Beginning Farmer Program Specialist – Farm Beginnings Lead
Organization Information
GrowNYC is a 51-year-old environmental nonprofit organization – helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life.
Our Programs:
• Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, Fresh Food Box sites and Greenmarket Co. ensures that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
• We blanket the five boroughs with resources like textile and food scrap collection, Stop ‘N’ Swaps, as well as free training to make waste reduction easy for all.
• We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more.
• We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment.
Note to applicants on COVID safety: GrowNYC is committed to
stopping the spread of Covid-19. All new hires must be able to provide
proof of COVID-19 vaccination during the onboarding process. Employees are also required to follow COVID safety protocols as the situation evolves, which may include daily health screenings, mask wearing, and other mitigation measures as deemed necessary by local conditions, mandates, and applicable guidelines.
Beginning Farmer Program Specialist – Farm Beginnings Lead
Position Summary
Farmer Assistance is GrowNYC’s technical assistance program and provides both aspiring and established Greenmarket farmers with business technical assistance and training designed to ensure the long-term viability of participating farms and farmland. Technical assistance is provided through both in-house services and through the engagement of cost-shared consultants. Our Five Part Beginning Farmer Program supports aspiring farmers to start their own sustainable farm businesses, with a focus on BIPOC and those holding historically marginalized identities. The Program includes the following initiatives:
• Our 9 week farm business and financial planning program, offered in both English (Farm Beginnings) and Spanish (La Nueva Siembra)
• Marketing, business and financial planning, and production skills workshops
• Technical Assistance for Beginning Farmer Program Participants in the areas of land access, capital access, business and financial planning, legal support, and marketing assistance.
• Access to zero-interest loans through the Kiva microloan program
• Shoulder-to-Shoulder Mentorship Program where Beginning Farmer Program Participants are paired with experienced farmers in an industry or enterprise of interest
The Beginner Farmer Education Specialist – Farm Beginnings Lead will facilitate Farm Beginnings, our 9 week farm business and financial training course. This person will also implement the other components of our Beginning Farmer Program, working closely with our Beginning Farmer Program Specialist – La Nueva Siembra Lead.
Responsibilities (Include but are not limited to):
Facilitation of Educational Programming and Training – 40%
• Manage and oversee the execution of Farm Beginnings including facilitating in-person and virtual sessions, selecting program participants, and coordinating guest speakers, interpreters, and technical service providers.
• Manage and oversee the execution of three (3) to five (5) workshops annually, in partnership with the LNS lead, to serve LNS and Farm Beginnings participants and recent graduates.
Client Management – 20%
• Provide Beginning Farmer client case management support for 5-10 Farm Beginnings or LNS participants each year, including accessing technical assistance focused on accessing capital, land acquisition, business and financial planning, and marketing.
• Help match beginning farmer program participants with experienced farmer mentors in a business model or enterprise of inerest
Internal and External Collaboration – 15%
• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders that match the values and mission of GrowNYC Farmer Assistance, with an emphasis on program partners serving BIPOC and historically marginalized farmers.
• Work with the Language Justice Coordinator to help identify specific needs of Spanish speaking farmers and how GrowNYC and GFA can best serve them.
Communications – 15%
• Develop and contribute to GFA literature, promotional materials, presentations, reports, program booklets, with a focus on farmer-centered story telling.
• Compile resources geared towards the BIPOC and historically marginalized community for GFA monthly newsletters.
• Responsible for GFA beginning farmer communications in partnership with the La Nueva Siembra Lead, including monitoring and responding to inquiries for the BFP general email and sending out our monthly GFA newsletter.
Administrative/Miscellaneous – 10%
• Responsible for administrative tasks as needed, including maintaining beginning farmer participant databases, tracking client work, tracking and submitting expenses, and maintaining other systems and processes to maintain our work and track relationships.
• Track and evaluate the Farm Beginnings program in order to learn, iterate, refine, and measure programmatic impact.
• Contribute to budget development, grant proposal and report development and funder relationship development.
• Contribute to strategic vision and development of GFA program.Requirements
· Knowledge of and familiarity with farm business and financial planning
· Demonstrated experience providing business and financial planning technical assistance to farmers
· Demonstrated experience managing and coordinating educational programming in the nonprofit, private, or public sector
· Strong knowledge of regional food systems and sustainable agriculture practices, whether in the private, non-profit, or public sectors
· A strong anti-racist analysis and experience working in trust-based relationships with people holding diverse and historically marginalized identities
· Strong program management skills with the ability to work independently to advance multiple priorities concurrently and the agility to adjust to changing conditions
· Ability to travel to regional farms, farmers markets, and other locations (a shared company vehicle is available for regional travel).
· Skilled at building partnerships, both internally and externally, including the ability to create and maintain strong collaborative relationships with organizational partners.
· Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication
· Computer skills, including full professional proficiency with Microsoft Office, Zoom, and Adobe Suite
· Flexibility and willingness to occupy a position that may change in scope in accordance with the needs of the program and organization
Desired Qualifications
· Spanish language proficiency (big plus)
· A valid New York driver’s license
Schedule
The schedule for this position is 35 hours/week. Weeknight (1-2 times/week) work is required during the 9 weeks of the Farm Beginnings course in late fall and the 9 weeks of the LNS class in the spring. Occasional weekend and travel to regional and national conferences is also required.
Compensation
The position is an exempt full-time position. It pays $60,000-$65,000 per year and includes full benefits.
Location
Work will be done from the GrowNYC office in New York City with some travel to regional farms and the option to work remotely 2-3 days a week.
Applications
Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please.
Application deadline is rolling, with application review beginning August 1.
GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.