As a regular part of our employment program, Merced Farming is excited to offer Gap Year Opportunities each year as part of our team. This role will allow you to work as part of our farming team and gain hands on experience in a progressive farming business, undertaking a range of tasks involved in our farming operations.
The duties of this role may include:
Irrigation; siphon irrigation of crops, monitoring of water levels, preparation of fields for irrigation and servicing of pumps and water infrastructure.
Field work; operating plant and equipment to complete ground preparation, ploughing, furrowing and cultivating of fields for cropping, planting of crops and chemical application.
Farm maintenance and hygiene; dragscraping of roads, weed control (including hand spraying) and use of earthmoving machinery such as excavators, bulldozers, graders and laser buckets.
Harvest work; operation of harvest equipment during harvest activities of winter cereals in spring, summer grains in summer and cotton in autumn.
Agronomy; assisting our on-farm agronomist with crop inspections, bug checking and reporting.
Stock work; some cattle work may be required but this will not be a regular occurrence.
Your role will be under the supervision of our Crop Production Manager, Sam Kahl, and any Farm Manager he may allocate you to. Applicants will require a reasonable degree of physical fitness as farm work can be labour intensive.
“My time at Merced Farming has been a truly fantastic experience. I have learnt many new skills and it has been wonderful to work with such a friendly and enthusiastic team.
I highly recommend a Gap Year at Merced Farming to anyone wanting to work in a fun and intensive workplace and to learn more about the agricultural industry.”
The Gap Year positions will offer:
A full time permanent wage, paid on an hourly rate. Wage rates will be above award, will include leave entitlements and relevant superannuation. An Individual Employment Agreement explaining the Employment Package being offered will be discussed with applicants in the interview process.
On Farm Accommodation can be provided for you if required. It is possible it may be a shared house with other Gap Year employees, including electricity and water, for a nominal rent amount.
You will need to have a Driver’s license (P1 or higher) and your own vehicle for transport. You will not be required to use your own vehicle for work except for travel between properties on which you may be working.
“My Gap Year with Merced Farming allowed me to gain maturity, independence and taught me many skills that I have since put into practice in other workplaces”
START DATE: Our Gap Year positions are designed to be flexible around school dates so a firm starting date will be negotiated with successful applicants to allow appropriate time to relax and celebrate following HSC exams before commencing work.
LENGTH OF ROLE: It is intended that the Gap Year Position will commence in November following the HSC and finish at the end of January (15 months later) prior to you commencing your tertiary education, if you choose to pursue a position at university. If you wish to continue on with Merced Farming in an ongoing role following the completion of the Gap Year Position, that can also be discussed as we have structures in place to allow career progression.
GAP YEAR TRAVEL: If you have plans for travel or work abroad for a period during the Gap Year, that can be discussed with successful applicants, taking into consideration key times of year for crucial farm activities.
FURTHER STUDY: There may be opportunities for further training or education during the Gap Year and management are happy to consider any program that might assist you in building your skills and a career in agriculture. Supervision and training will be provided to applicants throughout their employment. Our business takes Workplace Health & Safety seriously and all employees are required to participate in and abide by our WHS policies and procedures.
OFF FARM INTERESTS: Our farms are positioned within close distance of Wee Waa (8km) and Narrabri (32km). Those with an interest in joining local sporting clubs or community groups will have the ability to do so and will be able to balance these with work commitments.
To register your interest in one of these positions, please go to the Contact Us page and make a submission with the Subject: Gap Year Opportunities, including attaching your resume.
PLEASE NOTE: This ad is a standing advertisement to provide information to those interested in pursuing Gap Year opportunities. While positions may not always be available, depending on when you get in touch, we welcome all enquiries and will endeavor to support any person looking for a start in agriculture.