Farm Co-Coordinator

(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities

Compensation: $55,000

Under the guidance of the Assistant Farm Director, the Farm Co-Coordinators are responsible for leading operations at our two farm sites: the 1.1 acre Red Hook Houses/Wolcott Street Farm, located in the Red Hook Houses West NYC Housing Authority development, and the 2.75 acre Columbia Street Farm, located on NYC Parks Department land. The Coordinators will together execute seasonal crop plans, manage weekly produce distributions, host volunteer sessions, ensure overall site maintenance, and support public programs on the farms. 

They will also lead adult volunteers as well as supervise high school-aged farm apprentices as they engage in a variety of farm tasks. Emails, data entry (planting logs, harvest tallies, volunteer numbers) and related office work will also be required on a weekly basis. While some tasks and responsibilities will remain shared between the Co-Coordinators, others duties will be delegated to an individual Coordinator to hold. The Co-Coordinators work together with the Assistant Director to maintain the farm sites as vibrant, productive, and collaborative community spaces; their collective duties are broken down below:

Responsibilities/Duties

PROGRAMMATIC DUTIES

  • Liaise with Assistant Farm Director to develop weekly work plan;
  • Develop crop plan including seeding/planting/harvesting schedules;
  • Meet production goals to supply produce for weekly distributions: farm stands, FoodRx, and CSA;
  • Organize harvest, set up/breakdown, and staffing for weekly farm stands, on and off site;
  • Serve as mentor and supervisor to teen farm apprentices during regular work sessions;
  • Supervise 3-5 seasonal staff and/or interns; including regular check-ins for feedback and planning;
  • Manage Garden Club activities including signing up members, running Orientations, being present for weekly independent work times, answering questions ad hoc, planning seedlings, planning and leading educational workshops, and organizing seasonal gatherings;
  • Participate in outreach activities to promote programming, including regular attendance at Red Hook Houses Tenant Association meetings as well as other local meetings;
  • Coordinate with Farm Education Coordinators to plan meaningful tasks and projects for youth farmers to complete during work sessions.

SITE DUTIES

  • Manage various infrastructure that require daily care including: greenhouse; chicken coop, caterpillar tunnels, sheds, and semi-permanent tents;
  • Set up and maintain irrigation systems, execute weekly irrigation schedule;
  • Safely operate and maintain machinery including BCS tractor and string trimmer;
  • Manage and maintain compost systems;
  • Ensure maintenance (mowing, trash removal) of perimeter as well as interior of the farm sites.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

  • Maintain records for crop yield, distribution, and volunteer attendance;
  • Support site visits from funders, elected officials, peer programs, and others;
  • Collaborate on special events such as fundraisers, festivals, art days, wellness fairs, etc;
  • In off-season (winter) participate in planning, infrastructure maintenance, and take vacations (bulk of vacation time should be taken in winter);
  • Participate in staff meetings, social media outreach, and strategic planning for the organization as a whole;
  • May be assigned other duties and responsibilities as determined by the Assistant Director.

COMPETENCIES

  • Commitment to social justice;
  • Ability to work collaboratively with those from various racial, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds;
  • Organized, detail-oriented, sets strong example for volunteers and youth;
  • Comfortable using Microsoft suite and Google Drive;
  • Outgoing, personable, able to effectively engage with community members;
  • Flexible, entrepreneurial with an ability to succeed with modest infrastructure;
  • Able to lift up to 50 pounds;
  • Carpentry and other building skills;
  • Able to work early evenings plus a Tuesday-Saturday schedule March-November;
  • Valid driver's license and willingness to drive a cargo van.

Qualifications/Requirements

  • 2-3 years in intensive, small-scale, high-yield vegetable production;
  • Demonstrated experience working with both youth and adults;
  • Expertise in organic vegetable growing methods, as well as soil and compost management best practices;
  • Experience in the safe operation and maintenance of farm tools and machinery;
  • Seed propagation, irrigation, succession planting, and season extension experience;
  • Ability to follow an annual crop plan and maintain farm records;
  • Exposure to anti-oppression trainings and inquiry-based education;
  • Experience in the operation of farm stands or markets;
  • Proficiency in spoken Spanish and/or Mandarin preferred;
  • Familiarity with Red Hook community as well as NYC urban agriculture community.


*Employment data show that women and people from underrepresented groups apply to jobs only if they think they meet 100% of the criteria. If you meet many but not all the criteria and feel you may be a good fit for the role, we encourage you to apply.

WORKING CONDITIONS (ENVIRONMENT) & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

  • The work environment for this position is outdoors. The Farm Co-Coordinator must be able to work in inclement weather.
  • Tuesday-Saturday schedule from March-November, as well as early evenings some days of the week.
  • While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of the job the employee will be required to operate farm equipment such as mowers and weed wackers, as well as a computer and other office equipment.
  • This job is based on-site at Red Hook Farms in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The ideal candidate will either be a resident of Red Hook or one of its neighboring communities or will be within reasonable commuting distance to Red Hook Farms.

Additional Information

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
RHI strives to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our core values and commitment to our employees. The annual salary for this position is: $55,000. Additionally, RHI provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, an employee assistance program (EAP), a 403b retirement plan, flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health, and dependent and commuter expenses, life insurance, and 24 PTO days. This is full-time (40 hours/week), non-exempt position.

TO APPLY
Please log on to the RHI career portal to apply for this position. Be prepared to upload 1) your cover letter, 2) resume and 3) names and contact information for two references. Note: applications submitted with no cover letter are rarely considered.

COMMITMENT TO DEI & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
RHI actively engages individuals from all backgrounds and is committed to embracing diversity across all areas and aspects of the organization. We firmly believe that an atmosphere of civility and mutual respect towards individual differences and embracing an inclusive and equitable environment is indispensable to building a successful organization, contributing to a positive and meaningful employment experience for staff, and advancing the best possible outcomes for the clients served by RHI's programs. We are also committed to community hiring and supporting the job prospects of Red Hook residents.

As an equal opportunity employer, RHI is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, or any other characteristic or basis prohibited by applicable law.

Contact Information

Red Hook Farms - a project of Red Hook Initiative
Website: Apply Online