DREAMGOATS EVENT HOST | Weekend Agritourism + Goat Care
Location: Dreamgoats at Idlewild Farm | 10594 Button Rd Belding, MI 48809
Hours & season length: 15-18 hrs/week, $17-20/hr based on experience, Fridays (~3-8p), Saturday-Sunday (~10a-3p), mid April-November
Job description & benefits: Part time weekend farmwork on small-scale Nubian goat dairy managing agritourism customer experience and assisting with goat care.
About the farm: Dreamgoats is a community-based goat farm. We have thirty monthly volunteers and welcome three hundred visitors to the farm each month via our herdshare, spring baby goat cuddles, and summer and fall goat hikes.
Ideal candidate: You have at least one full season of experience working on a farm (or in a similar outdoor role, i.e. landscaping, trailwork, etc.) with excellent recommendations. You are able to work confidently on your own, ask good questions, and communicate effectively in writing and in person. You are excited by the vision of Dreamgoats and motivated to learn about the full life-cycle of goat health. You are equally capable of addressing a group of strangers and forking manure into a wheelbarrow in the summer heat. Others would describe you as adaptable, empathetic, tenacious, and eager to learn.
Responsibilities:
Training under owner for two weeks, plus biweekly meetings and weekly check-ins
Assisting with kidding season early to mid May (hours may differ from regular weekend shifts)
Leading twelve cuddle sessions per weekend mid-May-June
Practicing for goat hiking season during cuddle season
Leading six community hikes per weekend, July-November
Facilitating positive and impactful visitor experience
Communicating with guests via phone and email in the case of event cancellation
Maintaining an organized barn
Performing basic goat chores and herd management (varies throughout season)
Sending volunteer updates for those on Saturday & Sunday night shifts
Managing the sale of merchandise at agritourism events
Learning to identify problem areas (herd health/infrastructure/operating procedures) and making plans to ensure solutions are reached
How to apply: Please send an email to thedreamgoats@gmail.com with a brief description of yourself and your interests and any farming background and tourism/customer service experience. Include a resume and two professional references.