Livestock Assistant

TomKat Ranch is an educational ranch located an hour from San Francisco and Santa Cruz, CA.

POSITION PURPOSE

• Care and feeding of cattle, including  moving stock between pastures with temporary electric fence
• Support ongoing maintenance of ranch land, equipment, and facilities
• Help with special event preparation
• Other ranch hand duties

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Humility, open-mindedness
• Strong work ethic 
• Good sense of humor
• Appreciate hard work in tough outdoor environments
• Ability to problem-solve
• Ability to work independently or in a team
• Desire to learn Regenerative Agricultural principles and practices 
• Attention to detail

JOB-RELATED AND ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Overview:

The ideal candidate will be able to perform ranch-related duties, including working 10 or more hours per day (as needed) in both winter and summer outdoor conditions. A considerable amount of physical effort is required, including (1) setting up fences daily in and around poison oak; (2) hiking on steep terrain; and (3) stooping, crouching, climbing, and lifting as part of assigned duties. 

Candidates must be able to recognize and work safely around hazards associated with ranching and be willing to travel to different sites and locations. Experience working with animals, farm tools, electric and barbed wire fences, and equipment is required. Comfort with outdoor working conditions is essential, including exposure to dust, noise, heat, cold, brush, and ticks.

Duties described below are examples and not meant to be an exhaustive or all-inclusive list: 

• General Ranch Hand skills to be learned and applied 
  • Basic livestock care 
    • Provide daily livestock and livestock guard dog care including water, feed, supplements
  • Fence building and repairing  – all types; permanent, electric fence, temp fence, net fence. 
  • Low-stress livestock handling and herding – all species. 
  • Hauling livestock 
  • Animal husbandry – includes doctoring, vaccinations, breeding, calving and kidding
  • Pasture management – includes executing grazing plan, monitoring, replanning
  • Ranch equipment operation 
  • Basic ranch equipment maintenance – includes pickups, tractors, ATVs, UTVs.
  • Ranch welding and plumbing
• Attend weekly meetings for the Land and Livestock team
• Attend (online/in-person) staff meetings and trainings
• Develop Presentation skills to make a presentation to a group of colleagues for each training you attend. 
• Attend regular horsemanship sessions with Equine manager
• Attend trainings to help achieve personal & professional learning goals established in collaboration with manager. Examples:
  • Low-stress stockmanship
  • Soil health 
  • Holistic management 
  • Ecological systems 
  • Plant identification
  • Livestock health  

Essential Attributes:

• Maintain high standards of efficient, ethical, and professional operation for the well-being of the Ranch’s staff, facilities, land, animals, and resources
• Establish and maintain positive, cooperative, effective relationships with high energy team
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing to colleagues and visitors
• Possess a Class C California Driver’s License in good standing
• Good communication skills and desire to build good work and communication habits including attention to detail.

Opportunity to participate in the following, depending on skills and workload:

• Assist in management of cattle and other livestock including herding in pastures and corrals; vaccinations and treatments; loading and hauling; feeding; building fences for cattle and grassland management.  
• Assist with planned grazing program including developing skills to create and adjust grazing plans, collecting and analyzing monitoring data, and managing the health of pastures, soils, and animals. 
• Assist with general ranch management; building and maintaining water systems, fencing, and infrastructure; operating and maintaining ATVs, tractors, equipment, facilities, landscape, and road maintenance.  
• Participate in the ranch’s education and outreach programs introducing visitors to concepts, operations, and activities.
• Attend conferences, classes and/or visits to other ranches to expand knowledge of related subjects in regenerative agriculture. 
• Work in gardens with soil, weeding, planting, and harvesting.

DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT

Report to the Cattle Coordinator  or his/her delegate.

Work 6 days, 50-60 hours/week, may be asked to work some evenings. 

One full day off per week, one full weekend off per month. 

Compensation and Benefits:

• Hourly wage commensurate with experience and education, range is $22 – $26  per hour. 
• Overtime starts at 40 hours per week. 
• Personal stock dogs welcome, once vetted  compensation package available
• Education, classes, and training
• Insurance – health, dental, vision, life 
• Up to 4 weeks paid vacation depending on hours worked
• Paid holidays
• Paid sick days – 1 hour/30 hrs worked
• Simple IRA with 3% match from employer 
• Cell phone reimbursement 
• $100/month self care stipend
• Discounted meat for employees