Company description

Thoreau College is a small, innovative educational non-profit organization rooted in the beautiful Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin. As our core mission, Thoreau College offers holistic residential higher education programs for small groups of young adults, modeling a form of “higher education for the whole human being” that we describe as a “microcollege.” Our offerings, which include semester-long gap year programs, year long fellowships and residencies, and shorter focused programs lasting several weeks, all incorporate a mixture of academics, manual labor, community self-governance, art, and experiences in nature.

All of our programs are small, with between 5 and 15 students. Students generally split their days between academic classes, which can include everything from local history, to comparative religion, and hands-on labor sessions spent gardening, working on the facilities, volunteering, or learning folk crafts. Each semester, students also participate in camping and canoeing expeditions as well as solos where they spend several contemplative days alone in nature. The Driftless Region, where Thoreau College is located, is a hub of small-scale organic agriculture, with a strong network of co-ops, local art, and civic organizations. Students participate in many field trips often learning from local farmers, craftspeople, and community leaders. School activities take place throughout the small town of Viroqua (population roughly 4500)- with students living together in residential houses in town, eating lunch and taking academic classes in a local community center (the Commons/Arkadia) and learning agriculture at a 10 acre farm on the edge of town, which Thoreau College operates. This farm includes livestock, a vineyard and extensive gardens.

As part of its curriculum, Thoreau College operates a small farm with livestock and a vineyard and extensive gardens, with smaller household gardens and chicken coops present at student houses in town. In 2025 Thoreau College began offering college credits for our summer and gap semester programs through a partnership with Prescott College. In the summer of 2025 we began serving as a host for students from Stanford University participating in the People, Politics, and Place Fellowship, a program of the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, as well as students from Oberlin College participating in their Internship+ summer program.

Thoreau College is inspired by the example of Deep Springs College, the life and works of Henry David Thoreau, the Scandinavian folk high schools, and the model of Waldorf education. As a leader in an emerging field of microcolleges and other small experiments in higher education, Thoreau College has created an interview podcast show called “Microcollege” and participates in several national and international educational associations, including Springboard, the League of Nunnian Schools, the Folk School Alliance, and the Gap Year Association.

Thoreau College was founded in 2015 and in 2021 merged with the Driftless Folk School, another local grassroots organization offering workshops in homesteading skills, folk arts and crafts, and nature skills for adults. This partnership enables sharing of instructors, facilities, and other resources, as well as opportunities for cross promotion of programs and events.

Job description

Thoreau College Food Coordinator Position

Thoreau College seeks a qualified and enthusiastic new staff member to serve as our “Captain of Nourishment.’ This part-time position plays a crucial role by planning and preparing nourishing, flavorful, seasonal, and locally-sourced weekday lunches for Thoreau College students and staff, working with students to plan and prepare other meals in their own residences, and working with other staff members to develop and offer hands-on lessons and curriculum focused on culinary skills, nutrition, food preservation, and meal planning. This is a perfect role for someone who loves food, education, and engaged community life.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The key roles and responsibilities of the Thoreau College Food Coordinator are as follows:

• Planning, provisioning, and preparing healthy, affordable, and ethically sourced weekday lunches for Thoreau College programs (Summer Field School Program, Metamorphosis Gap Semesters)
  Planning and provisioning healthy, affordable, and ethically sourced food for expeditions, solos, field trips, and special event meals - in collaboration with relevant Faculty and students
• Assessing and accommodating dietary needs and preferences
• Coordinating use and upkeep of kitchen and dining spaces with the Commons (Arkadia) or other institutional partners
• Working collaboratively with the Executive Director to create and revise food budgets for TC programs.
• Participating in course design and instruction in academic, culinary, and other topics, in coordination with Thoreau College Faculty
• Supporting Thoreau College students in planning, provisioning, and preparing meals within Thoreau College residential houses
• Coordinating student cooking, kitchen maintenance, and food preservation work with Labor Coordinator/Garden Manager(s), teaching and supervising as needed
• Participating in TC Faculty meetings and student mentorship and support structures

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Previous experience cooking and planning meals for 10-20 people with diverse dietary restrictions
• Ability to work within a budget and to take advantage of provided ingredients as they become available (food from Community Hunger Solutions, the Farm and Gardens, other donations).
• Flexibility and the ability to improvise using available resources
• Interest in cooking with locally sourced, seasonal, organic, ethical ingredients
• Possess knowledge of food preservation
• Enthusiasm for teaching while working
• Passion for working with young adults in a collaborative and creative way
• Possesses Wisconsin Food Manager certification, or is willing to become certified.

Time Commitment, Compensation, and Organizational Culture:

• Hours: Approximately 20 hrs/week; about 35 weeks per year
• Compensation: Salary - $1200/month (year round) ($14,400 annual salary)
• Participation in TC and DFS Programming (valued at $200/month)
• Surplus produce from TC farm and gardens when available

Thoreau College strives to cultivate a work environment that is meaning-centered, stimulating, joyous, collaborative, and humane. All staff members participate actively in decision making and we work to create a culture of peer mentorship, affirmation, and mutual support. The staff works together closely and flexibly to ensure that each member has the paid time off for illness, family, or vacation that they need to thrive.

Thoreau College/Driftless Folk School is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. Thoreau College/Driftless Folk School is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline