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This job expired on December 24, 2014

Education and Volunteer Coordinator Shalom Farms

  • Date Posted October 25, 2014
  • Location Richmond, VA
  • Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
  • Job Type Full-Time
Job Description Shalom Farms seeks to collaboratively transform the Richmond food system so that all people have access to good food – food that is good for our bodies, good for the environment, and good for our communities.

Shalom Farms is the work of United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond. We seek to collaboratively transform the Richmond food system so that all people have access to good food – food that is good for our bodies, good for the environment, and good for our communities. Thousands of volunteers help to grow and harvest over 85,000 lbs of organic produce at our 6-acre learning-lab farm in Goochland, Virginia, 35 miles west of Richmond. In the city of Richmond, we team up with diverse partners to get our produce onto the plates of families with low access to healthy food.  Approximately 4,000 individuals, including church groups, corporate groups, families, and school groups come annually to learn and volunteer.

The primary responsibility of the Volunteer and Education Coordinator is the overall management of all visitors and volunteers. Additionally the coordinator will work closely with the Farm Manager to assist in the completion of day to day farm tasks and work to develop and implement the farm intern program. Shalom Farms seeks to create a work environment and organizational culture that reflects the society and community in which it is located and a climate for the success of every employee by appreciating the uniqueness that each one brings to the workplace. In a continuing effort to enrich its work environment and program delivery, Shalom Farms actively encourages applications from members of minority groups underrepresented in the field.  

Primary Responsibilities:
1.    Coordinate and manage all visitors to the farm
  • Manage communication and scheduling with volunteers and visiting groups
  • Lead educational programming including farm tours, fieldwork, and lessons for visitors of all ages
  • Coordinate, manage, and lead volunteer individuals and groups in completion of daily farm tasks, determining appropriate tasks based on volunteer age, skill level, etc
  • Perform or ensure entry of data pertaining to volunteer participation at the farm
  • Help develop and oversee implementation of a system for evaluation of the volunteer experience at the farm
  • Conduct outreach for volunteer and educational programs as needed
  • Utilize social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) as an outreach tool and to recognize volunteers and farm accomplishments
  • Create and implement, with support from Executive Director and Farm Manager, new educational and income-generating programs at the farm
2.    Assist Farm Manager with day-to-day operation of the farm
  • Assist in development of weekly and daily work plans based on schedule of program participants, interns, individual volunteers, and volunteer groups
  • Assist in maintaining daily work-log to plan and record details of field work accomplished
  • Assist with coordination and delivery of all orders of produce for various distribution channels
  • Assist in coordination of on-time harvest and optimal post-harvest handling
  • Participate in general farm labor
3.    Develop and implement farm intern program
  • Train and supervise interns in leading educational and volunteer groups
  • Organize educational opportunities for interns including readings, farm visits, and weekly discussions
  • Recruit and screen potential interns with support from Executive Director and Farm Manager  

Candidate Qualities: 
  • Loves meeting and working with new people
  • Enjoys educating about food justice issues and sustainable agriculture
  • Possesses strong and polished interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
  • Ability to multi-task in highly stressful situations
  • Creative, strategic and analytical thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize work to meet deadlines
  • Shows excellent leadership and supervision skills in management of interns and volunteers
  • Comfortable working in a faith-based setting
  • Demonstrates flexibility and comfort in working with diverse populations
  • Willingness to work hard in difficult weather conditions
  • Detail oriented with excellent organizational skills.
  • Comfortable performing office tasks and proficient with Microsoft Office
  • Comfortable with public speaking 

Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree with two or more years of experience in one or more of the following fields: education, sustainable agriculture, ministry, community health/public health, and/or social work
  • Experience working with diverse groups, including ability to reach across racial, ethnic, generational, socioeconomic, rural/urban and denominational lines.
  • Supervisory and/or teaching experience strongly preferred
  • Experience in sustainable agriculture strongly preferred
  • Experience working in a faith-based setting preferred 
Requirements:
Drivers license 
Personal vehicle 
Ability to drive 8-passenger van 
Ability to lift 60 lbs 
Ability to work Saturdays 
Willingness to work in all weather conditions 

Time Requirements:The time requirements for this position vary with the agricultural season. In general, the applicant should expect to work over 40 hours per week April through September, 40 hours per week in March and October, and fewer than 40 hours per week November through February. These hours should only be used as a guideline and may change according to weather, staffing, number of available volunteers, and other factors. The responsibilities of the volunteer coordinator will also shift based on the seasonal requirements of the farm. 

Compensation:We offer a competitive salary with benefits. Compensation this position is : salaried How to apply
This job expired on December 24, 2014
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