Regenerative Sheep Ranch Hand

Marigold Livestock Co. is hiring a part-time ranch hand for the 2026 season in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley. Alyssa Barsanti started the pasture-based operation in 2021 to grow grass, build soil, and produce humanely raised meat for the local community. The farm raises 100% grass-fed lamb and beef along with pasture-raised turkey. This role works directly with Alyssa and independently after training on daily sheep, cattle, poultry, irrigation, and direct-market routines. What you will do • Complete daily chores for sheep, cattle, and turkeys and report changes in appetite, movement, behavior, fencing, or water • Move through the pasture system carefully and help maintain electric and permanent fence • Operate the center pivot and small irrigation guns as trained and watch for weak flow, leaks, or poor coverage • Help process, package, and butcher turkeys according to the farm's sanitation and animal-welfare procedures • Pack customer orders and assist with farm-stand or farmers-market sales • Stack hay and complete basic carpentry, fence, and infrastructure repairs How the work fits together The ranch hand's schedule is built around short morning chore blocks plus one longer workday. Livestock observation comes first: feed, water, fence condition, animal location, and signs of injury or stress need to be checked methodically. Later work may focus on irrigation, hay, repairs, order packing, or seasonal turkey processing. Regenerative grazing requires both animal care and land awareness, so the employee should notice how forage, soil moisture, fence placement, and grazing pressure are changing rather than treating each chore as isolated. What the farm is looking for The farm prioritizes willingness to work hard, a positive attitude, flexibility, and genuine interest in livestock managed in an intensive regenerative system. Applicants must be able to lift 50 pounds and work in hot temperatures. Prior livestock-handling or irrigation experience is a bonus rather than a stated requirement. Strong candidates are calm around sheep and cattle, can follow a trained chore sequence alone, communicate early when something looks wrong, and are comfortable moving between animal care, physical repair work, food handling, and customer-facing farm sales. Schedule, conditions, and compensation The position averages approximately 15–20 hours per week. The planned pattern is one six-hour day plus two or three three-hour mornings, ideally including Sunday morning. Start timing is flexible from mid-April to mid-May, and the end date may fall between October and December. Pay is $20–$22 per hour depending on experience, with no benefits listed. Because the season is already underway, applicants should confirm the remaining 2026 term, current weekly schedule, and anticipated end date directly with the farm. This is an in-person agricultural position. Priorities can change with animal health, weather, crop condition, water quality, equipment availability, and harvest timing. The successful person must communicate clearly, protect animal welfare and food safety, and leave useful notes when a task or concern carries into the next shift. Gates, tools, vehicles, feed areas, water systems, and production spaces should be left clean, secure, and ready for the next person. Applicants should expect physical work that may include long periods of standing or walking, bending, lifting, repetitive hand tasks, wet or dusty conditions, and work outdoors or in agricultural buildings. Dependable arrival matters because livestock and living production systems cannot simply wait for a late shift. Candidates should confirm the exact weekly schedule, overtime treatment, training period, and benefit eligibility with the employer before accepting an offer. How to apply Email a resume and cover letter to alyssa@marigoldlivestock.com. Reference the 2026 MLC Ranch Hand opening and describe experience with sheep, cattle, turkeys, rotational grazing, irrigation, electric fence, hay, carpentry, processing, markets, and independent animal chores. State your present availability, Sunday-morning flexibility, and how late into the fall you can commit. Applications remain open until filled.