Hiring: Growing Gardens Site Steward – Rachel’s Table of Western Mass

The mission of Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts (RTWM) is to alleviate hunger and reduce the waste of food resources in Western Mass. Rachel’s Table takes a holistic and collaborative approach toward food security by supporting an intergenerational volunteer effort to feed and nourish our local communities. Learn more at www.feedwma.org.

RTWM is hiring a Growing Gardens Site Steward to support stabilization of its Growing Gardens program, which supports local agencies in building and maintaining on-site gardens in which they grow culturally appropriate food with their constituents. Sites are diverse and may serve youth, seniors, unhoused adults, people with disabilities, immigrants, and more. Current sites are in Hampden County, though the program might expand into Hampshire and/or Franklin Counties in the future.

Position Summary: The GG Site Steward cultivates a collegial network of agency-gardeners and volunteers that feel connected to each other and collective knowledge and resources. They support agencies in day-to-day development and management of their gardens, and they steward program volunteers. They support the program director in program administration and event coordination. This grant-funded, consultant role is a “people” position as much as it is a “technical” position. This position will be from November 2024 through December 31, 2025, with potential to be renewed in 2026.

Compensation: $23/hour + mileage reimbursement at Federal rate. Requires bi-weekly submission of invoice or timesheet including number of hours worked, a breakdown of hours by task, and a mileage record including starting and ending destinations and total number of miles driven.

Schedule & Hours: 

• 7-10 hours per week (higher end during growing season, lower end in winter)
• Occasional attendance at in-person staff meetings at the Springfield JCC or staff retreats at varying locations;
• Virtual or in-person attendance at weekly check-in meetings with supervisor;
• Attendance at GG workshops and events throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties throughout the year.
• Most partner sites operate within regular business days/hours (M-F 9am-5pm), so site visits, meetings, and events must occur during these hours. Otherwise, precise working hours are flexible and work that does not pertain to a specific garden site or event can be done remotely.

Roles & Responsibilities: 

 Primary/priority responsibilities: 

• Regularly visit each of approximately 10 garden sites in Hampden County to connect with staff and constituents, offer recommendations and resources, and/or provide technical support;
• Track and document progress and challenges at each site;
• Document expenses for each site and submit receipts and reimbursement requests to supervisor in accordance with RTWM administrative procedures;
• Assist with volunteer stewardship by supporting volunteer recruitment, following up with people who have indicated interest in volunteering, and maintaining communication with established program volunteers;
• Work with supervisor to determine and implement sustainability plans for each garden site;
• Develop educational materials and work with interpreters as needed for language accessibility;
• Participate in debriefs and strategy discussions to determine future trajectories of the program.

Secondary responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with supervisor on planning and implementation of events and workshops;
• Coordinate language interpretation and other accommodations as necessary for GG events and workshops;
• Share facilitation of monthly virtual lunch chats with supervisor.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Embodies commitment to RTWM’s mission and vision;
• Has at least two years of experience gardening and/or working in urban agriculture settings;
• Possesses technical knowledge in two or more of the following areas: irrigation at different scales, crop planning, crop health, integrative pest management, soil health, food production infrastructure
• Enjoys teaching others and supporting empowerment and leadership development;
• Ability to work with people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages;
• Creativity and capacity to source materials in economically and ecologically efficient ways;
• Strong communication skills;
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills;
• Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team;
• Strong attention to details;
• Basic to intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and capacity to learn more as needed;
• Basic proficiency with Canva and one or more social media platforms.

To apply: 

Please send a cover letter or video explaining your interest and unique skills and experience as well as a resume or list of relevant courses/jobs/experience to Director of Intercultural Learning & Land-Based Programs Cara Michelle Silverberg at csilverberg@feedwma.org. Application deadline is October 20, 2024.