Marion Polk Food Share’s mission is to bring people together to end hunger and its root causes.

We distribute nutritious food for individuals and families to more than 100 local partners, including food pantries and meal sites, and deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors and adults with disabilities. We operate a 6-acre urban youth farm and support a network of over 50 community gardens that connect people and their food and mobilize community members to address systemic issues that lead to hunger. Thousands of local volunteers, advocates and donors bring our mission to life every day.

Marion Polk Food share is seeking a Farm and Garden Education Coordinator to support operations of the Youth Farm and Community Garden programs for 32 hours per week. 

As the Farm and Garden Education Coordinator you will educate and empower teens and adults to increase community food security through coordinating community-based, urban farming and gardening activities. This includes:

Youth Education: 

• Builds relationships with local schools, community organizations and other partners to promote youth programs, recruit youth into Food Share programming and foster strong collaborations.
• Develops and coordinates meaningful educational opportunities for program participants, visitors, and volunteers at the Youth Farm.
• Develops and delivers engaging workshops and empowering work experiences that involve teens in sustainable agriculture and community food security work and encourages active participation, critical thinking and problem solving. 
• Collaborates with staff to develop educational content that recognizes and celebrates the diverse experiences of youth participants from historically marginalized groups.
• Provides mentorship, social-emotional support and other learning supports to guide youth self-development. 
• Orients and supervises youth volunteer groups year-round to safely assist with farm work and understand the mission and goals of the farm.
• Assesses the effectiveness of educational programs through regular evaluation and feedback collection. 

Farm Operations:

• Supports staff, youth farmers, interns, and volunteers in all aspects of small-scale vegetable production at the 6-acre urban youth farm. 
• Supports and supervises youth farmers and volunteers as they plant, tend, and harvest more than 20,000 pounds of fresh produce.
• Supports and supervises youth farmers in harvesting, washing and packing operations to benefit Farm Share Rx distributions.
• Assist in maintenance of farm facilities and equipment year-round.

Community Garden Network:

• Builds relationships and maintains communication with garden coordinators in the Food Share’s Community Garden network.
• Onboards new garden coordinators and provides annual training to empower grassroots leadership, facilitate the sharing of ideas and encourage community-led solutions. 
• Evaluates and responds to garden needs and supplies resources, such as seeds, plants, hardscape, volunteers, and educational resources. Distributes resources equitably according to program priorities.
• Responds to community inquiries regarding access to local community gardens. 
• Collects, maintains, and analyzes community garden program data. 

More on Compensation: 

The Food Share provides all employees with the following benefits: 

• Competitive pay 
• 12 paid holidays each year 
• Earned vacation and sick leave 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• 401K retirement contributions 

Employees working more than 30 hours per week, such as the one in this position, are also eligible to receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes: 

• Contributions towards Medical, Vision and Dental Insurance for employee and dependents 
• Employer paid Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D Insurance