Company description

ABOUT PROJECT EATS

Founded in 2009 by artist Linda Goode Bryant, Project EATS (PE) is a living installation of art, food, and human ties.

PE works to create community-based food value chains, consisting of small-plot, high yield farms; raw and prepared food: agricultural products; distributors; retail outlets; and waste reduction methods to increase access and consumption of locally grown, healthy, affordable food in communities with limited access to locally grown fresh, healthy, high quality food in New York City and beyond.

Through partnerships, creativity, collaboration, and innovation, PE seeks to support, strengthen, and extend the human ties and economies of small communities and their ability to shape the conditions they need to live healthy lives and thrive where they live.

OUR STRATEGY

PE is a non-profit social enterprise that joins with residents and stakeholders to use the resources they have, to create what they need.

PROJECT EATS VALUES

We are currently in a phase of transitioning from a small start-up to a more established organization, growing our senior management and program teams, conducting strategic planning, analyzing programs, introducing more prepared food, and implementing new farming methods and technologies. With this growth, our goal is to create a strong organizational culture for our team, which translates to clear mission communication. Candidates should share a belief in and commitment to PE’s essential values:

• Imagination: Project EATS is rooted in uncovering possibilities - in soil and in communities. Our team is seeing the big picture.
• Creativity: We are built on the fundamental belief that all humans are artists with the ability to translate what we imagine into something we can perceive. Our team explores our work, goals, and relationships from all angles.
• Resourcefulness: We believe that we can create what we need from what we have. Our goal is to create programs and infrastructure to serve communities to the fullest.
• Determination: Turning a “can’t” into a “can” is key to PE. Our team will keep going until our goals are reached.
• Strategic Problem-Solving: We do more than check tasks off a list. Our team is going deeper to ensure our work is meeting PE’s purpose, goals, and intent.

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to our Soil Farm Manager, the Fulltime Seasonal Farmer will use high-yield farming methods to support and establish financially viable small plot farms in New York City. The farmer will work competently and efficiently to ensure we produce the amount of marketable crop yields we project each year. They will also support a skilled and dedicated team of farm volunteers and resident workforce farmers, and participate in community farm activities that strengthen resident ties to, as well as use and support of, their community-based farms.

Farm locations include:

• Belmont, The Bronx
• Randall’s Island
• East Harlem
• Lower East Side
• Brownsville, Brooklyn

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Greenhouse propagation
• Field operations, including, but not limited to:
  • hand transplanting and direct sowing
  • hand weeding and cultivation
  • general crop maintenance and bed preparation and rotation
  • pest management
  • harvesting and processing vegetables

• Grounds and infrastructure maintenance, including irrigation oversight and equipment maintenance
• Delivery of crops to PE sales locations and customers (limited but may be needed on occasion)
• Data entry and reporting, specifically for harvest
• Engage community and customers at PE’s sales locations as needed, as a farm facilitator in workforce development workshops, and as a guest farm specialist in community program activities.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you may be asked and expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your supervisor.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Mission and Culture Alignment
• Daily Farm Operations
• Time and Quality Management
• Community Engagement

GOALS OF ROLE

• Work with the Farm Manager and other farmers to effectively carry out and achieve the goals of PE’s 2024 farm operations plan to sustainably grow food at each farm that meets the standards and KPIs set for crop yields, quality, and crop loss.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often only apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. As no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply if you feel that much of the following matches your experience:

• Two or more seasons of soil vegetable farming; rooftop, orchard/fruit and hydroponic farming experience is a plus
• Knowledge and experience using small farming tools and techniques
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently up to 50-60 hours a week during the height of the summer growing season
• Effective and comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions
• Ability to stand for long periods of time (up to 10 hours)
• Ability to lift or move heavy items, up to 50 pounds
• Comfort and experience working with large and diverse groups of people
• A valid driver’s license, experience and comfort operating a commercial van in NYC

COMPENSATION

• $20/hour

LOCATION

Seasonal farmers will work at our various sites during the season.

Typical hours are 8am-4pm. Frequent travel between farms/communities is also required. The season will run from April-November.

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at Project EATS where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

May 20, 2024