HEAD BUTCHER

Philo Ridge Farm (PRF) is a certified organic 500-acre farm located in Charlotte, Vermont, a rich agricultural community in the Champlain Valley, just south of Burlington. PRF is a diversified farm in its tenth year of production. Its livestock program grazes over 300 acres of perennial pasture and includes ewes, lambs, pigs, chickens, and 100 Belted Galloway cattle. PRF grows two acres of organic produce and flowers using farming practices that build soil health, produce a variety of nutrient-dense foods, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and support the local agricultural community.

Everything harvested is processed at PRF and sold through its culinary program and market, which are inspired by a closed-loop nutrient system. PRF also serves as a year-round gathering place for the community. After a decade of building an understanding of this landscape, growing with the community, and envisioning the future of farming, the founders have established the farm as a nonprofit organization so that PRF continues to operate as a community asset and working farm for generations to come.

PRF’s Meat & Butchery Program is dedicated to the creation of high-quality meat products using the farm’s regeneratively raised livestock, and to the age-old traditions and craftsmanship of nose-to-tail butchery. We seek to continually improve our understanding of the systems involved in raising animals on pasture. We work alongside the livestock team and external resources to evaluate the impact of soils, grazing, genetics, and animal husbandry on meat quality, flavor, and nutritional profile.

We challenge current paradigms of how meat is raised, harvested and sold to create our own definition of what quality really means. Ultimately, our work is inspired by leaders in the field of nose-to-tail butchery and regenerative animal agriculture.

PRF is seeking a passionate and energetic Head Butcher to lead the farm’s Meat & Butchery Program. In collaboration with the farm’s owners, culinary and retail teams, and the livestock team, the Head Butcher will oversee all aspects of on-site meat processing and retail meat operations. This position’s primary focus will be meat fabrication for restaurant and retail uses in the farm’s hospitality program, managing carcasses from slaughterhouse to kitchen and retail cuts, assuring full utilization and inventory rotation, and developing value‑added products as needed.

The successful candidate will develop an intimate understanding of the farm’s animal harvest cycle, its unique characteristics and goals, and the various points of opportunity for selling these premium meats to the public. The Head Butcher will also work in collaboration with the Director of F&B and Market Manager to develop educational materials for the staff and execute educational meat events with the public.

The Head Butcher will report to the Executive Chef.

• Oversee and lead all carcass management and meat fabrication for PRF’s culinary and retail programs
• Manage operations of the Meat & Butchery team including scheduling, daily production, and labor management
• Work with the Culinary and Market teams to assure optimal distribution of fabricated cuts and full carcass utilization
• Work with the Culinary and Market teams to develop educational language and materials for engaging with the public
• Collaborate with the Livestock team on scheduling slaughter and coordinating transportation to and from processing facility
• Gather, track, and share meat quality data with Livestock team to help with refinement of breeding, genetics, and feeding practices
• Oversee cleanliness and organization of processing room and meat storage areas
• Oversee the general upkeep and preventative maintenance of all meat processing equipment
• Oversee and maintain meat and related supplies inventory
• Perform regular yield tests on all species and produce cut, price, and cost analyses
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal meat and food safety standards as relevant to PRF’s processing
• Assure maintenance and renewals of relevant meat processing licenses and personal food safety certifications
• Oversee…