New Roots Farm Assistant

Description

Requisition ID: req39984

Job Title: New Roots Farm Assistant

Sector: Program Administration

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Part-Time

Compensation: USD 24.00 - 25.00 Hourly

Location: Seattle, WA USA

Job Description

IRC Background: The mission of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC has a presence in over 40 countries and 27 offices in the United States; the IRC leads the way from harm to home. IRC opened an office in Seattle in 1976 and provides a continuum of services including intensive case management, employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, health and wellness programming, and education support to refugee and immigrant families in Washington State. IRC Seattle is committed to providing trauma-informed, equitable, and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

Job Overview:

IRC Seattle’s New Roots program addresses food and land access for refugee, immigrant, and low-income communities in South King County through community and market gardening, food systems education, and small farm business development. IRC New Roots manages 3.5 acres on 25 acres of farmland in the Kent Valley, sharing land, resources and infrastructure with other organizations and independent farmers. IRC New Roots also manages 5 community garden and market garden sites throughout South King County. The Farm Assistant will primarily be helping maintain IRC's farm, working with the participants farming on IRC’s plot, and will occasionally assist at the garden sites as needed. We are looking for a highly motivated, resourceful, and skilled Farm Assistant that will work directly with farmers and assist with day-to-day activities including irrigation, pest and disease management, harvesting and washing of produce, providing technical assistance to farmers and data input. The Farm Assistant will also work in coordination with other New Roots team members to help farmers meet harvest, pickup and delivery deadlines.

This position requires full-time in-field work and may require occasional evening or weekend hours to be worked. The position reports to the New Roots Farm Coordinator.

Major Responsibilities:

• Assist farmers in maintaining crops such as planting, irrigating, pest and disease control, and weeding.
• Conduct quality control checks on the produce.
• Communicate and coordinate with other New Roots team members on farm pickup and delivery days, helping farmers wash, bunch, and pack produce as needed to meet deadlines
• Provide technical assistance to farmers, including sharing sustainable farming techniques.
• Input data and maintain records of farm activities.
• Assist with outreach activities to attend workshops and trainings
• Maintain the farm’s infrastructure, including high tunnel, wash and pack station, storage, and equipment.
• Learn about the SOPs for using the farm’s shared spaces and IRC’s own infrastructure, and help ensure farmers are using the equipment and infrastructure accordingly
• Manage IRC’s farm plot, including monitoring soil health, planting cover crops mulching
  
  

Additional Responsibilities

Work and coordinate with interns, and volunteers to support programming.

Support New Roots team through collaboration and participation in various New Roots events and projects, including seasonal farmers markets, produce deliveries, and community gardening activities.

Job Requirements:

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional and/or lived experience
• Experience working with pre-literate and non-native English speakers and adult learners.
• Knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices, community gardens, and small-scale farm business basics
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to multi-task effectively
• Must be able to work in various weather conditions, including rain, heat and cold temperatures.
• Able to work collaboratively with various team members, program participants, and external partners.
• Data collection and reporting experience preferred
• English proficiency, both spoken and written. Bilingual ability in one of the predominant languages (Kinyarwanda, Burmese, Swahili, Nepali) of the local refugee communities is desired.
• Access to reliable transportation to travel throughout the service delivery area of South King County.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: New Roots Farm Coordinator

Indirect Reporting: New Roots Program Manager

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: New Roots team members, other IRC Seattle program teams

External: King County Department of Natural Resources, Highline College Sustainable Agriculture Program, Living Well Kent, Wakulima

Working Environment:

• In field work at the farm, gardens and market sites, and sometimes remote
• Requires typical physical demands for farm labor, such as walking, standing, reaching, climbing, stooping, squatting, and occasionally lifting up to 50lbs
• May require occasional weekend and /or evening work

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for this position.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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