Company description

As a vital part of the economy, the mission of Prescott Farmers Market is to support and expand local agriculture, cultivate a healthy community and increase access to affordable local food. PFM operates a year-round market with over 60 vendors at the height of the summer season. Thousands of customers visit our market each week for fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, and locally crafted foods grown and prepared in Yavapai County. The market is producer-only, meaning that vendors must grow or raise everything they sell, or in the instance of processed foods and crafts, must use a percentage of AZ-grown ingredients in every product. Preference is given to farmers and ranchers operating within Yavapai County. By maintaining these strict standards, PFM supports local agriculture by providing a market through which small-scale farmers can sell their goods and make a livable wage.

PFM participates in food security programs like the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC families and low income seniors. Markets accept SNAP benefits and double them for fresh produce through Double Up Food Bucks AZ, ensuring everyone can afford fresh produce. In addition to hosting the Saturday market, PFM serves the Prescott area through creative community programs. Feed Your Neighbors provides fresh local food to people in need; the Prescott Community Compost Project collects food scraps from households and restaurants and, utilizing volunteers, turns it into nutrient rich compost; the Prescott Seed Library provides free seeds to the community through a partnership with the Prescott Public Library.

We are a small nonprofit organization with less than 10 employees with a culture of collaboration, integrity, respect, community and equity. Our team shares the goal of making our community a vibrant, sustainable, welcoming place for everyone.

Job description

The Prescott Farmers Market Food Hub is a pilot program of Prescott Farmers Market (PFM), a nonprofit organization in Prescott, AZ. The Food Hub is in the development phase with plans to 1) aggregate local produce and meats in a central location for distribution to local restaurants and institutions; 2) open a state-of-the-art commissary kitchen to address the urgent need of food entrepreneurs; and 3) develop and pilot a food business incubator program. All food hub business endeavors are expected to contribute to furthering PFM’s mission and augment our commitment to an equitable, just and sustainable local food system.

The Community Food Hub Manager will help develop and launch the Food Hub, including policies and procedures and will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the PFM Food Hub, including the commissary kitchen and the wholesale operation, when it launches.

Responsibilities:

• Build and manage wholesale accounts, including supply chain and logistics associated with our local producer network, with the goal of maximizing locally-sourced foods.
• Maintain regular reporting and data collection efforts including those associated with programmatic outputs, local food purchasing, financial information, grant deliverables and other requirements as needed.
• Recruit and lead a 6-week small food business incubator program for food entrepreneurs and kitchen users.
• Maintain equipment, sanitation and storage of kitchen, adhering to health department regulations.
• Ensure that all products are ordered and received in correct unit count and condition and pick-ups/deliveries are performed in accordance with PFM’s receiving policies and procedures.
• Attend weekly PFM staff meetings and quarterly Food Hub Taskforce meetings.
• Leverage the Food Hub’s unique position in the food system to identify and pursue key partnership and collaboration opportunities, including building relations with food hubs throughout the Southwest.
• Build-out strategic plan for the Food Hub in conjunction with the leadership team.
• Develop and implement a marketing strategy to increase public awareness of the Food Hub and its products and services including website, social media and promotional materials.
• Develop branding and marketing strategies for both the farmers who sell local produce and the restaurants who purchase it.
• PFM is a small nonprofit organization where a “pitch-in” spirit is expected. Assistance on additional projects or tasks may be requested in addition to normal responsibilities.

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience working in one of the following fields: food/produce operations, wholesale, agriculture, culinary arts
• Strong customer service experience and high degree of professionalism
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal: in person, over the phone, email, text
• Proficiency with computer programs such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with people of different backgrounds
• Superior organizational skills and attention to detail, especially in record-keeping
• Strong commitment to diversity and equity
• Ability to lift 50 pounds

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven history of establishing and maintaining excellent professional relationships
• An understanding of different farming practices, with an emphasis in small scale agriculture
• Proven success in strategizing and building systems for growth
• Previous food hub/commissary kitchen/wholesale experience
• Knowledge of and experience in food service operations
• Experience in inventory management and control
• Spanish-English bilingual
• Proven ability to be highly proactive when initiating projects
• Experience in nonprofit program implementation, coordination, and evaluation

This position requires availability on Saturdays and occasionally outside of normal business hours. The Food Hub Manager must acquire Food Handlers and Food Manager certifications within one month of hire.

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position beginning at $20 per hour. The position is based in Prescott, Arizona. PFM employees accrue up to 80 hours of paid time off annually and are eligible to enroll in a SIMPLE IRA match program. Applicants relocating from out-of-state may be reimbursed for expenses related to moving. Preferred start date is January 1, 2022.

Prescott Farmers Market is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions. PFM is committed to equity and inclusiveness and values diversity in experience, abilities, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identities. People of color, people with disabilities, veterans and LGBTQIA candidates are encouraged to apply.

Prescott Farmers Market is a fragrance-free, drug-free & tobacco-free work environment.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

December 04, 2021