Heartland Farm is an oasis of peace and fleece located in the heart of Central Kansas. The 80-acre nonprofit farm is a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace and consists of a herd of alpacas, large produce gardens, spaces for education and retreat, and acres of natural habitat and trails. We are seeking a creative, mission-driven person with a passion for ecological justice to lead our organization as our longtime ministry leader transitions into retirement.
In 1987, Heartland Farm was founded in solidarity with our traditional farming neighbors during the farm crises of the 1970s and 80s. Our mission is to practice and promote stewardship of Earth and healthy living through ecologically sound agricultural and environmental practices. In addition, we engage in community collaboration through educational opportunities and offer retreat space for renewal of mind, body, and spirit.
Farm staff and volunteers engage in a diverse mix of activities, including farm duties and chores, programs, and events, all to further the mission. Major events at the Farm include Open Farm Day in spring; the five-day Peace Camp for 8- to 11-year-olds in June; and the Farm to Table Dinner fundraiser in September. Regular workshops impart artistic and/or practical skills, like the two-weekend FiberSpace events each winter, watercolor painting instruction, beer brewing, bread-making, and gardening classes, among many others. The Director will help expand the Farm’s existing programs to further our goals of educating the public on sustainable and life-enhancing topics and will help lead efforts to produce and share healthy food and conserve Heartland Farm’s 80 acres of land, trails, and wildlife.
The Farm is located in the southeast corner of Rush County, Kansas, 13 miles west of the nearest population center of Great Bend. Work at Heartland Farm means experiencing the best of rural Kansas life: meaningful work, starry skies, breathtaking sunsets, abundant wildlife, and little noise pollution, all within a 20-minute drive from small-town amenities.
As a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Heartland Farm is dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination. We support and celebrate the unique differences of our employees and those who come to the farm, and work with multiple organizations toward the causes of eco-justice and land justice. Heartland Farm’s next leader will remain engaged with these causes and the evolving fields of study related to them and will continue to partner with organizations that further our mission.
Multiple individuals currently live full-time at the farm. The property includes four houses (one guest home, one volunteer space, one residence for the Farm Manager, and a home set aside for Dominican Sisters of Peace), as well as one tiny home, a remote Hermitage guest house, an office, a strawbale arts building, and multiple other structures and outbuildings.
The Director will be responsible for leading a staff of four: the full-time Farm Manager, the Media/Marketing Coordinator, the Operations Coordinator, and the part-time Farm Apprentice. Additionally, the Director will oversee and expand our successful volunteer program, including the oversight of volunteer management and recruitment, maintaining positive and productive relationships, and ensuring their dedicated living spaces and supplies are properly maintained. Both short- and long-term volunteers work and live on the farm through programs like Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).
The ideal candidate will be a multi-talented, flexible thinker, a resilient problem-solver, and an experienced leader with fresh, innovative ideas. The director will serve many roles, from leader and administrator to mechanic and farmer, and will reside in or enthusiastically relocate to rural Kansas. We acknowledge that the truly ideal candidate will be eager and able to learn the wide variety of skills necessary to help a small Kansas nonprofit farm flourish.
For a more detailed job description, please click here. To visit the Farm's website, please click here.
Please send resumes to amy.mayhill@oppeace.org