Food For Free is seeking a farm manager for the 2018 growing season! Field
of Greens <http://www.foodforfree.org/field-of-greens-program> is a
program of Food For Free <http://www.foodforfree.org/> 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
<http://www.foodforfree.org/?page_id=29>, farming
<http://www.foodforfree.org/?page_id=33>, 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.