[Coralie Henke]

Coralie Henke

08/04/2021 at 3:48 pm #48902

Newton Dee, on the doorstep of the City of Aberdeen, is a vibrant Camphill Community, with 180 people living and working there. The community members live together in households of varying sizes. The Farm is an integral part of our Community and a team of residents with and without disabilities is working together with the Farmers.
Newton Dee Farm is a biodynamic grass based mixed farm (dairy cows, beef, sheep, pigs, poultry) and produces milk, meat and eggs for the community thanks to the involvement of a team of 14 people, some of whom have special needs. We aim to produce high quality products in a sustainable manner: closed loop agriculture, low carbon footprint and high animal welfare standards.

We are looking for a Dairy farm assistant to join the farm team and who would also be willing to join the community.

Job purpose:
We are looking for a person who will be able to create an inspiring and meaningful team atmosphere and will take responsibility of the dairy and calf rearing under the supervision of the main farmer. The purpose of the dairy farm assistant is to provide meaningful work opportunities for residents in the dairy and on the farm. They need to be willing to participate in any other farm tasks and be willing to learn about farming.
The dairy farm assistant will be in charge of the dairy and all related activities (production monitoring, environmental health standards, the new dairy project) in order to provide high quality dairy products to the community. On a day to day basis, the Dairy farm assistant will oversee and participate in bottling and milk processing. They will also participate in milking the dairy cows, in monitoring the dairy herd, and will be taking care of calf rearing. Team “management” is core to the role, as well as developing appropriate training possibilities for everyone. This work will be carried out in a collaborative way with other Newton Dee farmers and the Newton Dee land group.

We are looking for a team player who is enthusiastic about leading a team, with various backgrounds and abilities, and interested in biodynamic farming and food production.

The successful candidate will have :
• Good interpersonal skills to support a team of people with a range of different abilities.
• Good organisational skills
• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Experience leading teams and an ability to work effectively within different teams.
• A willingness to work under their own initiative, taking ownership and responsibility for their role
• Experience in qualitative food production
• A willingness to learn about organic and biodynamic farming and animal husbandry
• Some experience in dairy farming (a plus) and a genuine love for animals
• An enthusiasm about getting involved in the work and life of the community as a whole.
The community celebrates it connection to the seasons and the natural world through the land and provides a rich opportunity for generating interest in the benefits of sustainable and involved work. The social opportunities with these celebrations allow any applicant a deeper involvement in the holistic nature of the community, helping to understand the people who live and work in Newton Dee both as residents and coworkers. The changing of the seasons is marked by a real sense of achievement and by bringing the whole community together for events such as the harvest in autumn, brings a unique feeling of inclusion and togetherness.

We expect an interest in and involvement with the community life on a social, cultural and managerial level. Newton Dee Community is working with a “Vocational Co-worker model”, which means Individuals who commit to living and working in Newton Dee are not receiving a salary, but have their needs met on a discretionary basis. An accommodation will be provided. Applications by couples will also be considered.
If you are interested and consider applying, please email recruitment@newtondee.org.uk before the 30th of April 2021, and include your CV and contact details.