Company description

Farm Aid’s mission is to cultivate a vibrant and just, family farm-centered system of agriculture in the United States. With a social change orientation, conviction about the importance of family farmers, and a broad cultural platform, Farm Aid catalyzes and offers creative ways to champion farmers, inspire civic engagement and leverage our position to influence positive change in our agricultural and cultural landscape. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual food and farm festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s year-round work. Since 1985, through the generosity of the artists who contribute their performances each year, Farm Aid has raised more than $70 million to support our programs that help farmers thrive, grow the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

Farm Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with diverse expertise, assets and activities spanning entertainment and music, food business, grant making, direct service to farmers, grassroots movement building, and serving as a convener and coalition partner with aligned organizations for raising public awareness and influencing public policy. Farm Aid achieves its mission by:

• Amplifying the voices of family farmers to bring attention to the challenges they face and the benefits they bring to all of us;
• Connecting farmers to resources and opportunities;
• Championing and celebrating family farmers, good food and the culture of agriculture, in which we all can participate;
• Inspiring and empowering farmers and nonfarmers to participate in a democratic, just and sustainable farm and food system; and
• Investing talent, time and money in efforts that affect positive change in the farm and food system, especially the cultivation of collective power among agricultural and cultural communities.

Farm Aid’s vision—of a transformed America in which family farmers and eaters are partners in a thriving farm and food system that benefits all—is not possible without actively being part of the struggle for racial equity and justice. We are on an active journey of taking stronger action to end racism in our society and in our farm and food system.

Job description

Location:
Cambridge, MA preferred, open to hybrid or remote work

Job Summary and Purpose:

The Policy & Advocacy Manager serves as Farm Aid’s lead researcher, analyst and translator of farm and food issues to inform, engage and activate Farm Aid’s audience in efforts that affect positive change. The Policy & Advocacy Manager reports to the Communications Director and collaborates with other staff members, especially the program and communications teams, to translate policy concepts into actionable knowledge. A skilled collaborator, relationship builder and communicator, the Policy & Advocacy Manager will center family farmers and their experiences; build collaborative and supportive relationships with Farm Aid partner organizations and officials in Washington, DC; support farmer activism and collective action; and thoughtfully manage and organize complex events and processes. The Policy & Advocacy Manager is expected to:

• Guide and manage Farm Aid’s advocacy program, maximizing Farm Aid’s impact as a national cultural organization to engage a broad coalition in support of policies that strengthen family farmers and family farm agriculture.
• Steward Farm Aid’s engagement and collaboration with partners and the broader advocacy and policy community, elevating the grassroots efforts of farm, rural, food and other organizations to build the capacity of farmers, grassroots leaders and campaigns for change.
• Expand and deepen Farm Aid’s ability to measure the impact of its advocacy efforts, ensuring Farm Aid’s platform is leveraged for positive systemic change.
• Design and execute campaigns and calls to action that engage Farm Aid’s community.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience working in the policy arena, with knowledge of the mechanisms and processes of pursuing policy change; agricultural policy focus preferred.

• Agricultural experience and interest, including working on a farm or in some aspect of agriculture, agricultural education, and/or experience in agricultural policy advocacy / civic engagement.
• Relationship-building skills for effective community engagement, programs and campaigns for social change; ability to work collaboratively and utilize conflict management skills with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Strong research and analytic skills for - policy investigation and synthesizing and communicating complex information for diverse audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and building relationships with BIPOC communities. Must have an understanding of structural racism and how it impacts agriculture and the food system.
• Demonstrated commitment to economic justice. Must have an understanding of corporate concentration in farming and food and the economic role of independent family farmers.
• Strong skills in using, managing, and understanding various computer programs, including Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite. Experience and/or aptitude for learning and effectively using tech platforms for civic engagement.
• Experience with and/or interest in event planning and implementation, particularly as it relates to our annual festival.

• Willingness for local, regional and national travel up to 10% of time, including for annual festival on site location.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Application instructions

Deadline

February 28, 2023