*The MSU Student Organic Farm is excited to hire a Beginning Farmer
Education Program Manager. See job description below (also attached).
Looking to hire May 2015. Please share with your networks. *
*Beginning Farmer Education Program Manager*
*Job Posting*
The MSU Student Organic Farm (SOF) is hiring a *Beginning Farmer Education
Program Manager. *The position is three-quarters time (30 hrs/wk) and is
part of a recently awarded USDA grant titled “Michigan’s Emerging Farmers –
Strategies and Tools to Enhance Success,” a collaboration among the MSU
SOF, Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS), and the MSU Center for
Regional Food Systems (CRFS). The *Beginning Farmer Education Program
Manager *will work closely with and report to the SOF Organic Farmer
Training Program Director and work closely with the MIFFS and CRFS members
of the project team. This position has secure funding through November 2017.
The overall goal of the grant is to increase new farm success in Michigan
by developing networks and resources for land and capital access while
providing increased access to education and training. Project-supported
resources will be adapted as appropriate for specific groups of beginning
farmers with differing needs and perspectives in an attempt to help all of
them move toward business viability.
The goal for the SOF-led portion of the grant is to increase access to
beginning farmer training across Michigan through co-development and
delivery of hands-on workshops and educational materials. Project strategy
encompasses three sites:
- The MSU Student Organic Farm, with an eight year history of beginning
farmer training and focus on generalized statewide beginning farmers;
- Farmers on the Move, already established as a Hispanic farmer
cooperative in need of training development in a variety of areas as well
as site development; and
- Women in Agriculture, a newly-developed site for women focused on
cooperative farming.
The project focuses on developing site and people-appropriate training
programs that both utilize the lessons learned in previous trainings in
Michigan and ensure that they are useful and engaging for the particular
audiences intended at the three sites.
*Area of Work*
This position will be the program manager for all trainings and workshops.
This will include:
- Co-development of workshop topics, content, materials, and timing with
representatives of project audiences.
- Workshop delivery
- Coordination of workshop logistics including presenters, promotion,
site, materials, and execution
- Educational content delivery in collaboration with farmer
co-presenters
- Co-development (with project evaluator) and facilitation of
workshop evaluations
- Advising and reviewing business plans required for Women in Ag and
Farmers on the Move stipend recipients
- Development of educational tools and materials to help beginning
farmers achieve economic viability and scale up production and sales as
needed for use both in workshops and as standalone tools
- Administrative tasks as needed associated with the project
*Special Requirements*
- The successful applicant must be available for evening and weekend
work in order to accommodate farmers’ schedules
- This position requires both a high level of autonomy and
self-direction as well as an ability to collaborate and work with others.
The project manager will work with the managers of the Land Access and the
Capital Access components of the grant to provide input as necessary and to
make resources related to land and capital available to participants in the
training programs.
*Qualifications*
- Highly organized and a self-starter
- Strong written and oral communications skills (especially with project
audiences)
- Digital media skills, including Microsoft Office suite, knowledge and
use of social media sites, and an ability to navigate and update web
content on the program’s web page
- Experience with vegetable production, preferably year-round in cold
climates
- Teaching skills and experience
- Farm and farm business management experience
- Demonstrated success in program development and project management in
a highly collaborative environment
*Preferred*
- Educational program management experience
- Knowledge of Michigan’s food and farming landscape and systems
- Experience with training and technical assistance for adults
- Grant project management experience
- Experience with audiences where English is a second language;
cross-cultural experience similarly helpful
- Spanish speaker
- Commitment to leading the project for the entire duration of the grant
*To Apply*
To apply, send resume and cover letter to [log in to unmask] Please put
*Beginning* *Farmer Education Program Manager* in the e-mail subject line.
- The position will remain open until filled. Interviews will begin in
April 2015.
- Ideal start date is May 2015. Occasional evening and weekend work will
occur in order to accommodate farmers’ schedules
- Extension of the position beyond the grant may be possible based on
availability of funding
- Expansion of the position to 40 hours per week with additional
non-grant responsibilities may also become possible
- Salary Range: $18-21 per hour, commensurate with experience
- Benefits: Healthcare coverage
*Michigan State University is committed to the principles of equal
opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action. University
programs, activities and facilities are available to all without regard to
race, color, gender, religion, national origin, political persuasion,
sexual orientation, marital status, disability, height, weight, veteran
status, age or familial status. The University is an Affirmative Action,
Equal Opportunity Employer.*
If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar
http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html
