Company description

The FARM Institute, located on the historic Katama Farm on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, provides year-round, farm-based educational programs. Programs focus on farming, sustainability, nutrition, and land stewardship. We care for this land alongside three other island farms. Slough Farm maintains our educational garden and raises their pigs and “flerd” (flock of sheep and herd of cows) here, while Morning Glory and Grey Barn are actively farming Katama Farm.

We pride ourselves on offering quality and locally focused year-round cooking and skill-based classes in our teaching kitchen for our year-round and visiting communities alike. Summer classes include bread making, ice cream and pasta workshops, and making meals with local chefs where participants harvest from the garden and enjoy the food they have created during a shared dinner experience. Our summer camp engages 4-13 year olds in daily farm activities strengthening their connection to the food we eat and the land that sustains us. Afternoon cooking classes using foods harvested from our educational Friendship Garden are a favorite camp activity.

Job description

The Culinary and Garden Instructor runs three cooking classes for campers every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoon during the nine weeks of summer camp (June 24–August 23). Weekly classes are designed around local produce availability. Planning with garden and camp staff, leading the classes, and set-up and clean-up are all part of a busy camp day.

In addition to camp, this position assists in public programs in July and August, including leading twice weekly family ice cream making workshops, assisting with cooking classes for family and adult classes led by guest chefs 2-3 evenings a week, assisting with 2-3 large farm dinners. We seek applicants who have the willingness and ability to lead their own cooking classes.

As this position is heavily focused on utilizing fresh garden produce, 6-10 hours a week is spent caring for our ½ acre educational Friendship Garden.

Someone who is excited to:

• Develop curriculum for cooking with campers and lead afternoon classes
• Act as program lead for adult and family cooking classes with guest chefs
• Plan and shop for cooking class supplies
• Assist the garden manager to build personal working knowledge through hands-on garden tasks
• Working with the TFI Engagement Manager to design programming at The Farm Institute including farm dinners, festivals, cooking classes, and more
• Function as garden ambassador to those in cooking classes, campers, and the general public
• Administrative responsibilities including promotion and participant communications
• Welcome and orient visitors and work towards a positive experience for everyone visiting The Farm Institute
• Assist in building The Farm Institute brand by documenting programs and creating social media content
• Assist with other operations as needed basis, including set up and break down at events

Qualifications:

• Availability in May for preparations and garden and kitchen training
• Full-time availability June 10–August 23 for camp staff training and all weeks of camp
• Evening and weekend availability for classes and special events
• Obtained or working towards Bachelor's degree within a focus area of Environmental Science, Early Childhood Education, Education, Sustainable Agriculture, Nutrition, Culinary or similar is preferred
• Experience working with children in an educational, outdoor, garden, and/or kitchen setting
• Excellent organization and communication skills with the creativity and experience to execute programs
• Outgoing and friendly
• Knowledge of sustainable agriculture, natural history, locally grown foods or food systems
• Ability to manage large groups in a positive and efficient manner
• Ability to work without direct supervision

Additional Requirements:

• Transportation to and from the farm daily
• Satisfactory criminal background check (CORI and SORI)
• CPR and Basic First Aid certifications required by June 1st, 2024 (provided, if needed)
• ServSafe Certification and allergen certificate required
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required
• Must be 18 years old by the start of camp

Please upload a resume summarizing your education and work history, a cover letter telling us a little about yourself, and a statement of purpose describing your philosophy of education and your interest in working at The FARM Institute. Applications will not be reviewed without these supporting documents. This position will fulfill internship credits for relevant majors.

We kindly request that you do not call to inquire about the status of your application. Those candidates chosen for interviews will be contacted.

NOTE: For those applying from off the island, please note that we do not have staff housing available. Since rental properties on the island can be difficult to come by in summer, TFI staff acts as liaisons to aid in locating and securing summer rentals. However, securing housing is ultimately the responsibility of the employee.

The Trustees:

The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) enjoy and care for more than 120 special places - roughly 47,000 acres - all around Massachusetts. We are the oldest land conservation organization in the U.S. and the largest in the state. The centerpiece of the Trustees mission is to protect places of ecological, scenic, and historic importance. Since 1891, The Trustees has been on the ground in communities across Massachusetts, working to protect special places, providing loving care of our reservations, building creative new programs to engage people, and sharing our expertise with neighbors and partners. Our seasonal staff plays an integral role in ensuring that our summer visitors enjoy our extraordinary places and programs.

About Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity at The Trustees

Our commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity (DBIE) is deeply grounded in our mission to protect and share Massachusetts’ iconic places for everyone, forever. Together, we carry forth this belief by seeking to create inclusive spaces of belonging for Trustees staff, members, volunteers, and communities across the organization and our properties. We acknowledge that creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome will be a learning journey for the organization and for all of us as individuals.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline