Company description

Gaining Ground is a 3 acre non-profit, no-till, organic farm in Concord, MA that grows produce for 17 hunger relief organizations with the help of community volunteers. We donate 100% of the food we grow. In the 2022 growing season we grew over 115,000 pounds of produce, supplying more than 2,000 food-insecure households each week in the Greater Boston region. We welcomed over 3,000 volunteers of all ages and abilities to the farm this past season.

Gaining Ground uses farming practices centered around ecosystem health. We strive to farm alongside nature and to encourage biological diversity below and above the soil. The farm has been recognized for bio-intensive farming practices and has been part of no-till studies led by NOFA, MDAR and USDA/NRCS, testing the soil health and nutrients of our produce.

Our grassroots organization thrives on hard-working, committed, friendly individuals who support our mission with enthusiasm and a sense of humor and who are eager to work alongside volunteers in support of our hunger-relief mission.

Job description

Gaining Ground is looking for an exceptional candidate to fill the newly-created role of Director of Agriculture (start date: Fall 2023). The Director of Agriculture will possess significant experience with and knowledge of no-till, organic vegetable production; a demonstrated aptitude in managing a team of farmers and engaging with more than 3,000 annual volunteers; a positive, strategic mindset; and a healthy, self-motivated work ethic. This position requires a passionate commitment to hunger relief and equitable access to nutritious food.

The Director of Agriculture reports to the Executive Director, supervising a team of full-time, year-round staff (including Farm Managers) and seasonal staff across all farm sites. The Director is responsible for ensuring our commitment to food equity and human-centered, regenerative agriculture supported by no-till agriculture and volunteer engagement. The Director oversees all farm expansion projects, infrastructure development, and execution of strategic plan goals within Agriculture and Farming. The Director is responsible for building robust farming systems and a skilled team of growers across all farm sites within the budget. This position collaborates with a wide range of colleagues and partners to realize organizational agricultural goals and Gaining Ground’s strategic plan targets.

Core Roles include:

Farm Site Management/Oversight:

• Create a plan to bring our newly-licensed 5.1 acre field at the Minute Man National Park into production using our no-till, volunteer-driven system.
• Manage all aspects of our farm operations, including staff oversight, long and short-term operational planning and forecasting, stewardship of annual operating budgets, and ongoing reporting and evaluation.
• Responsible for the long-term success and sustainability of our farm sites.
• Create efficiencies across all farm sites throughout the organization (ex. bulk purchasing, farm planning, farmer training)
• Responsible for working with all farm managers to improve production, volunteer engagement, the ecological footprint of each farm, and commitment to no-till farming practices.

Supervision:

• Supervise and support the Farm Managers to meet the farm’s financial, production, volunteer, and programmatic demands while protecting soil fertility and staff wellbeing.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to all farm staff.
• Provide expertise and guidance in farming, supervision, and management to farm staff.

Budget and Program Oversight:

• Oversee all agriculture budgets.
• Responsible for the timely completion of regular farm-related and budget variance reports.
• Build out annual program plans with staff and ensure goals are being met, making adjustments when needed.

Strategy Implementation:

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to develop and execute long-range expansion and program plans.
• Work towards the organizational goal of expanding food production by looking at ways to increase production at our current sites, and by evaluating potential new farm sites.
• Start up new farm sites from vision to reality – facilitating and implementing all phases of new site design and start-up.
• Build out a program to train more farmers in regenerative, no-till agriculture methods.

Organizational Leadership:

• Attend all core organizational meetings as an advocate for agricultural priorities and as an advisor for organizational growth.
• Represent Gaining Ground at events.

Qualifications: The position requires a strategic, energetic, and highly motivated farm management professional with a proven track record in successfully managing a public-facing farm. Top candidates will have:

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, including a proven track record of working in a cooperative team environment that requires a high level of planning and organization.
• Ability to work well with a variety of community members. In addition, the experience and desire to work with and teach new farm crew members and volunteers.
• A calm, grounded presence, and the ability to manage setbacks.
• Ability to see the big picture and manage multiple priorities without getting overwhelmed.
• A solutions-focused outlook and growth mindset.
• Deep humility, a good sense of humor, and a willingness to learn.
• Enthusiasm for Gaining Ground’s strategic goals.
• Commitment to equitable food access.
• Prior success driving the goals of a public-facing farm, including 5+ years of farm management experience.
• No-Till farming experience is required.
• Experience managing multiple farm sites.
• Farm start-up experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience managing agricultural operations and experience with general property/natural resource stewardship.
• Demonstrated supervisory and budget management experience.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, as well as strength in oral and written communications and the management of multiple tasks.
• An understanding of the local, regional, and national food system, and knowledge of Massachusetts agricultural and food systems-related stakeholders.
• A willingness and ability to work outdoors in all types of weather, under potentially strenuous conditions.
• A desire to produce food of the highest nutritional and ecological quality and to continue to learn and grow as a person and farmer.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

– Ability to use a large tractor and BCS

– Ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds

– Cell phone communication

– Because our organization is located in an area without access to reliable public transportation, we only recommend that applicants with dependable access to a vehicle apply. In addition, reliable transportation is needed to travel between farm sites in the Director of Agriculture role.

TIME REQUIREMENTS:

During the growing season, a typical workweek is 50-60 hours/week; in the off-season, the typical workweek is 25-30 hours/week. THESE ARE ESTIMATES. Some evenings & weekends are required during the growing season and for special events.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

This position will provide a competitive salary based on the market and the applicant’s experience, among other factors.

• Heath care stipend, paid vacation & sick time.

• Personal & professional development opportunities in consultation with the executive director.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $50,000.00 - $100,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

December 30, 2023