The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is a 501c3 service, conservation, and youth development organization. Our Food and Farm Program engages communities in food security agriculture projects.

The mission of the VYCC is to teach young people personal responsibility through meaningful work that connects us to the land, community, and one another. To instill these skills and values, VYCC enrolls young people in paid work opportunities. Our model is strong and simple: Youth Corps Members work together in small groups, guided by highly trained leaders, to complete high priority projects in conservation and agriculture.  

Headquartered on historic Vermont farmland, we apply this crew model to our Food and Farm program by employing youth, guided by leaders, in important hunger relief and sustainable agriculture projects. As such The Farm at VYCC engages its Youth Corps Members, leaders and community in the Health Care Share, a community-based public health project that connects Vermont families who are unable to afford or access fresh, nutritious food with a weekly share of locally grown produce.

Job Summary
Personal growth, service learning, innovative food systems, and strong partnerships are at the heart of this opportunity. The Food and Farm Director (FFD) is responsible for leading multiple constituencies – Crew Members, Crew Leaders, AmeriCorps Members, school groups, and volunteers – in personally empowering, professionally meaningful, and educationally rich experiences while working and learning on the Farm at VYCC.

A successful FFD will lead the Farm at VYCC’s efforts to: deepen Farm Corps Members experience through learning; design and implement programs that meet the needs of young people in Vermont; and increase the Farm at VYCC’s resources through expanded partnerships and funding.

The FFD is highly focused on partner stewardship and partner development to support and strengthen the Health Care Share. The Health Care Share, founded by VYCC, employs youth and young adults to work and learn while growing fresh, local food. This food, packaged in weekly shares, is distributed to medical centers who, in turn, distribute shares to patients who benefit from greater access to vegetable and poultry shares. Health Care Share is at once a youth employment vehicle, a public health initiative, and an entrepreneurial engine.

This position requires a passion for working with young people, education and community building, practical knowledge of agricultural skills and farm management, a commitment to community food security, and a unique talent for collaboration.

Essential Functions Program Leadership
• Design and implement powerful educational experiences that fulfill the VYCC mission
• Be a collaborative leader and partner with VYCC staff to capture the spirit and harness the resources VYCC has established in more than three decades of work-based learning opportunities for youth and young adults
• Lead the continued growth of the Food & Farm Program, including the establishment of new, off-site partner farms that host VYCC crews
• In concert with the Chief Program Officer and the Conservation Program Director, lead Crew Leader training to ensure seasonal Leaders can support Corps Members learning and the completion of high-quality projects
• Collaborate closely with the Chief Program Officer to implement best risk management practices on behalf of the Food & Farm Program

Mission-Driven Partnerships and Revenue Generation
• Be an inspiring representative of the VYCC to the general public
• Identify, secure, manage, and report on a suite of diverse revenue streams, all of which are key components of a sustainable funding model for the Food & Farm Program
• Steward relationships with current partners, local farmers, businesses, and organizations; identify new partners for the continued growth of the Food & Farm Program
• Manage communications with the partnering organizations for the Farm at VYCC, in and around the community 
• Bring an entrepreneurial spirit to VYCC’s farm stand and other sales channels

Program Administration
• Support farm staff in their professional growth and development to ensure a high-functioning team; supervise Food & Farm Program’s Management Team (currently, three full-time staff)
• Oversee the hiring and success of AmeriCorps farm members, VYCC crews, and volunteers who contribute to the success of the Food & Farm Program
• Lead the annual Food & Farm Program budgeting process; achieve program financial goals through revenue and expense management
• Align program design, implementation, and outcomes with restricted funding sources, with a particular focus on AmeriCorps compliance
• Collaborate closely and creatively with VYCC’s engagement department to generate Food & Farm Program marketing materials

Farm Production Support
• Oversee and support all aspects of vegetable and livestock production, including planning, planting, managing, harvesting, storing, and distributing crops
• Support distribution of food shares for VYCC’s Health Care Shares initiative
• Design and implement a multi-year plan for capital investments to support continued Food and Farm Program growth

Required Knowledge & Skills
• Proven commitment to working with young people to help them learn, grow, and succeed.
• Extensive educational and partnership development experience, coupled with strong farming knowhow
• Passion for VYCC’s mission and purpose and an ability to communicate this energy to others.
• Ability to successfully navigate in a fast-paced, outcomes-driven and entrepreneurial environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, inclusiveness and empowerment.
• Demonstrated experience managing a high-performing team in a multi-site structure.
• Several years’ leadership experience in education or business, overseeing multiple programs, ideally at an organization serving low-income youth or communities.
• Strong working knowledge of program planning, organizational structure, budgeting, administrative operations, and fundraising.
• Expertise in one or more of the following service areas: Youth Corps Programming, education, youth development, and/or workforce development. • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to represent the organization externally across a wide range of stakeholders and constituencies.
• Strong relationship builder with the ability find common ground, build consensus, and strengthen collaboration among diverse stakeholders