Farm Educator I at Growing Home Inc.

This position entails day-to-day farm and site maintenance harvesting andprocessing of produce daily training of all Production Assistants (participants inour transitional job program) and record keeping/farm data entry. The FarmEducator I reports to the Director of Urban Farms. All farm site workflows andwork with Production Assistants are additionally managed and supervised by theFarm and Program Coordinator.Growing Home operates USDA-certified organic farms that produce 35000pounds of vegetables and herbs annually. We use our farms as a platform for our12- week job training program serving up to 80 individuals facing barriers toemployment on an annual basis and as a source for affordable healthy produce inthe Englewood neighborhood.RESPONSIBILITIESFarm Production:Bed preparation transplant production transplanting direct seedingCultivation of planted beds irrigating weeding fertilizing trellisingthinning pruningHarvesting processing and packing produceProduct deliveries and supply runs as neededMaintaining quality sanitation and freshness standardsRecord keeping and farm data entry supportBasic carpentry and repair work; examples include irrigation line installation and repair fabricating trellises repairing raised bedsAssist with food distribution and farmers markets and Growing Home events which includes some weekendsTreat all customers respectfully and courteouslyTake part in a weekend watering rotation during spring months (split among staff)Assist with snow removal in the winter and other general site maintenance tasks to keep the farm as a presentable educational spaceOther duties as assignedProduction Assistant Training:Provides direction to Production Assistant working groups (crews of up to10 PAs) during morning and afternoon work periods with assistance from more experienced Farm Team membersTake responsibility for group work performance and outcomes of work crews under their directionConduct farm-skills training for Production Assistants and consistently review skills as needed in the fieldEnsure that Production Assistants are courteous and helpful to all those on-site immediately addressing and correcting problemsModel and demonstrate excellent communication skills with other staff and participants especially under challenging conditionsCommunicate any notable issues and/or successes to supervisors as neededWhen needed transport Growing Home Production Assistants using a company vehicleParticipate in program-related activities such as workflow meetings; staff and departmental meetingsOther duties as assignedQualifications:At least one season of farming experience organic preferredAt least one year removed from Growing Homes employment training programExperience working on a teamAbility to connect with a variety of audiencesPositive attitudeGreat communicatorDetail-oriented dependable and punctualAttention to quality controlValid Illinois Drivers License strongly preferredAdditional Info:Growing Home offers competitive compensation packages based on experience.All compensation packages include health insurance coverage and generousvacation benefits.All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to racecolor creed national origin sex age disability marital status sexual orientationgender identity military status current employment status or prior record ofarrest or conviction.Required Experience:Junior IC Key Skills Early Childhood Education,Algebra,Classroom Experience,Lesson Planning,Special Education,Adult Education,Special Needs,Calculus,Teaching,Geometry,Experience with Children,Public Speaking Employment Type : Full-Time Experience: years Vacancy: 1