Mushroom Farm

• Inoculating team lead
• (Mushroom production) Innoculated Farms Fairfield, NJ Job Details Part-time | Contract $18
• $22 an hour 5 hours ago Benefits Employee discount Qualifications Food production Computer operation Manufacturing management Google Sheets Microbiological culture handling Pasteurizer Food processing Team supervision Contamination control Google Forms Safety standards in production Manufacturing standard operating procedures Sterile field contamination management Production planning Team training Leading team collaboration initiatives Managing kitchen staff Aquaculture techniques Sterile products production Standard operating procedures (SOPs) Mechanical troubleshooting Quality data entry Full Job Description Cooking & Inoculating Team LeadPosition Summary The Cooking & Inoculating Team Lead is responsible for one of the most critical stages of our mushroom farm's production cycle: turning raw substrate materials into consistently prepared, properly sterilized/pasteurized, and inoculated mushroom blocks ready for colonization.

You will own the upstream production pipeline—from substrate preparation and cooking through sterilization/pasteurization, cool-down, and inoculation. Your work directly determines the quality, consistency, and weekly output of the entire farm. This is a hands-on production leadership role for someone who understands mushroom cultivation, takes pride in consistency and cleanliness, and can lead a team while maintaining high production standards. You will work closely with the Block Management & Fruiting Team Lead to ensure a reliable flow of inoculated blocks into incubation and ultimately into fruiting. What You'll Own Weekly production: Plan and execute cook and inoculation schedules targeting 90-108+ blocks per cook cycle Substrate preparation: Prepare substrate materials to the correct moisture content, formulation, and field-capacity specifications Sterilization & pasteurization: Operate, monitor, and maintain equipment while ensuring proper processing times and temperatures

Cool-down:

Ensure substrate reaches ≤85°F before inoculation

Inoculation:

Lead sterile inoculation using a laminar flow hood, accurately introducing colonized grain spawn into prepared substrate Quality control: Maintain consistent substrate preparation, sterilization, inoculation, and contamination-prevention standards Production records: Accurately document cook and inoculation data—including date, personnel, strain, block count, and other required information—in the Cultivation Log using Google Forms or Google Sheets Sterile technique: Establish and enforce proper sterile procedures and train team members in contamination prevention Production coordination: Work with the Block Management & Fruiting Team Lead to balance inoculation output with colonization-room capacity and downstream production needs

Equipment:

Monitor cooking, sterilization, pasteurization, and inoculation equipment; identify issues early and coordinate maintenance or repairs

Inventory:

Monitor substrate ingredients and production supplies and communicate reorder requirements to ownership before materials become a constraint Team leadership: Supervise, train, and coordinate employees assigned to cooking and inoculation SOP adherence: Ensure production follows established SOPs, food-safety requirements, USDA MGAP standards, and farm recordkeeping procedures What We're Looking For Required Hands-on experience with mushroom substrate preparation and inoculation Practical understanding of sterilization/pasteurization and contamination control Ability to consistently follow detailed SOPs while maintaining high production standards Strong attention to detail and ability to identify small process issues before they become production problems Reliable, punctual, and able to maintain a predictable weekly production schedule Comfortable leading and training other team members Basic computer and data-entry skills, including Google Forms and Google Sheets Ability to lift 50+ lbs repeatedly and work in warm, physically demanding production conditions Preferred Experience working with multiple cultivated mushroom species, particularly oyster, lion's mane, and shiitake Previous experience in mushroom farming, agriculture, food production, manufacturing, or greenhouse operations Experience managing production schedules or leading a small production team Mechanical aptitude and experience troubleshooting farm or production equipment Experience with equipment repair, welding, plumbing, or general maintenance Familiarity with USDA MGAP or other agricultural/food-safety standards Ability to perform basic production, measurement, yield, and inventory calculations The Ideal Candidate We're looking for someone who is hands-on, dependable, process-oriented, and takes ownership . The right person doesn't simply complete the cooking and inoculation tasks—they understand that the quality of every block begins with these processes. They notice when substrate moisture is slightly off, recognize when equipment isn't performing correctly, maintain sterile technique even when production is moving quickly, and make sure the team follows the process consistently. You should be comfortable working with your hands, solving problems on the floor, managing a production schedule, and holding yourself and others accountable to high standards. If you have real mushroom-production experience and want to take ownership of a critical part of a growing farm operation, we'd like to hear from you.

Pay:

$18.00

• $22.

00 per hour

Benefits:

Employee discount

Work Location:

In person