FARM MANAGER
Fagerberg Farms | Northern Colorado
FULL-TIME YEAR-ROUND
About Fagerberg Farms
Fagerberg Farms is a fifth-generation, family-owned agricultural operation rooted in Northern Colorado. The Fagerberg family settled near Eaton in the 1880s and began growing onions in the late 1940s. What started as a small family farm has grown into a nationally recognized grower, packer, and shipper of premium Colorado onions.
Today, Fagerberg Farms combines generations of agricultural experience with modern equipment, irrigation, storage, food-safety, and crop-management practices. The company remains committed to responsible farming, consistent quality, strong customer service, and long-term stewardship of its land and resources.
Position Overview
Fagerberg Farms is seeking an experienced, hands-on Farm Manager to oversee approximately 2,500 acres of irrigated crop production in Northern Colorado. Our operation specializes in commercial onion production while also growing corn, wheat, alfalfa, triticale, and sorghum.
This is a senior operational leadership position responsible for coordinating crop production, irrigation, personnel, equipment, field operations, climate-controlled onion storage, and production costs. The successful candidate will combine strong agronomic knowledge with practical farm experience, sound judgment, and the ability to lead employees in a fast-paced production environment.
This position requires someone who is comfortable making day-to-day decisions, managing multiple priorities, and taking ownership of results from field preparation through harvest and storage.
Primary Responsibilities
Crop Production and Agronomy
- Develop and execute annual crop-production plans.
- Coordinate field selection, site preparation, planting, fertility, crop protection, irrigation, and harvest activities.
- Manage commercial onion production along with rotational crops including corn, wheat, alfalfa, triticale, and sorghum.
- Monitor fields regularly for crop development, nutrient deficiencies, weeds, insects, diseases, and other production concerns.
- Develop fertility programs using soil and sap-testing information.
- Coordinate herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, fertilizer, and other crop-input applications.
- Maintain accurate pesticide application, fertility, irrigation, and crop-production records.
- Ensure all applications comply with product labels, worker-protection requirements, and applicable state and federal regulations.
- Work closely with crop consultants, chemical representatives, laboratories, custom applicators, and other agricultural service providers.
Irrigation and Water Management
- Schedule and oversee irrigation using drip, center-pivot, and flood irrigation systems.
- Monitor soil moisture, crop demand, weather conditions, water availability, and irrigation-system performance.
- Coordinate irrigation crews and ensure water is applied efficiently and on schedule.
- Assist with water-right accounting, allocation planning, and seasonal water-use decisions.
- Troubleshoot irrigation problems and coordinate necessary repairs.
Harvest and Climate-Controlled Onion Storage
- Plan and coordinate onion harvest, hauling, storage filling, and post-harvest handling.
- Plan and coordinate rotational crop harvest, generally with dairy buyer and contract harvest crew.
- Oversee the operation of climate-controlled onion storage facilities.
- Monitor storage temperature, humidity, airflow, ventilation, and overall onion condition.
- Adjust storage conditions based on onion quality, weather, storage duration, and shipping schedules.
- Conduct regular storage inspections and identify potential quality, spoilage, or equipment concerns before they result in significant losses.
- Coordinate storage maintenance and repairs with employees, electricians, refrigeration technicians, and other service providers.
- Maintain accurate records related to storage conditions, lot locations, inventory movement, and product quality.
- Coordinate with packing-shed, sales, and ownership teams regarding onion quality, availability, and storage movement.
- Help ensure stored onions meet company quality, food-safety, and traceability requirements.
Personnel and Leadership
- Supervise and coordinate year-round, seasonal, and H-2A employees.
- Assign daily work, communicate expectations, and ensure projects are completed safely and efficiently.
- Participate in employee hiring, training, evaluation, discipline, and termination when necessary.
- Help coordinate H-2A employee housing, transportation, scheduling, and workplace compliance.
- Develop employees and crew leaders by providing clear direction, accountability, and practical training.
- Promote a professional, respectful, and safety-focused workplace.
Equipment and Field Operations
- Coordinate planting, spraying, cultivation, harvest, tillage, and other field operations.
- Manage the scheduling and utilization of tractors, trucks, implements, application equipment, irrigation equipment, and storage equipment.
- Oversee preventative-maintenance programs.
- Work with mechanics, equipment dealers, manufacturers, and outside repair providers to minimize downtime.
- Assist with evaluating equipment purchases, replacements, and fleet-management decisions.
- Ensure equipment is operated safely and properly maintained.
Financial and Administrative Management
- Develop and monitor crop-production budgets and per-acre costs.
- Review input usage, labor, repairs, equipment costs, storage costs, and other operating expenses.
- Compare actual production costs and results.
- Assist ownership and senior management with purchasing and operational planning.
- Manage relationships with landlords, growers, vendors, suppliers, crop-insurance providers, and agricultural service companies.
- Assist with crop-insurance decisions, acreage reporting, documentation, and claims.
- Maintain organized and accurate operational records.
Qualifications
Required
- At least five years of progressive experience in commercial crop production, farm operations, or agricultural management.
- Strong understanding of irrigated crop production.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise employees and coordinate multiple crews and field operations.
- Working knowledge of fertility, crop protection, irrigation, farm equipment, and preventative maintenance.
- Ability to diagnose production problems and make timely, practical decisions.
- Strong organizational, communication, and recordkeeping skills.
- Ability to work extended and irregular hours during planting, irrigation, harvest, and storage seasons.
- Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Colorado pesticide applicator license.
Preferred
- Experience producing commercial dry-bulb onions or other high-value specialty crops.
- Experience managing climate-controlled crop-storage facilities.
- Knowledge of onion curing, storage ventilation, temperature management, and long-term quality preservation.
- Experience with drip irrigation, center pivots, and flood irrigation.
- Experience managing H-2A or other seasonal agricultural employees.
- Experience developing crop budgets and evaluating per-acre production costs.
- Colorado Private or Qualified Supervisor pesticide applicator license.
- Familiarity with agricultural recordkeeping, mapping, and farm-management software.
Work Environment
This is an active, field-based management position. The Farm Manager will regularly work outdoors and inside agricultural storage facilities around farm machinery, irrigation systems, pesticides, fertilizers, dust, noise, and changing weather conditions.
The position requires the ability to:
- Walk and inspect agricultural fields and storage facilities.
- Climb onto and operate farm machinery.
- Respond to urgent irrigation, equipment, personnel, crop-production, or onion-storage issues.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary range: $100,000+ per year, depending on experience.
- Performance bonus upon meeting mutually agreed-upon key performance indicators.
- Company vehicle provided.
- Health insurance provided.
- Retirement plan with up to a 5% employer match.
- 10 days of paid vacation, plus paid holidays.
- Relocation assistance available if necessary.
- Company housing provided.
How to Apply
Please submit a résumé and a brief statement describing your experience with irrigated crop production, employee supervision, farm equipment, specialty-crop management, and climate-controlled crop storage.
Qualified applicants will be contacted for a confidential interview.
Submit to: [email protected], use subject Grow with us-[Your Last Name].
Fagerberg Farms is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, performance, and the operational needs of the business.
Pay: From $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
