Farm Program Associate

 

Position:	Farm Program Associate	Compensation:	$25.00 hourly
Dept:	Facilities	Type:	Non-Exempt
Reports To:	Farm Manager	Location:	On Site

 Shrub Oak International School (SOIS) is a therapeutic day and residential school for autistic children, adolescents, and young adults with complex co-occurring conditions. Located in northern Westchester County, Shrub Oak offers unparalleled educational opportunities for autistic students in a family-centric, supportive environment. We offer a variety of programs to meet the needs of students across the spectrum, and our curriculum is based on the most advanced and successful evidence-based clinical and academic approaches in ASD education.

As a school, SOIS maintains a smoke-free environment to ensure the health and safety of our students, employees, and community. We are a residential school located on a scenic 127-acre campus which includes multiple buildings and a working farm for student programming. The work environment will include both indoor and outdoor spaces.
 SOIS is a community of dedicated professionals that work together to find meaning with and for our students. We strive to make every day memorable in positive ways, and to manage students’ difficulties as a team. We are accountable, timely, and show up whenever needed to support our students and each other.
We are guided day-to-day by our four core principles.

• We Care
• We are Innovative
• We are Collaborative
• We are Resourceful

 

• Reduced Cost Meals every shift on site (All)
• Employee assistance program (EAP) (All)
• Insurance coverage: Health, vision, dental, life, supplemental and pet insurance (FT)
• Flexible spending account (FSA) (FT)
• Generous Paid time off (PTO) (FT)
• 401k w/company match (FT)
• Tuition/Professional development assistance (FT)

• You have a passion for working with the autism population and ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff.
• You have experience in farming, animal care, or horticulture and are comfortable working hands-on with livestock, gardens, and agricultural systems.
• You are passionate about using farm and nature-based activities to support student learning, development, and life skills.
• You are comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions and performing physically demanding tasks.
• You are knowledgeable in animal husbandry, including feeding, cleaning, monitoring health, and general care of livestock.
• You are able to follow planting schedules and support garden and greenhouse operations.
• You collaborate effectively with clinical, education, and residential teams to support individualized student experiences.
• You are patient, adaptable, and able to remain calm while working with both students and animals.
• You are proactive, reliable, and able to manage tasks in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• You get the job done and are capable of strategic thinking while simultaneously rolling up your sleeves to lead and teach by example.
• You have strong written communication skills, specifically involving documentation, progress notes, incident reports, and other related administrative tasks.

 

• Provide daily care for farm animals including feeding, watering, cleaning enclosures, grooming, and monitoring health and behavior.
• Assist with administering basic medical care, including medications and vaccinations as directed.
• Manage livestock movement, grazing schedules, and general herd maintenance.
• Support garden and greenhouse operations, including planting, watering, harvesting, and maintaining crops.
• Follow seasonal planting schedules and ensure proper upkeep of all farm and garden areas.
• Collaborate with clinical, education, and residential teams to integrate farm-based activities into student programming.
• Support and supervise students during farm and garden activities, including internships and hands-on learning experiences.
• Assist with farm-based classes, programming, and student engagement activities.
• Serve as a liaison for external farm-related or therapeutic programs as needed.
• Maintain cleanliness, organization, and safety across all farm environments.
• Monitor for safety risks including animal health concerns, pests, and environmental hazards.
• Stay current on best practices in farming, animal care, and student development programming.
• Assist with additional farm, campus, or program-related responsibilities as needed including driving a company vehicle.

Please note: This job description is not a comprehensive list of tasks or responsibilities. Specific assignments can change within the relevant field and training of your position, with or without notice.
 

• Minimum of 2 years of experience caring for farm animals and at least 1 year of experience in gardening, horticulture, or crop management.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with children; experience with special needs populations preferred.
• Valid driver’s license with the ability to pass a DMV driving abstract screening required.
• Strong knowledge of animal care, farming practices, and basic agricultural operations.
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions and perform physically demanding tasks.
• Ability to safely work with animals, farm equipment, tools, and materials.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work within a transdisciplinary team.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to remain calm and responsive when supporting students and managing challenging situations.
• Due to the nature of work in supporting our students, all job description list the physical requirements for that position
• Our campus consists of some paved areas but primarily consists of grass, gravel paths and parking lots. Additionally, many areas of our building are fully accessible, however, as a historic building some areas are only accessible by stairs.
• You must be able to ambulate around the campus, including hills, stairs, grass and gravel.
• Special Accommodations can be requested but will only be approved if the accommodation does not impact the ability to perform your position and it does not put yourself, a student, or any other staff member at risk of harm or injury.

 

• Mandated Reporter Training

Shrub Oak International School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodation can be requested to enable individuals with disabilities to apply for a job or to perform the essential functions of their job. Requests may be approved if the position/ department/ school/ students will not be adversely affected. Please advise us if you require reasonable accommodation.