Company description

At The Food Project, we believe that everyone has the right to fresh, healthy, affordable food. Our goal is to transform the food system into a more just, community-engaged model that supports food security for all while connecting diverse communities to each other and to the land.

Since our founding in 1991, The Food Project has grown into a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that works at the intersection of youth, food, and community. Young people are the driving force of The Food Project and work on our farms and with community members to realize the right to food that nourishes our communities and the planet we share.

Each year, we employ 140 teenagers in this vital work on 70 acres of urban and suburban farmland across eastern Massachusetts where they grow 200,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and use this food to enact innovative food system initiatives that increase access to fresh, healthy food for all.

We focus this work in the two communities we are most deeply connected to: Boston’s Dudley neighborhood and the City of Lynn.

Job description

What We Seek

We seek candidates for a new position, the Urban Agriculture Ambassador (UAA). This position will provide Dorchester gardeners of all backgrounds and ages, from beginners to experienced, with the support, knowledge, and skills they need in order to grow their own food. This programming is funded in part by a partnership with GrowBoston, The City of Boston's Office of Urban Agriculture, and will be one of four UAAs across the city.

This individual will collaborate closely with numerous members of our team, including the Director of Impacts and Initiatives, Boston Farms Manager, and Associate Director of Youth and Communities, fostering a strong team spirit.

The ideal candidate is a motivated individual with a passion for sustainable gardening and agriculture, community engagement, and youth development. A strong background in gardening or farming, organizational skills, effective communication abilities, and a commitment to fostering inclusive and supportive community environments are critical attributes for success in this role.

Responsibilities

Urban Agriculture Ambassador (63%)

Planning, planting, maintaining and closing gardens at a partner community site.
Weekly gardener drop-in hours at a partner community site and our Dudley Greenhouse
Conduct beginner, intermediate, or advanced gardener workshops at a partner site.
Provide 1:1 consultations to gardeners and provide hands-on assistance, and conduct follow-up visits to Build-a-Garden raised bed recipients.
Assist residents in conducting soil tests in their gardens
Develop a neighborhood-based urban agriculture network to connect residents & develop a garden mentor program.
Recruit participants for all UAA Programming.
Workshop and Curriculum Planning, with support from leadership staff, for the Urban Agriculture Ambassador program.
Participate in UAA meetings with GrowBoston and partner agencies.
Weekly check in meetings with supervisor and weekly training and support sessions with Food and Farms staff

Other Community and Youth Programming (27%)

Support community events at the Dudley Greenhouse, such as community tours, seedling sales, grower gatherings, and more.
General greenhouse maintenance and upkeep.
Facilitating Pollinators, a weekly series of urban gardening and youth development workshops for middle-school-aged youth at a partner site, in collaboration with The Food Project’s youth crews and staff.
Workshop and Curriculum Planning, with support from leadership staff, for the Pollinators program.
Potential to support our farmers' markets, farming operations and volunteer program, as needed and within capacity.
Participation in urban agricultural training, team meetings, and all-staff meetings.

Organizational Health (10%)

Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, Equity: Training, work, affinity group space, dialogue space.
Feedback Participation
All Staff Meetings
Supplemental Strategic Planning, Annual Planning, Budgets
Support Recruitment, Onboarding, Orientation, Training
Health & Wellness
Perform other duties as needed, within capacity.

Qualifications

Must embrace TFP’s mission, goals, and commitment to food justice.
Committed to helping to foster an environment of equity and belonging.
Committed to contributing to an organizational culture of learning and wellbeing.
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills in English.

Required Skills

2+ years of experience in gardening or farming
2+ years of experience in delivering classes or workshops
Experience leading groups safely and productively, working in multicultural community settings
Enthusiasm for working with teenagers
Proficiency in Google Workspace or equivalent (Microsoft Office Suite, Apple iWork, etc)
Willing to receive training in additional software systems (Slack, Salesfroce, Asana, etc)
21+ years of age with a valid driver’s license, clean driving record (required for use of TFP vehicles), and willingness to drive a 15-passenger van, cargo van, and/or pickup truck in the city.
CPR and First Aid certified or willing to be trained
Able to pass a CORI/SORI background check
Team-oriented with a good sense of humor; able to work collaboratively and independently.

Preferred skills

Prior experience working with teenage youth
2 years of project management experience (first-hand involvement in initiating, planning, executing, controlling and monitoring a project)
Proficient language skills in Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole or Vietnamese
Preferred Resident of Roxbury, Dorchester or Mattapan.

Don't have every qualification? We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization. If you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. We anticipate supporting your professional development.

Location & Schedule

The schedule will vary between a Tuesday-Saturday and Monday-Friday work week depending on the season. Saturday availability is required.

This position is primarily in-person, with limited potential for remote work. There will be an expectation of in-person working hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and at least one additional day, to be determined seasonally based on the direct service schedule. The additional days of the week have some flexibility for remote work, using a laptop provided by TFP. In-person work days are subject to change.

The position will be based in our Boston office at 555 Dudley Street, with hands-on work taking place on our urban farms, greenhouse and partner garden sites. Travel to individual home gardens will also be required.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $48,000.00 - $62,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

May 05, 2025