Listing Information
Currently Hiring
No, not at this time. Please check back next season!Number of Workers Sought
1Type of Farm
Small Animal (pigs, rabbits, poultry)Marketing Strategy
Community Supported Agriculture, Farmers' Market, Restaurant, Wholesale, OtherMarketing Strategy (Other)
Direct-to-consumer via farmers market & home delivery, restaurant and small groceryPaid
YesPay Rate
Compensation is $20-$25 per hour DOE. If you start at $20 per hour, there will be the opportunity for a $5 raise before the summer season if you are meeting and exceeding expectations.Do you have a website, social media account, or job posting anywhere else?
YesOnline Listing URL
https://blackdogfarmmt.comDescribe yourself, your family, background, farming experience, philosophy, goals and interests
Black Dog Farm is a pasture-based pork and poultry farm located in Livingston, Montana. We raise Idaho Pasture Pigs, farrowing approximately 65-75 piglets per year. We raise Freedom Ranger meat chickens, and plan to raise approximately 8,000 in 2023. We operate one of two state licensed poultry processing facilities in the state on our farm, and slaughter and process all our own chickens. Our meat chicken season is seasonal, with the first chicks usually arriving in March or April, and the last being slaughtered in October. We are Animal Welfare Approved Certified for our meat chickens. We also keep around 600 laying hens and will be raising a smaller number of meat ducks in 2023. We make and sell value-added products including dog treats from our organ meat, and are developing broths and rendered lard. We sell our products locally direct to consumer via local farmers markets and our online store and associated home delivery.Describe the physical setting of your farm and the nature of the community in which you live
The farm is approximately 3 miles from downtown Livingston. We are just 1 hour from Yellowstone National Park in the shadow of the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains, and minutes from both the famed Paradise Valley and Yellowstone River providing ample outdoor recreation opportunities.Describe your farm operation
We are a farrow-to-finish year-round pork operation. We raise Idaho Pasture Pigs for meat using portable electric fencing and shelters. Our sows farrow on pasture (unless there are negative temperatures and blizzards in October, then we’ll bring them inside). In addition to our pigs, we keep a flock of 500-700 laying hens and will raise 8,000 Freedom Ranger broiler chickens in 2023. Our first broilers for the year arrive in April and we aim to be done processing October 15th. We have a large, newly constructed indoor brooder where we raise chicks for varying amounts of time depending on the weather before transitioning them to portable shelters on pasture. During the 2022 season, we will be processing chickens twice weekly from June-October 15. We feed and water 2-3 times daily using both a UTV and a small tractor.
Describe the work to be performed by applicant
Duties include feeding and watering animals 2-3 times per day; problem solving and fixing issues with electric fence; moving animals and fencing; general farm maintenance such as sweeping buildings, taking garbage out, and cleaning; helping with larger projects such as construction of shelters and permanent fencing; collecting eggs; slaughtering and processing chickens 1-2 days per week for half of the year; among many other things. You may potentially be helping with things like making dog treats, packaging eggs, inventory, order packing, etc., though we do have an employee to help with these tasks. No two days are alike and there is always plenty to do. We expect that you can work well independently, that you are confident and a good communicator, that you ask questions when things are unclear, and that you have a very strong commitment to animal welfare. In the summer months, you will also be a go-to for the other part-time people we employ to help with chores and chicken butchering. You will also often be working alongside the owners, Tim & Kira.What do you expect of a worker?
We are looking to hire a long-term farm manager. From October-April, hours will be Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM with a 1 hour lunch each day (30 hours). From April-October, you will work 4, 10-hour days (days to be determined/discussed). We also ask that you be available farm sit one weekend per month year-round, paid per diem.Describe the learning and educational opportunities available to a worker
This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to learn more about farrow-to-finish heritage pigs on pasture and raising meat chickens on pasture under an Animal Welfare Approved system, as well as operating a profitable, direct-to-consumer small livestock farm. We are happy to share as much as you want to know about what we have learned. We also really appreciate having employees who can become an intrinsic part of our operation, contributing suggestions and helping us do our best.Are you a full-time farmer?
YesExplain the room and board arrangements or describe options in your area
We do NOT have on-farm housing and at this time cannot accommodate a camper or other mobile housing. We may consider that situation once we have gotten to know you. We are happy to help you find housing in the Livingston area as much as we can.Please share three things you think people should know about living with you.
1. We work hard and are very committed to our animals' welfare, happiness, and well-being. We are looking for someone who has personal motivation and conviction for maintaining the animals' well-being. With that being said, we are fairly casual, having an afternoon cup of coffee together, and really enjoy forming a good and lasting friendship with our live-on intern.2. We value our privacy and downtime, and really enjoy living in a very quiet setting close to town. We have worked well in the past with interns who are similar in terms of wanting down time at the end of the day and who enjoy getting out to recreate or spend time with friends on the weekends.
3. We appreciate people who are able to work both independently and as a team. We appreciate input and ideas from interns and enjoy problem-solving conversations.