Company description

About Sprout City Farms:

Sprout City Farms (SCF) is an urban agriculture nonprofit founded in 2010 to create healthier, more resilient local food communities. Since then, SCF has successfully transformed 6.5 acres of underutilized land into fertile ground that produces 20+ tons of fresh produce annually and nourishes thousands of people across metro-Denver. So far, we’ve built and managed four small-scale organic farms. To read more about the organization and details about our farms, please visit our website.

About Denver Green School Community Farm:

The Denver Green School Community Farm (DGS) is a 1-acre organic vegetable farm on the grounds of the Denver Green School. Built in partnership with Denver Public Schools in 2011, DGS is the first of four farm sites built by Sprout City Farms. DGS is located in the SE corner of the schoolyard at 6700 E. Virginia Ave. in SE Denver. The farm, now in its 13th year, produces an average of 5-6 tons of food each season, which is distributed through a Farm to Cafeteria program, on-site farm stands, 70-share CSA program, and donations to the school and local food pantries.

In this upcoming season, DGS will grow a portion of our produce at SCF’s newest site - Jack’s Solar Farm. Jack’s Solar Farm is an agrivoltaics site, where crops are grown under solar panels. As such, portions of the crew will need to travel up to Longmont to tend to and harvest our crops on a biweekly basis.

Educational and community programs at DGS include volunteer days, farm to classroom, field trips, tours, workshops, cooking demonstrations, and various social events throughout the year.

Job description

Sprout City Farms Farm Manager

Denver Green School Community Farm

Sprout City Farms (SCF) is looking for individuals to play an integral role operating one of our community farms, in the pursuit of creating a larger network of accessible, educational farms that nourish, and are nourished by, their surrounding community.

About the DGS Farm Manager Position:

We are seeking a Farm Manager to implement operations at the DGS Community Farm, under the direction of the Executive Director and in collaboration with the DGS Community Navigator. The Farm Manager will manage the farm team including the Assistant Farm Manager, Apprentice, and Interns. As a developing nonprofit, our small staff works closely together to implement the goals of the organization as SCF continues to grow. We are looking for a motivated candidate to continue to make this farm a grassroots effort and community resource, particularly for our incredibly diverse Denver Green School community.

Desired skills and qualifications:

• Vegetable farming experience (3+ seasons), farm management experience (1+ seasons).
• Willingness to take initiative and follow through on tasks. Pragmatic and outcome-driven, while positive, forward thinking, and interested in experimenting.
• Comfortable teaching and speaking in front of people; volunteer management experience is a bonus.
• Ability to physically work within a variety of conditions (i.e. endurance to work long days, in diverse weather conditions), and ability to lift at least 50 pounds.
• Ability to work as a team player, with people from diverse backgrounds including students/youth, people of different cultures, etc.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; oral communication skills preferred in both English and Spanish.
• Understanding of social media and digital technology. (SCF uses Google Drive to organize documents. Staff use their personal phone, computer, and internet for work-related communications; a monthly home office allowance is provided.)
• Reliable transportation (able to pick up needed materials and travel to meetings and other farm sites when necessary). Mileage is reimbursed for non-commute travel.
• Flexible availability including working some nights and weekends.
• Familiarity with and engagement in a local food movement, especially in the Denver metro area. Passion for helping develop a more sustainable and just local food system.
• Preference will go to local residents rooted in the SE Denver community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Farm Operations (75%):

• Coordinate the planning, planting, cultivating, and harvesting of crops. Manage physical operations of the farm including crop plan, field plan, food safety plan, building/maintenance of structures, and general farm maintenance, in collaboration with Assistant Farm Manager.
• Coordinate food distribution and communications. Manage CSA and Farm to Cafeteria programs, and coordinate Farm Stand, Donation, and other food access programs with the Community Navigator.
• Manage farm operations-related purchases within the farm budget.
• Participate in all-crew days at the Mountair Park Community Farm and Jack’s Solar Garden, approximately 1-2 days a month throughout the season.

Education (10%):

• Manage and mentor farm interns, apprentices, and other volunteers.
• Assist Community Navigator and Assistant Manager with development and implementation of farm-based educational and volunteer programs.

Community Engagement (10%):

• Work with Community Navigator for goal setting, scheduling, and assisting with education, outreach, and seasonal events. Assist with community partner communications, including attendance at some meetings of the Community Advisory Committee and other relevant meetings as needed.
• Collaborate with on-site partners as needed, including Denver Green School/Denver Public Schools, Denver Urban Gardens’ community garden, and other organizations working in the space.

General & Administrative (5%):

• Provide accurate recordkeeping and reporting on farm outcomes, including written weekly updates to the Executive Director. Participation in regular staff meetings, and board meetings as needed.
• Help with SCF’s social media, including taking pictures of the DGS Community Farm and its activities throughout the season.

Time Commitment and Compensation:

This is a full-time year-round salaried position. Compensation includes monthly stipends to be used towards the employee’s own health insurance plan and for home office use; total annual compensation in 2023 is $50,000. All staff receive a CSA share of farm produce valued at $650+. All SCF positions are currently field-based/home-office. The preferred candidate will be a self-starter who is able to effectively work independently. Requests for time off are coordinated among staff schedules and the needs of the organization. Farm managers typically work more during the season (March - November) and less over the winter, and are strongly encouraged to take their vacation in the off-season (December - February). In addition to 15 days paid vacation, the SCF office is closed December 24-31 and staff also have flexible holidays (12 days).

Compensation

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

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline