Description
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
It is an exciting time at the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) as we continue to undertake our mission. We know that creating long-term solutions to food security requires more than meals. It requires education, training, and collaboration. We are seeking people with strong ideas and a passion to come together to address the complex interrelated issues of food security, poverty, and equity. We are expanding in multiple ways: providing food for today and addressing the root causes of hunger by partnering with organizations that provide critical services like job training programs, health care and education. Food has the power to transform lives and move everyone forward. Find out how on our website at capitalareafoodbank.org. Let us discuss how food is at the center of everyone's healthy life!
Description
The Food Growing Education Specialist maintains, executes, and develops educational programming for the CAFB’s food growing spaces, including its Urban Demonstration Garden. The Urban Demonstration Garden is an on-site, half-acre, hands-on educational space that helps build knowledge around wellness, nutrition, and food growing for the food bank’s partners, clients, and the general public. The garden spaces (indoor and outdoor) and Urban Food Studio are used in tandem to show how to grow food in an urban setting, highlighting low-cost gardening techniques.
The Food Growing Education Specialist is responsible for managing all food-growing activities, including the gardening education curriculum, garden maintenance and planning, the garden volunteer program, and any associated grants. The Specialist serves as the primary organizational representative for food growing internally and externally but has opportunities to contribute more broadly to the food bank as a member of the Nutrition Education Department.
Essential Functions
Manage and execute all garden maintenance operations of CAFB’s garden spaces (60%):
Grow, harvest, distribute fresh produce from the garden through food growing, nutrition education, and CAFB programming
Responsible for all day-to-day and seasonal garden and outdoor kitchen operations, planning and schedules. This includes seed starting, crop rotation, pest management, garden-related construction/repairs, mulching, soil amendments, weeding, etc.
Responsible for all garden expenses and budget tracking, including funding for partner support and utilizing grants
Manage food growing and nutrition education interns for garden assistance and program support
Implement food waste diversion practices and sustainable gardening, practicing waste reduction through composting and educational programming
Direct individual volunteers and volunteer groups efficiently for operational support; lead multiple shifts of volunteers weekly during growing season (April-Nov)
Identify and organize day-to-day and seasonal and long-term volunteer opportunities
Coordination across CAFB to host staff, volunteers, students, donors, partners, and other groups of interest in garden and outdoor kitchen space
Develop and implement all food growing educational programming and resource support to grow food in an urban setting and expand garden opportunities (40%)
Assist with development and implementation of nutrition-based garden education & food preparation field trips for students, K-12 and college level visits
Design and provide educational workshops, open to public & targeted for specific groups such a food pantry partners, at CAFB, at partner sites upon request for services, in-person and virtually
Program evaluation, tracking, reporting, and research on best practices for nutrition-based garden education in line with CAFB mission
Provide support for partner gardens: consultation visits, education, coordination and distribution of resources such as seeds, seed packets, nutrition education and garden education
Identify and support new garden programming opportunities for CAFB, including at the new NOVA site, write project estimates and proposals
Collaborate across departments to provide and expand opportunities for garden engagement in line with broader CAFB mission: Volunteers, Operations, CLC, Marketing, Fundraising Development, NOVA, and more
Initiate and strengthen professional, beneficial relationships with local gardens, non-profits, clubs, agricultural organizations, schools, contractors and vendors, donors, partner organizations, and groups of interest
Participate in local garden and nutrition events on and off site, presenting internally and externally to different groups of interest
Assist with performance data review (financial, grant, and activity reports) to monitor and measure productivity, goal progress, and activity levels
Data entry (when necessary)
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s Degree
Minimum of three years’ experience growing organic fruits and vegetables or one year experience independently managing a large urban farm or garden. This includes planning, succession planting, pest management, harvesting and healthy soil management.
Experience developing evidenced-based educational programming and education for various populations
Experience working with underserved community members with diverse backgrounds as well as school-aged children
Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills
Experience and competency with various data management systems
Mastery of Microsoft Office programs
COMPETENCIES
Ability to independently manage an organic produce farm.
Experience constructing and maintaining garden facilities, including raised beds and drip irrigation.
Working knowledge and experience using power tools including but not limited to power drills, circular saws; competent in basic carpentry skills in order to build, maintain or fix garden features
Experience teaching and creating educational materials.
Experience and expertise in managing volunteers/volunteer groups and/or interns.
Excellent interpersonal communication and leadership skills – ability to interact with food assistance organizations, clients, volunteers, and donors of all ages, from all walks of life.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Comfortable speaking in front of groups, including school-aged children.
Ability to work independently while also engaging in collaborative, team-based work.
Highly adaptable and creative.
Excellent time management and organizational skills, ability to prioritize and set boundaries.
Physical ability to do heavy outdoor labor in all weather conditions.
Ability to drive to different sites throughout the DC, Maryland, Virginia regions.
Detail-orientated with ability to perform basic data analysis.
Project management experience, including budgeting and evaluation, preferred.
Bilingual (Spanish), preferred.
Physical Requirements
Ability to lift/carry 30 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position’s main office will be the DC office in NE, Washington DC
This position requires the ability to work outdoors in all seasons.
This position may require occasional Saturday work.
Ability to travel to our Lorton VA office and partner sites throughout the DMV
There may be opportunity for some hybrid work, dependent upon the demands of the garden.
Reporting
Senior Nutrition Education Manager
Schedule
Normal working hours are 9am to 5pm Monday - Friday; Saturdays as needed.
Compensation
Compensation is $60,000 to $67,000 /annually
Note
Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
We Offer
Competitive compensation and benefits * free onsite parking and complimentary shuttle to metro * professional development, growth, and volunteer opportunities * fun work in a diverse environment
Eoe Statement
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
