Organic Kiwi Farm Manager
On the island of Corfu, Greece
Hi, My name is Brian and I am the current farm manager for The Silva Project's organic kiwi orchard. It's a small operation (consisting of 47 rows and a yearly harvest of about 5 tons). For the past year, I have lived on this beautiful island, on a beautiful villa, working with these kiwis and rescued dogs and have loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, due to personal family matters, I must return to the US. Thus, I am looking for my replacement. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity as this whole place is not only good for your heart but is the fantasy of every cubicle worker, the dream of all interested in organic farming, and the envy of everyone else.
This is more than a job as you will also get to live on a 200 year old villa right on the beach. All your food is provided for, an office for computer work, sit down dinners of amazing home cooked meals, and a vehicle. This is not just a job, it is a wonderful life to live.
Requirements:
Ability to commit for 1 year (Beginning around early August)
Previous experience in something farming related will be looked at with a higher priority
Capability of working a small tractor (for pulling and grass cutting)
Using a weed-whacker/wipper-snipper
Confidence in taking care of plants & the tools to do so (pruning, watering, weeding, fertilizing, harvesting)
Ability to organize yours and the other's schedules to keep everything running smoothly
Ability to drive a manual car is very important. (It's the only way to get to the farm)
*Greek language is a plus but not required*
The Farm:
The kiwi farm is a relatively small operation, yet does require a moderate amount of work. Normally, labor is divided between the farm manager, a WWOOF volunteer, and 1 or 2 locals that work for the project. Due to the organic nature of it, many things are done by hand that would normally be taken care of by chemicals such as weed control. Also, due to the fact that The Silva Project is a charity, we don't have all the newest shiny tools. We try to make do with fewer resources and costs.
The Estate:
The Silva villa is a 200 year old estate that has many parts. There is the main house where the female volunteers live as well as the project owner Silvia Steen. There are about 18 dogs, birds of all kinds, chinchillas, and any other kind of animal that may come passing thru. There is a guest house where the farm manager stays as well as any male volunteers. There is another guest house for a local family and project employee. There is an amazing part of the villa that rents for $6000 a day as it was a rich estate featured in the James Bond movie "For your eyes only". A barn that is home to 30 Skyrian horses as well as horses of other types where children come to learn to ride. Aside from the buildings, there is much nature to explore and in fact the property flourishes with plant life of all kinds imported from all over the world.. including a 900 year old giant lemon eucalyptus tree and a 1,400 year old mammoth banyan tree. We are only a 5 minute drive or 30 min walk in to the main town of the island which is as modern as any other Grecian city. Below are some photos from the estate and you can view an article about the estate here.
Daily Life:
Work is 6 hours a day 6 days a week. About 1 hour of that time is spent driving to and from the kiwi farm. As the farm manager you can decide (based on the time of year, temperature, and daylight hours) when you want the work day to take place. You will drive to the farm with any volunteers that are helping you as well as any that are taking care of the dogs. There is a rescued dog shelter on the property as well. You are free to play with the dogs and bring them along with you if you like. One day a week that may be spent helping the dog caretaker distribute flyers around the island for a couple of hours. Other than that, your time will mostly be spent in the field performing regular orchard maintenance or taking care of projects (such as pruning, harvest, wire system tightening.. etc).
After work, your time is your own. You have free run of the kitchen and office, easy access to the beach, and just a short distance to the main downtown area.
The Pay:
The cash payment will be dependent on the length of commitment, but won't be a full employed salary since the housing, utilities, internet, vehicle, food, etc is included. Payment can be discussed with serious applications.
The Island:
It's hard to describe the island of Corfu with words. So I'll just post some pictures of it.
Please send me any relevant resume, CV, or just email synopsiswith a telephone number and we can go from there. Thanks. -Brian
