March – November, 2022 (35-45 hours/week, includes some Saturday work)
About Shalom Farms
Shalom Farms is a nonprofit, food justice organization that seeks to build healthy communities by growing and sharing healthy food. On our two Certified Naturally Grown farms we work with thousands of volunteers from all backgrounds each year to produce more than 200,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables, which we distribute throughout the Richmond, VA, metro region through a variety of programs and partnerships.
About the Position
Shalom Farms is excited to announce the creation of a new position to assist with our Northside Farm volunteer and education program. The position reports directly to our Northside Farm Manager and will assist with the coordination and management of all volunteers in order to assure the completion of farm work. This position will also lead educational field trips for students and visitors that come to the farm to learn about topics related to agriculture. When not doing work related to volunteer management or education, this person will assist in general farm work as assigned. This is a seasonal (March-November 2022), full-time (approximately 40hr/week) position on Shalom’s Northside farm (located near the intersection of Westwood Ave. and Lamont St. in Richmond, VA, bus stop within four blocks.) The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable about sustainable agriculture techniques and able to confidently share this information with volunteers and visitors of all ages.
Primary Responsibilities
• Manage and work alongside individual volunteers and volunteer groups in completion of daily farm tasks
• Lead educational programming including farm tours and lessons for visitors of all ages
• Manage email communication and scheduling of volunteers and visiting groups
• Perform data entry pertaining to volunteer participation at the farm
• Help with implementation of evaluation of the volunteer experience at the farm
• Participate in general farm labor as assigned. Typical tasks include sowing, planting, harvesting, amending soil, washing/packing produce, and field preparation/maintenance
• Help with the general organization and maintenance of all farm equipment and outbuildings.
• Assist with overseeing interns and Farmers in Residence
Candidate Qualities
• Loves meeting and working with new people
• Excellent leadership skills
• Enjoys educating about food justice issues and sustainable agriculture
• Is comfortable with and enjoys working with children
• Possesses strong and polished interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
• Ability to multi-task in highly stressful situations
• Willingness to work hard in difficult weather conditions
• Detail oriented with excellent organizational skills.
• Comfortable performing office tasks and proficient with Microsoft Office
• Comfortable with public speaking
• Willingness to work in difficult weather conditions
• Ability to lift 50 pounds repeatedly
Preferred Qualifications
• A minimum of 1 year farming experience is required
• Bachelor’s degree or one or more years of professional/lived experience in education, public health, agriculture, social work and/or similar fields preferred
• Experience working with diverse groups, including ability to reach across racial, ethnic, generational, socioeconomic, rural/urban and religious lines
• Supervisory/management experience preferred
To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 professional references to info@shalomfarms.org.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning November 15, 2021, until the position is filled.
For more information, feel free to email, visit our website www.shalomfarms.org, or find us on Facebook and Instagram (@shalomfarms).
