Georgia Organics is a dynamic and growing statewide nonprofit connecting organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families.  Founded in 1997, the organization is based in Atlanta and led by a board of directors, staff of 14 employees and additional support from consultants, interns, members and volunteers.  Georgia Organics has three primary goals to:

• Increase the number of organic and sustainable farmers in rural and urban areas
• Increase the number of children participating in farm to school programs
• Increase the number of Georgians eating organically grown, local food

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Farmers Services Coordinator reports directly to the director of farmer services and includes the following responsibilities:

Annual Conference - Assist organizing and coordinating farmer related tracks programming, speakers, farm tours, and Fencepost Sessions, which are one-on-one coaching sessions. Heads up: this is pretty fun.

200 Organic Farms Campaign – Coordinate outreach and training for producers in Georgia who are exploring the transition to organic certification.

• Funnel support requests to internal and external resources to increase the number of certified organic farms in Georgia.
• Coordinate workshops and develop training on organic certification across the state for member farmers.

Insurance Access - Oversee management of efforts to provide member farms with affordable health insurance options.

• Recruit and facilitate the enrollment of five farmers into the Kaiser Permanente Bridge program.
• Study the Kaiser Bridge program and, explore additional health insurance options for organic growers across Georgia.
• Maintain web pages on the Georgia Organics website dedicated to health insurance for farmers.

Grant Support – Identify and help pursue USDA funding opportunities that provide support for Georgia’s organic and sustainable farmers and ranchers, while also securing additional funding for the Special Projects Coordinator Position.

Tracking and Evaluation – Track and report all program impacts and efforts to assist member farms.

Educational & Communications Outreach

• Exhibit and/or present at agricultural events and conferences in Georgia annually, such as the SunBelt Ag Expo, Georgia Peanut Tour, SE Fruit and Vegetable Conference, and others.
• Develop content for and execute monthly e-newsletter.
• Keep tools, resources, and content on website up to date.
• Work with Fundraising and Communications team (FunComm) provide topics, articles and news pertinent to the growing community and support messaging that will communicate the critical need for more sustainable and organic growers in the state.
• Represent Georgia Organics at various events and serve as an organizational spokesperson.

Farmer Relations

• Answer phone calls and e-mails related to organic production and marketing in a timely manner.
• Represent the interests of farmers within Georgia Organics.
• Support development and membership goals by recruiting farmers to be active members of Georgia Organics.

Organizational Investment

• Attend regularly schedule staff and organizational meetings
• Provide feedback from the field to support the organization’s strategic development.
• Be team and results-oriented in achieving the goals of Georgia Organics.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures to ensure strong internal collaboration.

RANGE OF DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• On-farm and farm business experience
• Project management
• Knowledge and experience with both producer and consumer dimensions of organic food and agriculture
• Experience with farmers and the conditions of the Southern region
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Superb management and organizational skills, attention to detail, and team-oriented ethic
• Skills in planning and evaluating projects to ensure smooth progress
• Results and goal oriented
• Ability to multi-task and work independently with minimal supervision
• Entrepreneurial approach to working in an environment with limited resources
• Ability to travel throughout the state and region
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Flexibility, a sense of humor and a commitment to the mission of Georgia Organics
• Having a do-gooder heart and a calculating mind