Company description The Youth Farm Project is a farm-based social justice education organization. We offer on-farm programming and equitable food distribution. Job description

See our website for full description! www.youthfarmproject.org 
Oversee and manage: All annual and perennial produce including seasonal crop rotations, fruit and nut trees, berry patches and perennial gardens. YFP uses no synthetic, chemical or damaging practices or substances. We are committed to practices that increase topsoil and biodiversity, heightened nutrition available in foods, and are as healthy as possible for humans, soil, and all living beings. We work in collaboration with all beings, with the land and each other as humans. 

Specific responsibilities include:

• Meet weekly with Co-Directors and farm crew on Monday mornings. 
• Managing a team of 2 or more staff as well as any farm contractors and volunteers.
• Training new farm staff.
• Collaborates with the Director of Education on programs to provide farming/food growing education with YFP programs and with others who are on the land, ie Ithaca Waldorf School, Quarter Acre for the People. 
• Arrange and lead several farm fieldwork sessions to accomplish what is needed at the farm with teens. During the teen summer program this means leading and teaching various aspects of food growing and other land-based knowledge to about 15 teens with the support of other staff (Monday - Friday for 7 weeks during July and August). During the Social Justice Intensive, arrange fieldwork for about 10 teens for two days a week during the Spring and Fall.
• Orient farm visitors and provide opportunities for them to connect to the land.
• Relationship building (community cultivating) between farm, staff, participants and community to keep the mission of the Youth Farm Project alive.
• Creating a daily work schedule for the farm team. Communicating that in the way(s) that the team best receives information. Overseeing and participating in daily farm work.
• Maintaining the farm, including tools and machinery, irrigation, livestock and keeping fields, barn and surrounding areas clean and very well organized. 
• Creating and maintaining a physically safe work space for all individuals on the farm at any given time. 
• Pest management and control.
• Develop crop plans to fit the educational mission and goals. Ordering seeds and planning and implementation of planting schedule. Keeping crop records. 
• Managing harvest schedule and sales/donation outlets.
• Continuing and building soil-health. 
• Cultivate a safe space for BIPOC and LGBTQ youth.
• Cultivate an anti-racist work space. 

 

The ideal candidate will be willing to make a commitment of at least three years and possess the following qualifications and experience:

 

• We are looking for someone with a minimum of five years experience working on and managing farms, including greenhouses, using ecological, no-till, indigenous, and/or ancestral farming practices, or a combination of those. 
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, including a proven track record of working in a cooperative team environment that requires a high level of planning and organization.
• Experience with operating, maintaining, and repairing machinery. 
• Knowledge of the principles of soil health. We value ancestral and indigenous farming practices and knowledge. 
• A willingness and ability to work outdoors in all types of weather, under potentially strenuous conditions.
• Attention to order, cleanliness, and an ongoing commitment to improving systems and practices.
• Ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative work atmosphere.
• A desire to grow amazing food, and to continue to learn and grow as a person and farmer. Continuous personal development is encouraged and supported.
• Experience in youth education or creating educational experiences. Desire to engage youth in hands-on farm work.
• A calm, grounded presence.
• Deep humility and a good sense of humor.
• Flexible, adaptive and efficient.
• Not neutral in situations of injustices, an activist.
• Confidence to deal with mistakes, willingness to have transparency around mistakes and “own and pivot”. 

 

Other Requirements

• A valid driver’s license
• Ability to legally work in the USA
• Ability to regularly lift a minimum of 50 pounds
• Cell phone communication
• Reliable transportation is needed to ensure you arrive consistently on time due to programming and farm responsibilities. We acknowledge that accessible, efficient, affordable, and safe alternatives to car travel, and especially to driving solo, are not currently available to get to and from the farm. The bus route we are on is limited.
• Satisfactory background and reference checks. YFP background checks for educational reasons and safety of vulnerable populations. People with criminal records other than sexual assault of any kind will be considered equally. 

 

Benefits:

• Access to all U pick and other gardens for food/medicine
• Health insurance contribution
• Paid time off, sick and vacation/personal
• Professional development assistance

 

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday, weekend events at the farm (4-5 Saturdays)
• Occasional evening event, 4 Board meetings per year

 

Experience Required and Desired:

• Ability to use a large tractor (Required) 
• 5 years farm work/management experience (Required)  
• Experience with orchards, nut groves and berries (Required) 
• Experience working with young people (Required) 
• Anti-racism training and/or lived experience (Required)
• Land-based work with young people (Prefered) 
• Beekeeping, Forest farming/mushroom production, seedkeeping, and other land-based arts and skills welcome! 
• Experience in communities served (Preferred)

 

This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:

• Dependable -- more reliable than spontaneous.
• Adaptable/flexible -- enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction.
• Autonomous/Independent -- enjoys working with little direction and alone. 
• Highly organized with materials and time management and can see through tasks steadily. 
• Patient - able to communicate instructions and tasks clearly and to work with folks with various skill levels. 

Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQ+ folx are encouraged to apply. 

 

Compensation this position is : salaried Application instructions DeadlineFebruary 14, 2021