New Roots Farm Coordinator

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 management of New Roots farm sites and will coordinate farmer-participant activities and participation pertaining to all retail markets and outlets, including farmers markets, schools, grocers, restaurants, and a robust Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The New Roots Farm Coordinator will provide oversight of youth agriculture, livestock, and leadership programming, including program planning for youth cohorts, and coordination of project activities and partnerships. The New Roots Farm Coordinator will oversee farmer technical assistance and training on organic and sustainable agricultural production, small scale production techniques, and agricultural production methods adapted for the semi-arid environment of northern Utah. The New Roots Farm Coordinator will be responsible for the oversight of physical resources, infrastructure, land management, and the facilitation of resource access for farmers. This position reports to the New Roots Program Manager.

Major Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Infrastructure Development and Maintenance

· Maintain farming equipment and vehicles, including tractor, implements, tools, irrigation systems, washing station, and post-harvest and 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 implementation of organic and sustainable farming systems including composting, cover cropping, etc.

· Implement farm and food safety plans and GAP compliance; and coordinate with farmers to implement harvesting and post-harvest handling activities, and oversee day-to-day tracking and maintenance of food safety infrastructure and systems.

· Collaborate in land development and preparation including soil remediation, infrastructure development and installation, and farm layout planning.

· Oversee any land that is being managed by New Roots and is not yet under production by New Roots Farmers (i.e., cover cropping fallow land in anticipation of agricultural production).

· Coordinate greenhouse production relationships, including contract and planning with USU horticultural classes and/or other partners.

Farmer Training and Technical Assistance

• Collaborate with New Roots team to oversee implementation of curriculum 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.

· Develop and oversee implementation of curriculum and training materials for youth agriculture curriculum including organic and sustainable agricultural production and food justice topics.

• Conduct regular field walks and crop walks with Farm Training Program participants.
• Collaborate with IRC SLC Microenterprise and Financial Literacy staff to offer business development training and technical assistance for Farm Training Program participants.

Program Monitoring

• Record farmers production data, including farm planting plans and harvest data for farmers market and retail sales.
• Keep accurate case files and participant records for all Farm Training Program adult and youth clients, monitor and record skill acquisition with New Roots farmers.

· Monitor soil fertility, including soil testing, addition of soil amendments, and tracking tillage and crop rotations.

· Coordinate with New Roots Program Manager to collect and maintain relevant data for New Roots grant and donor deliverables; contribute to grant writing and reporting requirements.

Community Relations and Resource Acquisition/Development

· Develop and maintain strong community partner relations, establish coordination meetings and conduct follow up as necessary.

· Represent New Roots in the larger community including attending outreach events, participating in media events, and planning and executing events and volunteer days.

· Work with New Roots Program Manager in fund raising, development activities, and resource acquisition of in-kind and monetary donations.

· Identify and supervise volunteers including groups and individuals.

· Liaise with partners including: Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation and Salt Lake City Office of Sustainability regarding land management.

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.

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:

• 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 and maintain small farm equipment including vehicles, small tractors (under 80 HP), tractor implements, and small equipment (tillers, mowers, trimmers, saws, and similar equipment)

· Strong organizational skills including: multi-tasking, prioritizing, planning, and effective time management.

· Previous experience supervising staff and managing program area implementation.

· Motivated, flexible and able to work efficiently and independently.

· 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.