Jobs

Posted on February 16, 2021 5:41 pm by Jose Rodriguez in Uncategorized

SEASONAL FARMER (ST. BARNABAS HOSPITAL)

THE POSITION

Project EATS (PE) seeks an experienced farmer to join its dynamic and growing team as a Seasonal Farmer who helps establish our community-based farms as essential, sustainable and financially viable operations. This position is based at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx but will occasionally be required to travel to other PE farms.

The Seasonal Farmer reports directly to our Director of Farm Operations who is responsible for the management and productivity of our farm network. The Seasonal Farmer supports the Director of Farm Operations primarily at our rooftop farm in The Bronx. Responsibilities include performing daily farm work and fulfilling responsibilities assigned and delegated by the Director of Farm Operations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibilities of the Seasonal Farmer will be to accurately and effectively use PE’s farming methods and techniques when performing work and responsibilities. It is expected that the Seasonal Farmer will:

● Grow to know PE farm operations – history, culture, structure and operations ● Learn and use our intensive farming techniques and methods

● Establish strong partnerships with manager and colleagues built on a trust in their skills and abilities, and a shared vision for the overall operation of the farm(s)

● Achieve or exceed the goals and expectations of the work and responsibilities assigned Day-to-day work includes but is not limited to the following:

● Farm tasks:

o Greenhouse and propagation area operations

o Field operations, including:

■ hand transplanting and direct sowing

■ harvesting and processing vegetables

■ hand weeding and cultivation

■ general crop maintenance and bed preparation

o Grounds maintenance responsibilities to maintain the highest aesthetic standards o Data entry and record keeping tasks

o Performing one-off and special projects to develop and support farm operations and PE community programming

o Overseeing the work of farm trainees and/or volunteer groups as needed

● Farm stand operations, distribution and sales support as needed:

o Making food deliveries and transporting materials in PE commercial vans, including distribution of samples and sales support with local partners

o Supporting farm stand operations including:

■ set up and operation

■ sales-oriented customer interface

■ managing inventory and product displays

■ cash and electronic sales platform set up and data entry

• Finance, administration and special projects:

o Maintain and submit receipts for all purchases

o Use PE’s technology platform to record hours worked

o Set-up, operations and logistical support for PE special events, including but not limited to community service and fundraising events

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

● Two seasons or more of soil vegetable farming; rooftop farming experience is strongly preferred

● Fundamental agricultural skills plus basic knowledge of small farming tools and techniques ● Ability to work effectively and efficiently up to 50-60 hours a week during the height of the summer growing season with a decreasing workload in the shoulder season

● Ability and willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions

● Ability to work without direct supervision and make responsible, effective decisions ● Ability to manage trainees and volunteers as needed

● Comfort and experience working with large and diverse groups of people ● A valid driver’s license, experience and comfort operating a commercial van in NYC

MANDATORY PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

● Enthusiasm about farm work and achieving highest quality and standards

● Team player, committed to PE’s mission and culture of prioritizing the team above the self ● Proactivity to develop and improve skills and experience

● Self-motivation, action-orientation and foresight

● Willing to learn and work within PE methodology and strategies – not strictly adherent to own methods

● Honest and committed steward of assigned site(s) and willingness to go the extra mile when needed to meet PE standards

● Adaptability to make adjustments on the fly and maximize available resources

Project EATS is growing. As the organization continues to expand, Seasonal Farmers will have opportunities to join Project EATS year-round staff provided performance achieves or exceeds the goals and expectations set by PE management.

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at Project EATS where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

To apply for this position, please forward a resume, as well as a substantive cover letter outlining your interests and qualifications via e-mail to: admin@projecteats.org. NO CALLS PLEASE.

ASSISTANT FARM OPERATIONS DIRECTOR/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

POSITION

Project EATS (PE) seeks an experienced and ambitious farmer to further the cause of PE’s community based farms as essential, sustainable and financially viable operations that will ultimately employ community members as full-time staff. The Assistant Farm Operations Director/Workforce Development Manager reports to the Director of Farm Operations with a dotted line to PE’s Chief Operating Officer on general Workforce Development issues. Farmer Management Trainees report directly to this position. This position is based at PE’s Brownsville (Brooklyn) farm but will be required to travel to farms across the PE network frequently.

The Assistant Farm Operations Director/Workforce Development Manager forms a close-knit team with management, direct reports and colleagues that is focused on ensuring our farms sustainably produce the quantity and quality of food necessary for PE farms to be a vital, reliable, sustainable source of high quality, ultra-local food in urban communities. This position is also responsible for overseeing training programs for community members to learn skills in farming, with the ultimate goal of hiring these trainees as full-time PE employees. Finally, the Assistant Farm Operations Director/Workforce Development Manager is a thought partner with the Director of Farm Operations and the COO in envisioning long

term plans for the growth and expansion of our farm and food system network. This individual helps identifying and assess opportunities to improve our methods of farming to achieve greater efficiency and performance, to refine our training methods and to better our recruitment and retention of community-based farmers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Director of Farm Operations/Workforce Development Manager are as follows:

• Instruct Workforce Development Trainees in PE farming methods and standards (in consultation with the Director of Farm Operations) and supervise the work of Trainees with the aim of transforming them into eventual PE farmers

• Establish training and performance milestones as part of a systematic training regimen • Assess Trainee progress against goals and milestones and take corrective action as appropriate • Work with Director of Farm Operations and PE Farmers to develop crop plans for beds, plots or sites that may be designated for Workforce Development Trainees

• Maintain productive and beneficial relationships with PE partners

• Collaborate with Community Education Programmer and other colleagues as appropriate to develop and conduct community farm and agricultural workshops

• Coordinate Workforce Development with other PE departments (e.g. Community Outreach, Product, Community Health, Sales) as appropriate

• Provide support for special events (including but not limited to community service, educational programming and fundraising) as needed

It is expected that the Assistant Farm Operations Director/Workforce Development Manager will:

● Grow to know PE farm operations – history, culture, structure and operations ● Learn and use our intensive farming techniques and methods

● Establish strong partnerships with manager, direct reports and colleagues built on a trust in their skills and abilities, and a shared vision for the overall organization

● Achieve or exceed the goals and expectations for farms and for Trainee development ● Helps ensure the daily operation each farm in the network is resourceful, efficient, and achieves its goals and expectations

● Model a work environment on all training sites that delegates responsibility and values and rewards high performance, continuous learning, integrity, quality and impact

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

● Three or more seasons of soil vegetable farming – farm management experience strongly preferred; rooftop farming experience desirable

● Experience in people management, skills development and relationship building ● Education in agriculture, horticulture or environmental science a plus

● Strong written and oral communication skills

● Analytical thinking, strong problem solving and superior organizational skills ● Comfort and experience working with large and diverse groups of people

● A valid driver’s license, experience and comfort operating a commercial van in NYC ● Ability to travel to program sites around the New York City metropolitan area as required