60 Foot Orchards is a privately owned and operated family business located in the Riverland of South Australia. We specialise in growing, packing and marketing of premium Avocados and Persimmons for domestic and export markets. We are a preferred supplier domestically and have had exceptional success in export markets throughout Asia.

We have recently expanded our Persimmon orchards to ensure future growth of our business and now require additional expertise to assist in implementing farm operations.

We have looked at this role in a couple of different ways and essentially, we are ready to employ the right candidate in a hands-on supervisor role immediately under the guidance of the existing owners. This person will be suitably qualified and/or have horticultural experience and capability to take on this role. Alternatively, we are open to a trainee-based role where we mentor a committed individual on the intricacies of growing our specific crops. This option would have a tiered salary structure to be adjusted with demonstrated capability to implement our horticultural management programs.

The role we are looking at is hands on and we specifically we require the incumbent to undertake the following

Manage our irrigation and fertigation systems from an automation, scheduling and maintenance perspective. We operate the MAIT irrigation control system and GreenBrain moisture monitoring probes to run and schedule our irrigation program. It is essential the incumbent is or becomes proficient using these systems.

Agronomy Programs will be required to be processed and applied with accurate record keeping

Implement all spray programs in a timely manner in accordance with spray instructions and accurate record keeping

Assist in all aspects of pruning programs including hands on pruning

Coordination of harvest schedules for the pack house

Supervision of labour hire for fruit thinning, harvest programs and pruning programs

Operate and maintain farm equipment such as tractors, sprayers, EWP , mulchers, atv's and chainsaws

Implement safe work practices

This role will require periods of overtime throughout harvest periods and working through public holidays as required in March and April. Unfortunately, Persimmon harvest runs March-June and is often 6 days per week.

Weekend work will be required with some spray programs to work around weather events and to be on call for irrigation related alarms. Irrigation call outs will be on a rotation basis.

The incumbent will also be required to work in our packhouse to gain an understanding of the practices and associated quality drivers for production of Persimmon and Avocados. Packing shed work will also be required to supplement labor deficiencies from time to time.

The Salary range provided is based on the lowest being trainee level and upto a level of Supervisor. The higher range has scope to be further increased based on experience and capability to manage our farming operation. We will be more than competitive in the remuneration space for the right incumbent and very open to discussing.

Please apply for this role is your someone interested in a career in horticulture and willing to learn from industry leaders in best practice production of Persimmons and Avocados. There is scope for an exciting career in our business with the long-term vision being succession in our farm management. Alternatively, if you think you can already step into an operations manager role, then also please apply.