Farm Hand — Small Mixed Holding

A small mixed holding on the South Arm peninsula is looking for a capable, self-directed farm hand two days a week.

Chickens, goats, vegetables and a productive permaculture garden, run on organic principles. Produce is sold locally. The property is worked and improved continuously — there is always more to do than there are hours to do it in.

The work

• Animal care — feeding, watering, moving stock, checking on birds and goats
• Building and repairing chicken coops, runs, gates and fencing
• Planting, weeding, mulching, harvesting
• Loading and unloading trailers — branches, bark, manure, materials
• Composting and green waste management
• Errands and pickups — materials, feed, supplies
• General property upkeep

The garden is organic and permaculture-based. No pesticides, no synthetic fertilisers. Methods and priorities are set by the property owner and the work is done her way.

Who we're looking for

Essential

• Hands-on growing experience — a market garden, or your own productive garden that yielded more than you could use
• Practical build-and-repair capability: fencing, basic carpentry, general fix-it work
• Genuine physical capacity — carrying, digging, lifting, on uneven ground, in all weather
• Current driver's licence and clean driving record
• Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP) with NDIS endorsement, or a complete application lodged
• Consistent, reliable attendance

What makes someone good at this job

You finish what you start. Tools go back where they came from. You can break a big job into parts that each get completed properly, rather than leaving three things half-done. You work steadily without needing to be checked on, and you can switch between tasks across a day without losing momentum — water dishes in the morning, a fence line after lunch, a trailer run before you leave.

You work the property's way. This is a small holding run on a budget, not a commercial operation with the right gear for everything. Professional growers sometimes struggle here because the methods are fixed and they're not the ones setting them.

You're quiet and self-contained. This is a low-conversation working environment.

What you should know before applying

You'll be working alongside the property owner, who has a physical disability. She sets the work and works with you, but there are limits on what she can lift, carry and reach, and she needs to stop and rest regularly. When she stops, you keep going. Some days she'll give you detailed direction; other days she'll leave you to it and expect you to get on with what you already know.

This is why the RWVP with NDIS endorsement is required, and it's the part of the job people most often underestimate. It works well for people who are comfortable being directed, who don't need much conversation, and who can carry on with a job without supervision.

What you will not be asked to do

No work at height. No tree work. No structural building work. Those jobs go to licensed contractors.

Pay: $65,000.00 – $75,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person