Company description

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
 

NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.
 

NSAC member groups advance common positions to support small and mid-size family farms, protect natural resources, promote healthy rural communities, and ensure access to healthy, nutritious foods by everyone.  By bringing grassroots perspectives to the table normally dominated by big business, NSAC levels the playing field and gives voice to sustainable and organic farmers.

Job description

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is currently seeking a Grassroots Fellow for 2021-2022, beginning in August 2021 and ending in May 2022. This approximately ten-month fellowship position is a fixed term, full time, non-exempt position that offers benefits as per the employee handbook and is located at NSAC's DC office on Capitol Hill. All staff are currently remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We strongly prefer that candidates be able to work regularly from our Washington, DC office when public health and safety guidelines allow for office reopening.

 

NSAC is the leading advocacy organization for federal policy that supports sustainable agriculture and food systems. We work with our 100+ member organizations to empower grassroots voices – including farmers and eaters – for positive change. We work towards the vision of a safe, nutritious, and affordable food supply produced by diverse family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while sustaining the environment and contributing to the strength of their communities.

 

NSAC’s collaborative work environment offers a unique career opportunity to advance federal sustainable agriculture policy as part of a dedicated and effective team. The Grassroots Fellow will have the opportunity to directly engage in NSAC’s ongoing work on a range of policy issues and campaigns, including climate change and conservation, beginning farmers and farmers of color, local and regional food systems, and agriculture policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Racial justice – an understanding and acknowledgment of historical and ongoing racial inequities and commitment to actions challenging those inequities – is a core NSAC tenet that we seek to embed in our structure, analysis, policy development, and advocacy.

 

Position Description

• Assisting NSAC’s staff, coalition members, and Grassroots Council with national grassroots policy advocacy and outreach campaigns using social media, email, shared coordination tools, and other resources; 

• Developing creative, impactful engagement tools for farmers and consumers – including digital and multimedia materials and toolkits – around a range of issues and campaigns, including local and regional food systems, working lands and natural resource conservation, beginning farmer issues, sustainable agriculture research, and much more;
• Supporting NSAC’s Diversity Committee & furthering our racial equity efforts – assisting with monthly calls and other endeavors;
• Assisting with planning and execution of NSAC events, including farmer/advocate lobby days and the winter coalition membership meeting either virtually or in person
• Conducting research, analysis, and stakeholder interviews to support advocacy campaigns;
• Drafting blog posts, social media posts, advocacy messages, and other materials;
• Assisting with other projects and assignments as needed.

Qualifications

• An understanding of and passion for sustainable food and farm issues, including how they intersect with racial equity
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• An understanding that federal policy often has inequitable effects across different communities, and a commitment to apply a racial equity lens to federal policy
• Ability to work independently, collaborate, listen well, build trust, and model healthy conflict resolution on a team
• Self-motivated, organized, able to ask questions, and stay on task when managing multiple projects with short and long-term deadlines
• Can work effectively with diverse groups of individuals and values differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstances.
• Multimedia or graphic design skills – including Adobe CreativeSuite or Canva – a plus
• Experience with community organizing and grassroots capacity building efforts strongly desired
• Familiarity with Google Suite, WordPress, EveryAction, social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Salary and Benefits

This role will be compensated at a rate of $19/hour. We offer excellent benefits, including generous vacation and time off policy, health, dental, and long-term disability insurance, financial support for professional and personal development, and more.

 

NSAC is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce and strongly encourages applications from groups that have been historically under-represented, including but not limited to women and people of color. Please also see NSAC’s Statement on Racial Equity. NSAC makes hiring decisions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

 

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify.

Compensation this position is : hourly, $15-20/hr Location job can be done remotely Application instructions DeadlineJuly 12, 2021