Description
Organization Information
GrowNYC is a 53-year-old environmental nonprofit organization - helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life.
Our Programs:
- Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of Wholesale ensures that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
- We blanket the five boroughs with resources like textile and food scrap collection, Stop 'N' Swaps, as well as free training to make waste reduction easy for all.
- We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more.
- We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment.
Note to applicants on COVID safety: Note to applicants on COVID safety: GrowNYC is committed to stopping the spread of Covid-19. All new hires are encouraged to take the COVID vaccine (as defined by the CDC) and if you have received the vaccine, we kindly ask you to submit proof to our HR department within 30 days of hire. Employees may be required to follow COVID safety protocols as the situation evolves, which may include daily health screenings, mask wearing, and other mitigation measures as deemed necessary by local conditions, mandates, and applicable guidelines.
Farm Coordinator: Full Time
Position Summary
GrowNYC is seeking an enthusiastic individual with strong experience in garden-based education to join our Teaching Garden team. Reporting to the Program Manager, the Farm Coordinator will be responsible for maintaining the Governors Island Teaching Garden and helping to deliver the Teaching Garden’s school and public programming. Applicants should have experience in urban agriculture, sustainability, environmental education, and be comfortable working outdoors in all conditions and with people of all ages and abilities. The successful candidate will be a capable self-starter, willing and excited to grow existing initiatives, develop new ideas, and expand the Teaching Garden’s offerings.
Requirements
Farm Coordinator Responsibilities (Including but are not limited to):
Farm Maintenance
- Perform all daily farm-related tasks including planting, pruning, weeding, mulching, trellising, harvesting, irrigating, and general maintenance.
- Lead the development and implementation of the crop plan.
- Track farm operations and data, including planting schedule, germination rate, plant growth, harvest log, compost production, and soil nutrient management.
- Assist with training and supervising Garden Educators for weekly programing, curriculum implementation, and garden maintenance.
- Coordinate daily site prep each morning and site clean-up/breakdown each afternoon.
- Assist with scheduling, management, and training of individual garden volunteers, and co-lead weekly corporate volunteer events in the Teaching Garden, (activities include bed building, watering, weeding, garden maintenance, and painting)
- Coordinate weekly produce donations (seasonally) with our donation partner.
- Coordinate produce sales at the on-site farm stand and with restaurant accounts.
- Restock farm materials and supplies and track expenses.
- Oversee relationships with external partners who share garden space with the Teaching Garden per the parameters of the partnership
Education
- Develop and implement creative grade-level lesson plans, activities, and recipes for school field trips.
- Lead regular hands-on garden-based lessons for visiting K-12 NYC public school students, campers, and senior citizens.
- Design and create toolkits or guides documenting Teaching Garden features (i.e. our crop plans or Aquaponics system) so that school and community gardens citywide can recreate in their home communities.
- Lead and participate in professional development and workshop opportunities for teachers and other organizations as needed.
- Partner with other GrowNYC educational initiatives on programming and outreach.
Required Qualifications
- Small farm production experience, preferably at an organic or chemical free vegetable farm.
- Experience teaching youth and/or adults in a farm, garden, or other non-formal education setting.
- Interest and familiarity with issues relating to sustainable agriculture, local food, and environmental education.
- Team player who can also self-motivate and work independently.
- Strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills.
- Experience supervising staff and/or volunteers.
- Experience working with diverse communities.
- Willingness to work outdoors in extreme conditions (heat, cold, rain).
Ideal Qualifications
- Ability to work weekends on an occasional basis.
- Passionate about farming and local agriculture.
- Passionate about environmental and/or garden education.
- Fluency in a language other than English.
- Experience with hydroponics or aquaponics (preferred).
Physical Requirements
This position requires the ability to stand and walk for up to 8 hours in all types of weather conditions (sometimes extreme) and lift heavy/bulky equipment and supplies, up to 50 lbs.
Schedule
This position is full-time (35-40 hours), Monday - Friday. Occasional weekend work may be required. The start date for this position is March 1st, 2024.
Compensation
The position is a non-exempt and full time role and the salary ranges from 50K-53K per year and includes benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, incentive savings plan, paid time off, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and potential for parental leave for full-time regular employees who have been employed with GrowNYC for 175 days and FSA programs). This position is union eligible.
Location
Work will be performed at the Teaching Garden on Governors Island, our office, located in Manhattan, as well as GrowNYC programming sites citywide, and occasional remote work.
Applications
Qualified candidates for the Farm Coordinator position should submit a cover letter, resume, and references.
Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please.
Application deadline is February 29, 2024.
Contact
GrowNYC
P.O. Box 2327
New York, NY 10272
212-788-7900
For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.