Interim Executive Director Sugar Roots Farm
- Date Posted September 08, 2022
- Location New Orleans, LA
- Category Education / Nonprofit
- Job type Part-Time
What we do:
-
sliding Scale, Hands-on Gardening & Composting Classes based on agroecological approach, tools & resources
-
Provide visitors with an example of an alternative to industrial farming, and the importance of small local farms through our Guided Tours.
-
Instill values of ecological stewardship, the compassionate treatment of farm animals, waste reduction and recycling, growing healthy and environmentally sound foods through our sliding scale Field trips, Farmer For The Day Program, and Outdoor Classroom Series.
-
Provide a Community gathering space for continuing education or community strengthening events
- Fostering a new generation of food systems activists, organizers, farmers, and chef through our internship and volunteer programs
- circulating local foods in local economies: We provide local restaurants and grocery stores with weekly deliveries of culturally appropriate foods, many of which are heirlooms & seeds we cultivate for resilient crops in the gulf south.
- improving access to healthy foods to marginalized communities in New Orleans by distributing our produce bi-weekly in food shuttles.
- Land stewardship: We maintain and preserve 7 acres of wetland forest, provide pollinator habitat, propagate native plant species, and remediate our delta clay soil.
- Provide a place for people to interact with nature and animals on Saturdays Open to the Public.
VISION
We hold a vision of our farm, and the world as a whole, as a commons.
“The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable earth.”
Our farm invites our community members to share space, ideas, resources, and a commonly held vision for the future. It is a place that can feed those in need, a place where people can reconnect with nature, a place where knowledge, ideas, and resources can be shared. A place to find common ground, a place to exchange and plant seeds.
Our farm commons forms part of a larger vision:
-
Self-reliant and interdependent communities, rural and urban, using food and farming as a building block
-
Localized economies with equitable and fair distribution of land, skill/knowledge, and resources
-
Engaged communities acting in the local and global food system, understanding how it works and how we work together to make it work better.
-
Agriculture in harmony with the earth, in which we raise animals, grow medicines, fruits, and vegetables, with little to no disturbance to our ecosystems
CORE VALUES
-
Agroecology: we are motivated by the science, practice and social movement of Agroecology, which seeks to restore and preserve the earth’s natural systems and enhance biodiversity while challenging the industrial food system. Agroecology centers the knowledge and experience of small-scale farmers themselves.
-
Redistribution: we work toward equitable distribution of food, land, resources, tools, skills and knowledge
-
Anti-racism, abelism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia: we commit to recognizing how these play out in the food system and seeking to undo them.
-
DIY (do it yourself) ethic: we believe everyone can learn and create their projects with the help of shared community knowledge and resources.
-
Non-hierarchy: we implement horizontal decision-making, and sharing in the way that we run the farm, teach, share skills, and provide access to land and food.
-
Openness: we remain open to generating discussions and offering platforms in a non-judgmental space in order to envision what we will leave behind for future generations
- OUR GOALS
-
Teach children K-12 ecological stewardship, the basics of where their food comes from, and how to make healthy eating decisions using place-based, experiential, hands on curriculum.
-
Provide our community with tools and resources to grow fruits, vegetables, plant medicine, eggs, milk, honey, and meat in a sustainable, compassionate, and ethical way.
-
Demonstrate the ability to farm in harmony with the earth using locally informed, low-waste, full-circle farming practices.
-
Advocate for localized economic systems to ensure healthier communities.
Job Title: Interim Executive Director
Status: Part-time & temporary - potential for full-time & permanent if candidate is the right fit for the organization
Timeframe: Dependent on needs of candidate & organization - Minimum commitment from organization 12 weeks
Location: In-person preferred, remote possibility
Compensation: Hourly rate of $25-30 commensurate with experience
Reports to: Sugar Roots Board of Directors & Organization Managers
● Provide hands-on, farm to fork curriculum for K-12 Field Trips & Guided Tours
● Provide engaging farm & ecology-based programs for children K-12: Farmer For The Day, Outdoor Classroom Series, and Summer Camp
● Provide sliding scale, all-abilities Gardening & Composting Classes based on agroecological principles
● Divert community waste from neighbors, grocery stores, and
restaurants & turn it into healthy soil● Provide a gathering space for continuing education and community strengthening events
● Foster a new generation of food system activists, farmers, and chefs through our Internship and Volunteer programs
● Circulate local foods in local economies- provide local restaurants and grocery stores with weekly deliveries of culturally appropriate foods
● Improve food access and equity in marginalized communities in New Orleans- distribute produce freely to community aid partners
Responsibility #1: Fiduciary Responsibility
● Ensure adequate control and accounting of Sugar Root’s finances, including the creation and monitoring of the annual budget
● Ensure annual audit and annual filing of taxes in coordination with financial consultants
● Supply monthly financial reports to the Board of Directors
● Lead all fundraising activities including the identification, cultivation, and stewardship of individual, foundation, and corporate prospects for donation, and/or sponsorship and the solicitation of major gifts
● Research and write grants in coordination with staff
Responsibility #2: Organizational Development - oversee the implementation of Sugar Roots strategic goals in alignment with our mission and vision.
● Lead strategic planning initiatives, and work with the Board of Directors and farm managers to ensure continuous review and re-consideration of the organization’s strategic goals
● Facilitate the assessment and implementation of our food justice initiatives-connecting local food with low income, food insecure populations in connection with mutual aid organizations
● Facilitate the assessment and implementation of our educational programs for adult & k-12 learners
Responsibility #3: Community Relations - serve as Sugar Root’s primary spokesperson and advocate
● Cultivate relationships with a broad network of partners and stakeholders in the farm/food/health industries
● Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with funders● Maintain positive media relations
Responsibility #4: Managerial Administration - oversee all facets of the organization, including development, programming, marketing, and finances
● Practice non-hierarchical leadership and partake in decentralized decision-making processes with Sugar Roots Staff
● Hire, support, and participate in mutual feedback sessions with Sugar Roots staff & managers
● Maintain a climate and culture that attracts, keeps, and motivates a creative and diverse community of staff and volunteers
● Conduct regular staff meetings and oversee the administration of payroll
● Act as the point person for day to day operations, events, and programming
● Produce an organizational annual report in coordination with staff & board members
TRAITS/SKILLS:● Ability to project a strong vision of the organization to the wider community
● Ability to secure funding for programming, capital and general operations
● Non-profit accounting and budget management
● Program development and execution
● Enthusiasm/aptitude for working with diverse populations
● Well-organized and deadline oriented
● Inclusive leadership and decision-making
● Optimistic and flexible with a good sense of humor
● Creativity and entrepreneurial talent, out of the box thinking ● Participatory, confident and goal-oriented, problem solver
● High energy, self-motivated and team oriented
● Able to work constructively under high stress
Most of the day-to-day responsibilities of this position may be completed remotely, however the role exists to meet the needs of communities in which we serve with a strong connection to staff, volunteers, partners and funders. If working remotely, you will need access to reliable phone service, wifi, and a computer.
Sugar Roots is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Just Roots will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Sugar Roots does not discriminate in hiring, promotion, or any other aspect of your employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, height, weight, or any other characteristic protected by law.
APPLY:
Email sugarrootsfarm@gmail.com with the following three items: ● Cover letter, addressing how you and your life experiences have prepared you to excel at each of the four responsibilities of this position, along with the traits, skills, and requirements listed. ● Resume● Three references