FarmStart is hiring – Farm Manager, Training and Resources Coordinator
Posted: September 9, 2009
Categories: News from Sustain Ontario
McVean Farm Manager
Position Description
Employer: FarmStart
Position Title: McVean Farm Manager
Position Type: full time from March- November, and part time planning in the winter
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Salary: $32,000 annually, plus benefits
Years Experience: 2
Posting Date: Monday, August 31, 2009
Closing Date: 4 PM Friday, September 25, 2009
Key Responsibilities/Tasks:
1) Manage set-up, development and maintenance of Brampton McVean farm facility:
-      Identify, evaluate, research and propose necessary infrastructure, equipment, coordination arrangements (for investments over $3000 should have 3 quotes or options) in coordination with Program Manager
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Purchase, install, set up, arrange for and manage set-up and maintain infrastructure and farm equipment on site; including, but not limited to:Â green houses, drip irrigation systems, fencing, tractors, tillers, harvest and post-harvest handling systems.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Contract and oversee custom tillage and harvest work on the site.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Perform land preparation, mowing seeding and other fieldwork required to manage and enhance the soil fertility and weed control on the farm.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Liaise with FarmStart partners and municipal authorities to ensure adherence to land tenure contracts and municipal by laws in coordination with Program Manager
2) New Farmer Communication and Coordination:
-      Communicate, maintain and meet clear expectations between farmers and FarmStart – re: rights and responsibilities, land management, equipment care, facility use, decision-making process and site development.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Regularly communicate with farmers on site.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Set up and maintain systems for equipment use, infrastructure sharing, site development and a collective facility management process.
-      Coordinate on-going services to new farmers – manage equipment and infrastructure, manage research plots and support the collective production and marketing processes of the farmers on site.
3) New Farmer Training and Mentorship:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Train new farmers in the safe operation and maintenance of farm equipment and infrastructure.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Provide on-site trouble shooting, mentorship and consultation for new farmers
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Provide pertinent resources for new farmers
4) Project Management, Planning and Evaluation:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Regularly communicate with Farm Start-Up Program Manager on tasks and priorities setting, workload, time worked etc. Track time in on-line Harvest system.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Work with Farm Start -Up Program Manager and Director to develop Facility budget and business planning. Contribute to fundraising and revenue generation with suggestions, estimates, evaluations and analysis.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Plan, arrange for or execute land management and site development in consultation with Farms Program Manager.
-      With Farms Program Manager, help to facilitate a process for farmer feedback, input and cooperation (e.g., regular farmer meetings, communication boards, cooperative and respectful culture…)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Promote positive relations between FarmStart new farmers and residents, businesses and other organizations in the vicinity of the Brampton and Ajax farm facilities.
Assets and Experience
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Farm business development, planning and evaluation experience
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Hands-on farm experience (small scale horticulture, field work and livestock knowledge an asset)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Tractor work, farm equipment use and maintenance skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Â General contracting skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Good interpersonal, cross-cultural and multi-lingual communication skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Budget and project management skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Drivers license
Email resume and cover letter in a single document (Word or PDF) to:
c/o Sridharan Sethuratnam
FarmStart-Up Program Manager, FarmStart
Training and Resources Coordinator
Position Description
Employer: FarmStart (position shared with Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario)
Position Title: Training and Resources Coordinator
Position Type: Full-time, 1 year contract with possibility of renewal
Location: Guelph, Ontario (home office possible)
Salary: $35,000-$38,000, plus benefits
Years Experience: 2
Posting Date: Monday, August 31, 2009
Closing Date: 4 PM Friday, September 25, 2009
Position Summary: This position is shared between FarmStart and the Ecological Farmers of Ontario aimed at enhancing the collaboration, sharing and coordinated development of ecological and organic production and innovative business planning education and resources across Ontario for prospective farmers, new farmers and transitioning/re-strategizing farmers. The Training and Resources Coordinator will also work to bridge English and French resources and programs in Ontario. The Training and Resources Coordinator will also collaborate closely with the Organic Council of Ontario, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Farm-ON Network partners and other provincial partners, as appropriate.
Accountability: The Employee in managed by FarmStart’s Farm Succession Program Manager. The Employee will consult with and report to collaborative partners.
Objectives:
To identify and work with information providers and education resource partners across the province to determine gaps, overlaps, opportunities for coordination in ecological production and business planning training and resources.
Respond to, initiate and work with experienced farmers to develop resources and courses where required, and catalyze coordination of resource development among partners.
Assess and develop the best way to offer innovative online resources, guides, publications, mentorship and networking forums for beginning, transitioning and expanding farmers.
Determine and develop optimal web resources and organizational information sharing strategies between regional, provincial and national partners, building upon EFAO’s strong model of farmer-to-farmer information sharing.
Coordinate the development and delivery of FarmStart’s Training and Resources and provide support to the FarmON Alliance.
Key Responsibilities/Tasks:
1) Develop the capacity and delivery of EFAO, OCO, college and university and other organic production knowledge transfer programs (1/4 time)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Strengthen existing and newly identified partnerships with organizations like the National Farmers Union, the Kawartha Heritage Conservancy, Organic Meadow, the Canadian Organic Growers (COG), Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens (UCFO) and other regional partners as well as with partners beyond the farming community, to make farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer programs on organic production and the transition to organic farming available and accessible across Ontario.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Work with the EFAO and the OCO to help deliver the organic production knowledge transfer programs and transition advisory services that are part of 2008-2011 Ontario Organic Strategic Plan.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Work with educational institutions such as Campus Alfred, Trent University, the University of Guelph as well as regional colleges such as Sir Sanford Fleming, Georgian College and others to encourage the development of necessary research, extension and degree opportunities in ecological agriculture.
2) Coordinate and support the development of CRAFT networks, mentorship programs and on-farm internship opportunities (1/4 time)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Provide support and coordination to the existing and developing Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farm Training networks across the province- i.e. in South Western Ontario, Kingston, Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Enhance the capacity of the EFAO mentorship program and develop new forms of mentorship programs working with the Junior Farmers Association of Ontario (JFAO) other general farm organization members.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Develop flexible internship and on-farm training opportunities tailored in particular to new Canadians and second career farmers.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Work with school boards, 4H and the JFAO and other rural youth organizations to develop strategies to engage rural youth in new forms of agriculture training and career track experience.
3) Coordinate business development training, workshops and resources for new, existing and transitioning /re-strategizing farmers (1/2 time)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Build on already established relationships between organizations serving new farmers such as the EFAO, FarmStart, Farmers Growing Farmers, Food Down the Road in Kingston, Just Food Ottawa, Local Food Sudbury and others to make farmer-to-farmer ecological production knowledge transfer programs available to their trainees, including immigrant farmers and new farmers; and to develop new resources and training programs on behalf of FarmStart and the EFAO.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Work with OMAFRA and OSCIA to deliver business development courses across the province aimed at new farmers.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Support the FarmON Alliance and build bridges and improve communication between established and emerging training and resource service providers, to enable effective use of farm business development resources by partner agencies and to facilitate improved access to these resources by new farmers.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Develop and coordinate training opportunities designed to meet the needs of farmers at different stages in their farming careers:
e.g., FOR ‘EXPLORERS’:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Discover Agriculture intro workshops
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Exploring the New Farm Dream – Intended for potential entrants to entrepreneurial agriculture. Its purpose is to help pre-venture, aspiring farmers to assess what it would take to start and mange their own commercial farm enterprise, and decide whether this is an appropriate career path for them.
FOR ‘PLANNERS’, ‘START Ups’ and ‘RESTRATEGIZERS’:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Growing Your Farm Profits, business development primer course in collaboration with OMAFRA and the OCSCIA
-      On-farm technical and practical skills workshops – Full day workshops designed to help new farmers build specific business management, production planning, marketing, and financial management skills.
Examples include: Building Soil Health to Build your Bottom Line, Creating a Managerial Accounting System that Works for You, Planning your Farm Enterprise with Excel.
Qualifications:
-Â Â Â Â Â Ecological agriculture experience
-Â Â Â Â Â Familiarity with broader farm community in Ontario
-Â Â Â Â Â Extensive computer proficiency (Microsoft Office, internet applications, etc.)
-Â Â Â Â Â Education delivery experience
-Â Â Â Â Â At least 2 years working as a project/program coordinator or manager
Skills and Abilities:
-Â Â Â Â Â Strong coordination and project management skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Experience with farmer-to-farmer education and engaged pedagogy
-Â Â Â Â Â Knowledge of and contacts within the organic and broader farm communities
-Â Â Â Â Â Ability to work independently and as a team
-Â Â Â Â Â Excellent written and oral communication skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Experience working or volunteering with non-profit organizations an asset
-     Relationship-building skills – both initiating new relationships and supporting established relationships
-Â Â Â Â Â Outreach and presentation skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Ability to see tasks through
-Â Â Â Â Â Ability to prioritize, set goals, handle multiple tasks
-Â Â Â Â Â Ability to think laterally and see opportunities
-Â Â Â Â Â Comfortable with on-line and telephone communications
-Â Â Â Â Â Comfortable working with farmer trainers and mentors
-Â Â Â Â Â Experience with accountability and evaluation procedures
-Â Â Â Â Â Strategic thinking and planning
-Â Â Â Â Â Budget management, business development and project administration
-Â Â Â Â Â Cross-cultural communication skills
-Â Â Â Â Â Understanding of provincial farm issues and key stakeholders an asset
-Â Â Â Â Â Knowledge of ecological, direct market and mid scale agriculture and emerging local and short food supply chain opportunities an asset
Job Requirements
-Â Â Â Â Â Willing to work some evening and weekend hours
-Â Â Â Â Â Provincial travel required (by car, train, etc.)
-     Access to a car and valid driver’s license
-Â Â Â Â Â If working from home, must be able to access high speed Internet and phone/fax
-Â Â Â Â Â If working from home, unpaid travel to the office in Guelph is required up to once per week
Email resume and cover letter in a single document (Word or PDF) to:
c/o Melissa Watkins
Farm Succession Program Manager, FarmStart
One response to “FarmStart is hiring – Farm Manager, Training and Resources Coordinator”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Such a usefule blog wow !!!!