Hiring: Farm Manager, Events Coordinator and JOFEE Fellow – Abundance Farm

Application Deadline: Candidates will be screened on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Start Dates:

JOFEE training: February 12-26, 2017

Abundance Farm Placement: March 6, 2017 (start date can be somewhat flexible)

The Abundance Farm Farm Manager, Event Coordinator and JOFEE (Jewish, Outdoor, Food and Environmental Education) Fellow will be responsible for manifesting the mission of Abundance Farm in a variety of key farm production, education and administrative roles.

These include serving as our Farm Manager–and in this role, responsible for the overall management of our 1-acre mixed vegetable, berry and tree fruit farm.  As Events Coordinator, this professional will serve as the lead staff person responsible for running for our bi-annual major events (Spring Community Work Day and Fall Harvest Festival) as well as a number of smaller community programs on the Farm.  The JOFEE Fellow will also serve as an educator in our Farm programs for youth, families and young adults, leading our “Summer Farming and Food Justice Internship for Teens” and providing support as needed and as available to our Director of Outdoor Education.

The JOFEE Fellow will also serve as fellow in the second JOFEE Fellowship cohort. This is a national, year-long program of professional development, mentorship and training, specifically for Jewish environmental educators working at organizations around the country.

The full job description is also available for download here.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

Farm Manager (50% time)

1) Soil, Crop and Land Management: Develop and manage comprehensive soil management plan to improve soil health

• Create a soil-building program including green manures, soil amendments, composting and (possibly) vermiculture
• Practice consistent soil testing
• Consult best practices with local experts
• Source local, sustainable sources of fertility (compost, manure, biochar, etc)

2) Manage Farm Infrastructure (Greenhouse, Fencing, Irrigation, etc)

• Manage best use of  18’x24’ multi-purpose greenhouse
• Expand irrigation systems

3) Manage the Growth and Distribution of Crops

• Maintain attractive, productive, and ecologically friendly growing spaces
• Create and follow yearly field plans to be based around successive plantings
• Seeding, field seeding, transplanting
• Control insect and weeds organically, monitor fertility, and conduct formal field observation; oversee hand cultivation
• Manage irrigation system
• Coordinate regular harvest schedule to include consistent weighing of produce
• Coordinate distribution of produce through weekly “pick-your-own” days, our free farm stand and occasional use at CBI and LGA

5) Tracking and Reporting

• Keep meticulous records of farm management including applied soil amendments, planting schemes and successions
• Manage system to carefully track type and quantity of produce harvested and numbers of people harvesting
• Provide occasional Farm reports and as requested by Farm Director

Events Coordinator (30%)

• Provide administrative and logistical leadership in the development and implementation of Farm-based community programs including our Spring Community Work Day, our Fall Harvest Festival as well as a number of other school and community programs over the year.  Administrative work includes program development, developing community partnerships, hiring vendors and outside specialists, managing volunteers, marketing, logistics/set up and break down and evaluation. In this role, the professional will often serve as the public face of the organization.

Farm Educator (20%)

• Serve as the lead staffer for our “Summer Farming and Food Justice Internship for Teens.”  See our website for more info about this internship.
• Support the Director of Outdoor Education and other Farm staff in design and implementation of Farm-based education
• Occasionally lead students in garden-related programs and projects through recess, after-school programming, summer and holiday programs, etc.
• Facilitate occasional educational workshop

Training and Professional Development

This individual will be required to attend three in-person seminars organized by Hazon in 2017 and 2018. These include:

1. February 12-26, 2017: JOFEE Fellowship orientation and training intensive at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center – Falls Village, CT
2. September 10-17, 2017: JOFEE Network Gathering & Mid-year Training Seminar at the Pearlstone Center – Reisterstown, MD
3. Winter 2017-18: (Tentative Dates Jan 10-14th) Final seminar and closing retreat

Additionally, this individual will spend approximately 5-6 hours a month on outside mentorship and continued professional development organized by the Hazon/the JOFEE Fellowship.

Position Requirements

• Strong personal alignment with the mission and values of Abundance Farm
• A minimum of 2 years of full-season agricultural experience, preferably in an urban and/or educational environment
• Demonstrated success in vegetable production on a scale of 1 acre or larger
• Strong interest in organic orchard and berry management
• Demonstrated success with project, program, and/or organizational management
• Experience working with youth and interest in youth education, leadership and youth development, ideally in garden or outdoor settings
• Available for occasional evening and weekend hours, as needed
• Current driver’s license and clean driving record
• Highly organized, with excellent attention to detail
• Positive and productive team player
• Reliable self-starter, with excellent ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, follow-through, and meet deadlines
• Experience, familiarity, and/or passion with urban agriculture and local food systems.
• Experience and confident speaking in front of groups of children and adults
• Strong administrative skills including excel

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing mixed fruit orchards and working with berries
• Permaculture certification and experience working in permaculture systems
• Experience with operating and maintaining irrigation, farm machinery, trucks
• Greenhouse management experience
• Basic carpentry skills
• Experience working with children in farm setting
• Interest in the intersection of Judaism, the environment and agriculture
• Strong literacy of Jewish tradition including holidays, rituals and ethics
• Working knowledge of the Hebrew language
• Experience working in the field of Jewish education and/or Jewish communal settings
• Experience working and teaching in multicultural settings
• Interest in and history of engagement in issues of food justice
• A degree or other significant training in education; community-building skills and experience working with diverse communities; song-leading experience; Non-Violent Communication training; anti- oppression training;

This position starts on February 12th with the Fellowship Training and the Fellow is expected to start on site at Abundance Farm on March 6th, 2017; the exact start date at Abundance Farm is somewhat flexible.  This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position that often necessitates working Sundays, or Jewish holidays (all included in the 40-hour work week).  This is a twelve-month, benefited position with the possibility of extension/contract renewal.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is $25,000 plus health care and paid vacation. All training days provided by the JOFEE Fellowship are considered work days, and all expenses connected to JOFEE trainings are covered by Abundance Farm and Hazon.

TO APPLY:

Please send a cover letter, resume with three professional references to info@abundancefarm.org with “Farm Manager” as the title of the email.  In your cover letter please include answers to the following six questions.

1. Abundance Farm is a Jewish food justice farm and outdoor classroom. Abundance Farm is a unique collaboration at Congregation B’nai Israel with the Northampton Survival Center and Lander-Grinspoon Academy to support local food security and to create a unique, outdoor learning environment. Abundance Farm is a beautiful urban oasis where people of all ages, faiths, and backgrounds are drawn for nourishment, community, and learning.  How do you relate to this mission?
2. What makes you a good farmer?
3. Describe a significant program or event that you managed that was highly successful. What made it successful?
4. Describe a challenging moment with a co-worker. What skills did you use to meet the challenge? What did you learn about yourself from the experience?
5. At Abundance Farm  we work to create community and to create bridges between communities. What communities are you a part of?
6. How did you hear about this job?

*The final candidates will need to fill out a Fellowship application as well.