Farm and Food Education Program Coordinator- North East Community Center, Millerton, NY

Description:
This job entails organizing activities for and supervising a team of 8-10 youth interns ages 14-20 in an 8-week summer work program through our job training program, the Community Partnership with Businesses and Schools. The program coordinator, with help from the assistant, will design and implement a schedule of work and work related activities that will enable participating youth, to learn about local farming and food, and enable them to work at area farms, the Webutuck School Garden, and the Millerton Farmer’s Market. Weekly educational field trips are planned throughout the summer to places like The Sylvia Center, Hawthorne Valley Farm, Sproutcreek, Queens County Farm Museum, Camphill Village, and other local farms in the Hudson Valley area.

Through this program, which is funded by Dutchess County, student interns are paid $9/hour, and learn a wide variety of work skills – interpersonal skills, work ethic, teamwork, as well as about the importance of farming to our local economy, and the benefits of locally grown food. They also give back to the community: the produce they grow and harvest in the School Garden is used in our Summer Lunch Box program which provides meals to low-income children. The program coordinator provides leadership, guidance and support for the students to learn these important work skills and develop their knowledge about farming and food.

This program also has the opportunity to incorporate food justice activities and advocacy and coordinate efforts with our Fresh Food Pantry, which distributes local produce, eggs, and milk to area food pantries in the northeastern part of Dutchess County.

Our teens also love to cook, make pesto, jam, herbal soaps, and there is opportunity to develop the program so that it reflects the interests of our youth participants. This is a good job for someone who loves working with teens and who loves to farm.

The program coordinator will:
• Develop and implement a plan of activities for a group of 8-10 high school age youth to engage them in learning about farming, food production, gardening, and marketing.
• Be responsible for leading the group, scheduling activities and intern (student) hours, tracking intern and program staff hours, tracking program expenses, organizing projects and keeping track of any other information, such as outcomes, as funders may require.
• Supervise the Farm and Food program assistant.
• Collaborate with the Millerton Farmer’s Market Manager in the management of the interns’ booth at the market, including tracking and reordering of inventory.
• Provide interns with transportation to and from home for work assignments. Program staff is required to provide interns with the transportation they need to successfully complete their scheduled work hours.

The Assistant will support the coordinator and participate in all the above activities.

Qualifications:
Experience and knowledge of farming and added-value farm products; hands-on gardening or sustainable farming experience; experience creating and running programs for teenagers, drivers license, ability to lift a 50 pound box, walk up and down stairs, and do physical labor outdoors in various kinds of weather. The Coordinator must be 25 years old in order to qualify for insurance coverage to drive our 15-passenger van. The assistant must also have a valid driver’s license.

Compensation: Both positions are for approximately 35 hours a week for 8 weeks, usually Tuesday through Saturday.

To apply: call 518-592-1399 or email resume/cover letter to betsey@neccmillerton.org