Field of Greens Farm Manager, Food For Free
Field of Greens Farm Manager (seasonal and part-time)
Food For Free is seeking a farm manager for the 2018 growing season! Field of Greens is a program of Food For Free where staff and volunteers grow and harvest organic vegetables for distribution to agencies and programs who serve low income populations. Field of Greens takes place on 1/4 acre of land, at Lindentree farm in Lincoln, MA. The land, seeds, and equipment used are all donated each year by farmer Ari Kurtz.
The farm manager works approximately 5 hours per week with volunteers from April/May through October/November to grow a variety of vegetables using organic methods. Food harvested will be distributed weekly to the Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter for men and women in Boston, for their 2000 meals per day, as well as be used in their restaurant training program for shelter guests. Please see some press from previous years’ partnership with Pine Street Inn:
We are looking to deepen and expand this amazing farm to shelter program and need an enthusiastic farmer with an interest in connecting farming with our most at risk populations.
Volunteers are a critical part of successfully producing vegetables at Field of Greens as they put in hundreds of hours of time each season.
The farm manager must be available to work on the farm from 8 – 12:30 every Wednesday during the season with some email interaction with volunteers between working days.
The farm manager is responsible for working with their Food For Free supervisor and farmer Ari Kurtz to plan the season’s crop and seeding schedule. Once transplanting or direct seeding begins, managers will recruit volunteers each week to help with the farm work. The manager should feel comfortable training the volunteers both on the purpose of their work as well as the technical specifics of farming. Food For Free has an active list of existing volunteers but the manager is encouraged to reach out to grow the base list. In past seasons, there have typically been 3 to 6 volunteers each week, with an occasional larger corporate or other group. The manager will track volunteers and their time, the weight of food harvested, details about the growing season, and more – all of which will be documented in a written report at the end of the season.
Skills needed:
Crop planning
Farm experience
Volunteer management
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work independently
Have deep respect for working another farmers land
Applicants must have their own transportation to and from the farm and must be willing to come to Cambridge at least twice during the year to meet other staff and see the main operation. Managers are invited to volunteer on our pick-up/delivery trucks at any point, should they wish to see how our core food rescue operations work.
$15/hr approximately 5 hrs per week (Wednesdays) from April/May to October/November
To apply, send resume and cover letter to: Fiona Crimmins fiona@foodforfree.org. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
About Food For Free
Since 1981, Cambridge based Food For Free, has responded to local hunger by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to local emergency food systems such as food pantries, youth programs, shelters and more. As one of the nation’s first and oldest food rescue programs, Food For Free, a local nonprofit, feeds more than 25,000 families annually in Greater Boston and beyond. In 2015, Food For Free rescued more than 1.7 million pounds of fresh, healthy food, which translated into over 1.3 million meals. Through a combination of food rescue, farming, and transportation programs, Food For Free’s year-round services give people access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which are typically lacking from the diets of low-income individuals and families.
Since 1981, Cambridge based Food For Free, has responded to local hunger by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to local emergency food systems such as food pantries, youth programs, shelters and more. As one of the nation’s first and oldest food rescue programs, Food For Free, a local nonprofit, feeds more than 25,000 families annually in Greater Boston and beyond. In 2015, Food For Free rescued more than 1.7 million pounds of fresh, healthy food, which translated into over 1.3 million meals. Through a combination of food rescue, farming, and transportation programs, Food For Free’s year-round services give people access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which are typically lacking from the diets of low-income individuals and families.
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