership.

Qualifications

• Our ideal candidate is a farmer/gardener with at least 2 years of solid organic gardening experience, who would love to be immersed in an artist residency experience with visual artists, while being responsible for the Fiore Art Center’s farm and garden and general upkeep.

Additionally, we are looking for:

• Commitment to farmland protection and the future of farming in Maine.
• Appreciation for local farming, food, and the environment.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Affinity with art in some capacity, and being comfortable staffing the gallery for 4 hours per week.
• High comfort level in sharing space with other people.
• Good organizational skills and relatively high standard of housekeeping habits, as the resident’s kitchen and dining space is also public space.
• Basic computer skills for communication and record keeping.
• Kind and welcoming personality.
• Willingness to roll up one’s sleeves and do any tasks necessary to get the job done.

Note: While it is not a requirement that our resident gardener have his/her own creative practice, this residency does provide the opportunity to pursue creative endeavors. All mediums and genres are welcome, though we are especially interested in creatives who would like to explore how working in close communion with the land would inform and develop their artistic practice. However, creative practice of this nature is not part of the duties of this position.

Compensation

• $217.39 weekly salary

Additional Information

The Resident Gardener is required to reside at the Joseph A. Fiore Art Center at Rolling Acres in Jefferson. Residency includes a private bedroom with a shared bathroom and shared living space. (NOTE: from May 24-29, the Resident Gardener will need to live off-site, as there will be a 5-day yoga retreat at the Center).

The resident can expect to work up to 20 hours per week – possibly closer to 25 when getting the garden in. While we understand and allow that the resident may need to be employed off-site part-time (20 hours/week max), we highly encourage the resident to spend time being involved in a creative practice as described above.

Guests will be allowed according to certain parameters; however, this residential position is specifically for one individual. We cannot accommodate couples, children or pets. Moreover, due to the nature of the artists-in-residence program at Rolling Acres, maintaining an atmosphere supportive of the artists’ expectation of solitude and retreat is imperative.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload a detailed cover letter, resume, and list of references with contact information by February 1, 2019.
• If you have any questions after reading the job description, contact Fiore Art Center Co-Director Anna Witholt Abaldo via email or at 207-338-6575.