Job description

Experienced Farmers with an interest in urban farming, who want to be in the forefront of developing and testing urban farms as viable businesses for local food production, who like the challenge of applying and adapting rural farm skills and techniques for high-yield food production; and who are interested in being part of a team that develops ways to scale viable forms of urban farming, locally and nationally, are encouraged to apply.  

Project EATS is an innovative, social-enterprise farm program that works with communities to develop full-functioning neighborhood-based farms and farm businesses.  Operating since 2009, Project EATS has launched and oversees the operation of ten farms in eight communities in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx.  Farms range from 1,300 sq feet to over an acre in size. 

In 2013, Project EATS plans to launch additional sites in and outside the city. Currently, Project EATS has four Site Farmers on staff.  Food grown by Project EATS is sold to residents in neighborhoods where its farms are located and to local restaurants and grocers.  They are also used to produce health, body, and food products that are sold locally. 

Promoting healthy soils through composting and is central to our approach to urban farming. Partnerships with community organizations and residents are key to Project EATS’ ability to secure and develop the community resources necessary to launch and operate the farms.  We train and employ high school students and residents as seasonal farm apprentices and assistant farmers. 

We share techniques systems with community growers to maximize yields in their backyards and community gardens.  In 2013 Project EATS will pilot a farm to kitchen to compost apprentice program in partnership with a transitional housing and job placement facility where one of our sites is located.  Project EATS is the primary program of Active Citizen Project (ACP), a non-profit organization.

About the Job  
We are looking for an experienced farmer that can adapt their rural farming experience to an urban environment and use his/her skills to help develop a production farm model that links of nutritious food with healthy land and self-sufficient communities.  This farmer will be responsible for the creation of an annual crop plan and oversee the execution of the plan by Site Farmers and make sure they maintain accurate, up to date records of crops harvested and sold.   The Farm Manager must be comfortable working with diverse groups of people. At Project EATs we work with people who live in temporary shelters, high school students, recent immigrants and long-term community residents, homeowners and renters, former farmers in their homelands and community gardeners. 

Responsibilities include:  

• Managing greenhouse and propagation schedule for farm crops and plant sales;
• Develop a system-wide crop plan with site farmers that includes plans for management of crops and pest pressure;
• Coordinate bi-weekly harvests for crop sales to community, restaurants, and grocers;
• Farm with organic and sustainable farming practices to enhance biological activity in the soil and promote healthy urban ecosystems;
• Maintain detailed records of inputs, harvests, and sales from the farm;
• Ordering and purchasing farm supplies throughout the season (seeds, packaging, soil amendments, compost and row cover) for each of the farm sites;
• Manage site farmers on track to maintain crop plan and stay a step ahead of pest and disease pressure.
• Provide input and help train farm apprentices with Site Farmers  

Qualifications

• 3 - 5 years farming experience on an organic vegetable farm
• Experience with greenhouse propagation and drip irrigation;
• 2 years of farm market sales and management experience;
• Basic carpentry skills and use of farm tools and equipment
• Has a passion for growing good food and is creative problem solver
• Communication skills and ability to work with diverse groups of people.
• Valid Driver’s License  

A Plus

• Experience in growing and developing value added products
• Experience managing orchard and fruit operation
• Experience in operating and repairing tractors

Start Date:  February 2013
Benefits:  Health Insurance and paid holidays

Compensation

this position is:

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline