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Overview
Codman Community Farms (CCF) is one of the oldest non-profit community farms in the region, and we celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2023. We are conveniently located adjacent to the commuter rail and near the center of activity of our small, beautiful town. CCF stewards over 150 acres of land throughout Lincoln and Concord and resides on an 18-acre home farm with historic barns, greenhouses, community garden plots, pastures, our own commercial farm kitchen and store, and a thriving flower and market garden.
Job Description
The Farm Store manager is responsible for the daily management of the Farm Store. Our goal is provide a clean, informative, and well-stocked store to meet the growing demand for Codman Grown proteins, vegetables, flowers, and prepared foods - as well as a curated selection of locally sourced products. This highly independent position is designed for a self-starter passionate about local food and farming.
We seek someone who is detail-oriented, organized, and enjoys interacting with and educating customers in a fast-paced environment.
The position manages additional farm store staff, including part-time and full-time Farm Store Associates.
This position is a year-round, salaried position with benefits.
DUTIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Job Description
The FARM STORE MANAGER manages all aspects of our year-round Farm Store. Our Farm Store operates as a unique self-serve model that is open 24/7, 365 days per year so our customers can enjoy the freedom of shopping for local foods any time of day or night.
The Farm Store manager is responsible for the daily management of the store, providing a clean, informative, and well-stocked space to meet the growing demand for our own proteins and locally grown and produced food items. The position requires a passion for local food and farming, a detail-oriented, organized work ethic, and a desire to educate and inform our dedicated customers in a fast-paced environment.
The Farm Store Manager is a year-round, salaried position with benefits.
DUTIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Organizing, Receiving, and Stocking
Receiving shipments, entering them into inventory, as appropriate; organizing and managing the receiving and inventory areas, including pantry, back barn, and other storage areas.
Stocking duties include pricing, bagging, and organizing all products in our retail areas, including glass front freezers, reach-in coolers, and pantry shelves, including frozen meats and frozen food items, produce, dairy, Codman-made prepared foods and other items.
Managing and organizing our many reach-in chest freezers, walk-in freezers, and two walk-in coolers to ensure proper product rotation.
Maintaining a clean and organized Farm Store including sweeping, dusting products and spaces, labeling shelving with appropriate pricing, and creating attractive and informative signage and other materials to educate the public about our product sourcing and ethics
Products, Inventory Management, Digital Systems
Sourcing local products, establishing and maintaining relationships with vendors, monitoring inventory, and placing weekly orders of products, as needed.
Creating and maintaining accurate and up-to-date labels for all retail products and adding new items to inventory, as needed.
Communicating with management, vendors, and customers regarding product availability and/or quality concerns and assisting in sourcing new products to carry in the store that match our farm values and store ethics.
Coordinating with Codman Farm Market Garden Manager and Staff in identifying appropriate levels of produce and quality for all Codman Grown produce.
Coordinating closely, including field walks, as necessary to determine product quality and harvest goals.
In coordination with the Farm Manager, setting pricing levels, understanding costs and markups, market conditions, and appropriate retail displays by product type.
In coordination with the Farm Manager, creating item “specials” and unique buying opportunities for customers to create excitement, and buzz and to move slower-selling items that are overstocked
Coordinate with Farm Chef regarding in-house made prepared foods and assist as needed in providing support for packaging, labeling, price setting, etc…
Fluency in ECRS software and digital scales - ensuring accurate pricing, labeling, and inventory of selected products and maintaining an up-to-date database according to set standards, and labeling conventions.
Act as the primary point of contact for ECRS Help Desk when store-related POS issues arise - as they relate to POS terminals, scales, and other issues.
Customer Experience
Maintaining orderliness and cleanliness of the Farm Store, coolers, product displays, and shopping aids so customers experience the store as an inviting place to shop and learn.
Assist in developing educational and promotional materials to educate customers on the attributes of our unique products and vendors which includes consulting with other staff on the creation of new displays, methods of merchandising and selling products to create excitement and draw.
Ensure that floors, shelves, restrooms, and public spaces in and around the farm store are neat, clean/sanitary, safe, and inviting.
Customer Service
Interact with customers daily, educating them on product attributes, collecting feedback, problem-solving, assisting with checkout on our digital terminals and scales, and performing other duties as needed.
Act as the face of the farm in all interactions with customers, including a positive, upbeat, and welcoming attitude.
Proficiency with the ECRS Point of Sale system to assist customers with checkout.
Supervisory Work
Assist in hiring and managing Farm Store staff.
Create scheduling and coverage for the store and train new staff in proper policies and procedures.
Ensure the store is adequately staffed during primary business hours and assist in maintaining coverage during weather events, holidays, etc…
Create and maintain a positive and encouraging work environment
Job Requirements and Qualifications:
Passion for farming, sustainability, the outdoors, and eating local!
Strong work ethic and a self-starter;
Ability to work well with others, train new staff and create systems for managing workflow.
Detail-oriented and ability to maintain a clean and organized workspace;
Customer service experience required;
Excellent communication, organizational, and writing skills;
Friendly, personable, and able to solve problems and recommend solutions;
Ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs; kneel, bend, and lift items repeatedly.
Ability to work in extreme weather conditions (hot, cold): the farm store is open year-round and large portions of our store are unheated! (in 2025 we plan to renovate our store to create a fully heated space)
Ability to stand for long periods of time, work quickly and efficiently, and maintain a robust pace;
Ability to learn new software systems and demonstrate proficiency after training;
Ability to pass a CORI background check; clean driving record.
Ability to work Saturdays in addition to other days of the week - 5 days on, two off.
Salary and Benefits:
Year-round salaried, Full-time position, pay based on experience. $48k+
Eligible for tax-exempt QSERHA contribution for health care
Eligible for 403b retirement plan including match at year-end
Two weeks of paid vacation per year
Up to 10 days of sick time to be used as necessary, does not carry over from one year to the next.
The option to purchase pre-tax employee-funded MBTA passes through the Perq program.
20% employee discount in the Farm Store.
FREE Self-harvested seasonal excess produce as well as cracked eggs.
Free admission to Codman Farm community events: Club Codman (May), Spring BBQ (June), Harvest Feast & Fair (October).
