Company description

Ruth Bennett Community Farm is an educational farm and environmental education center in Chester, PA. The Bennett Farm is located on a 2-acre site and is managed by the Chester Housing Authority. We are dedicated to improving access to pesticide-free, nutrient dense foods at affordable prices to residents in Chester. We provide opportunities for residents to participate in health and wellness activities, job-readiness and beginning farmer training. We seek to promote a thriving and diverse environmental ecosystem for community members to enjoy.

Job description

RBCF has a Youth Employment Program where teens ages 14-20 learn hands-on gardening knowledge in addition to soft-skills such as punctuality, professionalism, presentation and team-building. We take field trips during the season so youth can learn about other gardening and youth programs in the surrounding region. We also have volunteer groups consisting of teenagers and college students from all over who work alongside our youth. The Youth Coordinator will help manage the youth crew, as well as volunteers during work days. They will also help with our bi-weekly free produce distributions from May-November.

Our flower beds provide a habitat for pollinators, as well as cut-flowers for market bouquets and events. We have around 5,000 square feet in flower production space.

Ideal candidates will have at least one season of production farming, as a large part of this position is being able to assist with all elements of field production. Candidates should also have experience working with and mentoring youth.

Essential Field Assistant tasks will include:

• Propagation (seed starting) in the greenhouse
• Preparing beds for planting; transplanting and mulching
• Pest, weed and disease control
• Irrigation, including weekend watering as needed
• Harvest and post-harvest handling
• Assisting with on-site community food distributions - harvesting, post-harvest handling, setting-up distribution area and assisting with distribution of produce boxes to community members
• Working with other adult farm mentors

Youth Coordinator tasks will include:

• Engaging and educating youth around urban agriculture and healthy habits, managing youth crew (see below for details), chaperoning field trips and workshops
• Helping with recruitment and admin for youth crew: publicizing job opportunity to various schools and clubs; making sure work permits and W-9s are filled out and returned, contacting previous season’s youth to see who will be returning this season
• Managing Youth Crew on Youth Crew days at the farm includes: figuring out what tasks will be completed that day; reminding youth about work the previous day; ensuring transportation has been arranged (and picking up 1-2 youth if needed); checking-in youth when they arrive to make sure they have their uniforms and snacks; assigning groups and making schedule; making sure groups stay on task and on schedule; dealing with discipline when needed; recording and submitting hours
• Assisting with volunteer workdays: large groups volunteer on a weekly basis throughout the summer and they are crucial to completing various projects

Qualifications:

• Must be able to work in various weather conditions, including rain, heat and cold.
• Ability to lift 50 pounds repeatedly.
• Ability to engage in strenuous activities for extended periods of time, including walking, standing, kneeling, and bending.
• Ability to work alone and be self-motivated.
• Must be detail oriented and willing to engage in repetitive tasks; must understand quality control
• Ability to be flexible and work with people from many backgrounds
• Experience working with youth and have clear background checks
• A sense of humor!
• Driver’s license required, and access to a car is preferred (for occasional youth transportation; mileage is reimbursed for work-related travel)
• Willing to work occasional Saturdays for volunteer workdays and weekend watering

Details:
Part-Time: 24-28 hrs/week

Position runs April-Mid November. Please note the hours for this position vary over the course of the season. May-October the scheduled days are Monday, Tuesday OR Wednesday (TBD), Thursday and half-day Saturday when needed. Pre/post season days and times vary based on weather.

• • April : work is mostly greenhouse tasks and bed prep, and will likely be twice a week + weekend watering
  • May - October: Schedule increases to 3 days with weekend watering.
  • November: Schedule decreases to 2 days a week

• Applicants must be willing to work half-days on Saturdays for greenhouse and field watering as needed.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

March 04, 2023