New Roots Farm Coordinator

Job Description

IRC Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, regain control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC in Salt Lake City opened in 1994 and provides resettlement services to newly arrived refugees as well as over twenty different programs to educate and empower refugees.

Job Overview: New Roots in Salt Lake City (New Roots SLC) is an innovative agriculture and food access program that provides opportunities for refugees to garden, start farm-based businesses, and access healthy, local, culturally appropriate produce. The New Roots Farm Coordinator will build the capacity of the New Roots Farm Training Program, through development and delivery of farmer training, acquisition of resources, and management of physical resources, staff, and volunteers. The New Roots Farm Coordinator is directly responsible for routine management of New Roots farm sites, including the oversight of physical resources, infrastructure, land management, and the facilitation of resource access for farmers. The Farm Coordinator will support farmer-participants with their production goals related to all retail markets and outlets, including farmers markets, schools, grocers, restaurants, and a robust Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and provide technical assistance and training on organic and sustainable agricultural production, small scale production techniques. The New Roots Farm Coordinator will provide oversight of the Youth, Agriculture, Livestock, and Leadership (Y’ALL) programming, including program planning for youth cohorts, and coordination of project activities and partnerships. This position reports to the New Roots Program Manager.

Major Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Infrastructure Development and Maintenance

- Manage farming equipment and vehicles, including tractor, implements, tools, irrigation systems, wash station, and post-harvest handling equipment, including arranging for upkeep, purchasing and replacement of tools and equipment as needed, and tracking inventory. - Manage soil fertility and conduct regular soil testing; support New Roots farmers in implementation of organic and sustainable farming systems including composting, cover cropping, crop rotations etc. - Oversee day-to-day tracking and maintenance of food safety infrastructure and systems and adhere to farm and food safety plans and GAP compliance. - Collaborate in land development and preparation including soil remediation, amendments, infrastructure development and installation, and farm layout planning.

Farmer Training and Technical Assistance

- Provide tailored training and technical assistance to New Roots farmers on organic and sustainable agricultural production topics including: farm planning, crop planning, seed starting, and composting, soil fertility, soil testing, soil amendments, and crop rotations; provide regular workshops and one-to-one training and technical assistance for Farm Training Program adult and youth participants. - Oversee implementation of curriculum and training materials for Y’ALL including organic and sustainable agricultural production and food justice topics. - Collect and maintain relevant participant and production data based on program evaluation plans. - Build and maintain relationships with strategic community partners and agricultural service providers who can provide additional assistance to New Roots farmers.

- Represent New Roots in the larger community including planning and executing individual and group volunteer events.

Additional Responsibilities

- Supervises Farm Specialist position(s), as well as recruiting and managing AmeriCorps members, interns, and volunteers to support programming. - Support New Roots SLC team through collaboration and participation in various New Roots SLC events and projects, including seasonal farmers markets, produce deliveries, and community gardening activities. - Participate in program meetings, weekly staff meetings, staff development activities and national skills building trainings, calls, and communities of practice, while fully engaging as a member of the team; - Work with New Roots Program Manager in fund raising, development activities, and resource acquisition of in-kind and monetary donations; contribute to grant reporting and proposal development. - Maintain professionalism, customer service, and uphold the IRC Way, the IRC’s code of conduct. - Support general office logistics, such as office support and front desk, as applicable and feasible; - Comply with all policies, procedures, and protocols of the organization; - Other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Education: Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience in Agronomy, Business, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Business, or related field preferred.

Work Experience:

- Minimum of 3 years of agriculture related work experience. Diversified vegetable and sustainable/organic production experienced preferred.

Demonstrated Skills & Competencies:

- Strong organizational skills including multi-tasking, prioritizing, planning, and effective time management. - Motivated, flexible and able to work efficiently and independently. - Demonstrated ability to promote an organizational culture that reflects IRC’s core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality. Ability to lead in a way that recognizes that IRC’s work is best accomplished through the true collaboration of individuals from many cultures with a great variety of skills and perspectives. - Ability to safely operate small farm equipment including vehicles, small tractors (under 80 HP), tractor implements, and small equipment (tillers, mowers, trimmers, saws, and similar equipment) - Previous experience supervising staff. - Fluency in written and spoken English, with bilingual ability preferred. Ability to communicate with limited-English speakers and demonstrated multicultural experience. - Valid driver’s license, active insurance policy, and access to reliable personal transportation.

Working Environment:

- Standard office work environment along with travel in and around the service delivery area. - Flexible to work Saturdays and some weekday evenings throughout market season, as needed. - Ability to safely lift 50lbs.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement****: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity****: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer****: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

#LI-GR1

Qualifications