Hiring: Community Outreach Farmer – Waltham Fields Community Farm

Community Outreach Farmer 2022

Waltham Fields Community Farm (WFCF) shares this new employment opportunity to join our team as Community Outreach Farmer for the 2022 season!

WFCF is a non-profit organization in its 27th year running a mixed vegetable farm & educational and food access programs just outside of Boston. We adhere strictly to organic methods to manage 12 acres of farmland.  The farm supplies food to our 400-share CSA program, our Mobile Outreach Market program, as well as distributions to our food access partners, Waltham Public Schools and various events throughout the season.  

The Work:  The Community Outreach Farmer (COF) is a people-person position!  This multifaceted role bridges our volunteer program, the Mobile Outreach Market and Produce Prescription CSA program, requiring a candidate to have the ability to manage a multiplicity of responsibilities.  The ideal candidate is energized by initiating community interactions and understands how to refill their emotional/social capital battery to maintain these engagements throughout the season.  In-field work with the farm staff is included in the weekly schedule and familiarizes the COF with the big picture of our agricultural operations.

Volunteers:

As the farm liaison with volunteers, the COF leads 3-4 sessions per week of volunteer groups from April through the fall.  Tasks for the volunteers are determined by the farm management team.  The COF greets volunteers, orients them to the organization and to the tasks of the day and handles paperwork including waivers and logging of volunteer hours.  Many volunteers will not have had experience with farming so the COF should have the ability to instruct novices clearly and gently guide people throughout the duration of the session.  

Mobile Outreach Market:

As the Mobile Outreach Market (MOM) liaison, the COF works closely with the Assistant Farm Manager.  The COF orchestrates and executes the packing and distribution of 100 boxed shares to an off-site location on Tuesdays beginning July 12th, 2022 and ending October 4th, 2022.  Two to three volunteers are recruited to assist with the box packing on Tuesday afternoons in the barn.  The COF, in coordination with the Assistant Farm Manager, determines the varieties and quantities of crops to be included in the share.  The COF drives the cargo van to the distribution site and distributes the MOM produce boxes.  Other tasks include formatting and printing weekly inserts for the boxes, record keeping, value tracking and light set-up and breakdown at the distribution site.

Produce Prescription CSA:

Starting as a pilot in 2020, we are entering our third year of running this impactful program and look forward to building capacity. WFCF’s Produce Rx aims to provide a stable and local source of nutrition and help alleviate the diet-related health concerns of program participants. As the farm liaison for the Produce Rx CSA program, the COF formats and prints the weekly box insert and assembles and delivers the shares to Charles River Community Health (CRCH) in Waltham on Wednesday afternoons. Additionally, the COF communicates the share’s contents to CRCH in advance of the delivery, and executes annual surveys with program participants in collaboration with CRCH and Brandeis University.  Program participants are encouraged to visit the farm for PYO and the Outreach Farmer  hosts an orientation to introduce and welcome participants to the farm.  

Qualifications:  Candidates should be hardworking, very detail-oriented and able to work well both independently and in groups.  Strong communication skills, and eagerness to take initiative and meticulous record-keeping are a must as well as the ability to manage small groups of people. Please note: farm work is very physically demanding.  The COF repeatedly lifts up to 40 pounds and should have an awareness of body mechanics and their own physical capabilities and limits. The COF should arrive with a strong interest in community engagement and value this unique role as a representative of the organization.  This position is intended for someone with farming experience who would like to grow their volunteer engagement and community outreach skills or vice-versa.  English language proficiency required, Spanish language proficiency preferred, Haitian Creole or Mandarin a plus.

Compensation: $18/hour plus produce from the farm.

Benefits: Staff receive a 20% discount at our farm store. Sick time is provided commensurate with MA state law.

Hours/Dates: This position is part-time beginning in late March (16 hrs/wk) and moves into an average of 32-35 hours/week late April-October. Hours vary from day to day, depending on programmatic needs, but the weekly schedule is consistent, Tuesdays – Fridays and Saturday mornings.

To Apply:  Please send a resume & letter of interest explaining your relevant experience to Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager at erinn@communityfarms.org.

WFCF requires adherence to our wellness protocols and COVID-19 precautions. WFCF Employees are currently required to wear a properly fitting mask indoors and ask all employees to be fully vaccinated.

WFCF is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, marital status, disability, age, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.