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What's New in Michigan Organics Part 3:3

8.      The FARM Institute is Now Hiring a Production Garden Manager
Responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of the FARM Institute's WISP program and 3-acre production garden. This is a full-time  salaried position beginning immediately and ending in mid-October.   Production gardening experience necessary as is a desire to work with youth ages 11-14.  For more information visit www.farminstitute.org
Individuals interested in applying for this position should send an e-mail and a letter of intent to Executive Director, Matthew Goldfarb, or call 508-627-7007 x102.
What is WISP?
Work Income Sharing Project
Ages 11-15
The 3-acre production garden is the focal point for a program titled, "Work, Income-Sharing Project," WISP. This program incorporates a focused farm work project (market gardening) with educational initiatives (dignity of labor, marketing, sales, customer service, growing food, entrepreneurial process), and built in income sharing. The students that participate in the program during a given week receive a reimbursement payment at the end of the week relative to a percentage of produce sales from the farmers market in West Tisbury and restaurant sales.
Expanding TFI Food Production
Our goals in growing, selling, and redistributing food to the community are:
•       To create and enhance meaningful education opportunities inherent in a real farm system;
•       To feed families who understand the ecologic, economic, health, and moral benefits to locally produced food;
•       To increase our revenue base in supporting our mission;
•       To provide "food assistance" to families in need
WISP Manager Job Description
Title:  WISP Manager (Work Income Sharing Project)
Reports To:  Summer Program Director
Works With:  WISP lead teacher, WISP apprentices, other teacher farmers, farm hands, and volunteers
SUMMARY:  Responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of the FARM Institute's WISP program and 3acre  production garden.   
Hours of Work:  This is a full time salaried position beginning immediately ending October 15
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
FARM Institute Educational Programming
•       Create and implement WISP curriculum and program
•       Coordinate, train, assign and supervise WISP lead teacher, WISP apprentices and WISP volunteers.
•       Manage 3 Acre Production garden/ greenhouse operation 
•       Includes crop planning, seed and supply ordering, tillage, fertility, care, harvest and handling, irrigation, crop rotation.
•       Facilitate participation in West Tisbury Farmer's Market throughout growing season on Wednesdays and Saturdays
•       Manage sale, marketing and distribution of FARM Institute produce off site
•       Including restaurants, groceries and other markets
•       Collaborate with local educators, school programs, farmers and agricultural resources to facilitate rewarding hands on learning experiences
•       Collaborate with Summer Program Director to develop and implement short and long term educational objectives for WISP and\set budget requirements and production goals
9.      Michigan Land Use Institute Hiring for Entrepreneurial Agriculture Program, Northern MI.

The Michigan Land Use Institute is preparing to hire someone with great communication and organizing skills who wants to work on a major component of our Entrepreneurial Agriculture program as well as land use and sustainable development efforts in our primary service area—the 10 northwest Michigan counties between Manistee and Mackinac.

We’re looking for someone with proven skills as a journalist, commercial copywriter, or videographer who is also very good at networking, advocacy, and grassroots organizing.

The perfect candidate has a strong interest in our agricultural projects, particularly our Get Farming! initiative, as well as our overall Northwest Michigan program, which includes bringing Smart Growth principles to land use, development, transportation, natural resource protection, and energy issues at both the local and regional level.

Please pass this along to those you think might enjoy working for the Institute from our Traverse City office and who would be passionately committed to our cause.

There’s a more complete description of the job’s responsibilities and the background we’re looking for here: http://mlui.org/job.asp.

You can also check out the Institute's work at our main Web site: www.mlui.org and at www.LocalDifference.org, the home base of our regional food and farm efforts, which include local food marketing, the Get Farming! services for emerging farmers, and extensive farm-to-school work.








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