Urban Farm Manager

WellPower provides you with the support you need to help you develop a career in helping others succeed. We innovate, adapt, and leverage the diverse perspectives of the people on our team and the people we serve in everything we do.

WellPower values and is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to ending bias and discrimination in our community and ensuring equity within all aspects of our organization. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, transfer, or promotion opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

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Pay Range & Benefits

• $51,425 – $60,500

WellPower is committed to fair and equitable hiring with salaries based on relevant factors, such as work experience, education, and certification/licensure (rather than wage history). Toward the principle of equal pay for equal work, we post and hire within defined hiring salary ranges. We ask all applicants to carefully review the hiring salary range for each posted job opportunity, as we will not hire outside the predetermined range.

All full-time, benefits eligible employees will be eligible for WellPower’s benefits plan. For a full description of benefit offerings, please visit: https://wellpower.org/workplace-of-choice/.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Dahlia Market Farm Manager is responsible for the management and cultivation of a 1-acre Farm and all its programming at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being. With a lens toward food equity and social justice, food grown at the Dahlia Market Farm is distributed through Farmers markets, a food box program, donations to food pantries and other food distribution programs in the Park Hill community. Manager conducts educational programs – apprenticeships, internships, cooking demonstrations/classes, and workshops. Community engagement includes group and individual volunteer opportunities, field trips, farm tours, and various community events throughout the year. All Farm programming will be driven by collaboration with groups working at Dahlia Campus and with neighborhood organizations, leaders, and stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Farm Operations Management including:

1. Coordinate the planning, planting, irrigation, cultivating, and harvesting of vegetable/ culinary herb crops.
2. Composting of all farm, garden, greenhouse and some building food waste on-site.
3. Implement all aspects of physical operations of the farm including field plan, building of structures, maintenance of equipment, etc. Follow all requirements of the farm site Land Use Agreement with WellPower.
4. Manage farm operations-related purchases, follow purchasing protocol, and stay within the budget.
5. Provide accurate recordkeeping and reporting on farm outcomes.
6. Delegate tasks to Farm employees and supervise/mentor work of those who are in a learning capacity

• Farm Distribution Management including:

1. Coordinate farm distribution and communications with Greenhouse, Community Partners, and other entities.
2. Manage food distribution programs including Farmers Market, Food Boxes, Farm Stand, retail, and Donation programs.

• Farm Educational Program Management

1. Create and optimize Apprenticeship and Student Externship program to include:

• Skills and knowledge through assignments, discussion groups, hands-on-learning, field trips, community engagement, and curriculum assistance in a certificate program in Agroecology

1. Create and provide opportunities for community members to learn and share

• Volunteering (see below)
• Farm-related Workshops
• Nutrition Demos/classes
• Farm Volunteer Program Management

1. Create volunteer opportunities for individual and groups including WellPower corporate sponsors

• Supervise and coordinate all volunteers on site
• Coordinate with Development dept on Volunteer opportunities

1. Create drop-in Community Volunteer days geared towards NEPH neighbors

• Farm Operations Team Coordination and Support

1. Coordinate farm outreach and community partner communications with relevant team members
2. Ensure that Dahlia Market Farm is embodying WellPower’s Mission, Vision and Core Values.
3. Attend all Farm and Garden Partner meetings and relevant WellPower event planning meetings.
4. Maintain a trauma informed environment of wellbeing.
5. Participate in development and outreach efforts for programs and special events.
6. Facilitate communication and understanding of site programs, services, goals and values.
7. Participate in networking, fundraising, and other farm-relevant meetings, activities, and conferences
8. Provide opportunities for interacting with other WellPower departments including team-building service projects and at Farm events.

• Other duties, as assigned.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required. Bachelor’s in agriculture, agri-business, horticulture, and or biological sciences preferred.

EXPERIENCE: Minimum two (2) years of experience farming, horticulture, or community agriculture one (1) year soil farming internship, one (1) year apprenticeship community agriculture, and one (1) year farm management experience. Preferred experience managing volunteers and working with children (pre-k through 12), and people with disabilities. Working knowledge of SNAP/ DUFB procedures and reporting. Experience with sodic soil preferred.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Knowledge or ability to learn and practice trauma informed principles and practices.
• Knowledge of farming, horticulture, and irrigation and crop rotation techniques.
• Thorough knowledge of small-scale urban farming, organic practices, and soil science.
• Knowledge of mid-scale composting techniques.
• Able and eager to take initiative and follow through on tasks. Pragmatic and outcome-driven, yet positive and forward thinking.
• Highly organized, able to clearly communicate, able to successfully work with a wide variety of people.
• Culturally competent with knowledge of local food equity policies and issues.
• Ability to develop a sustainable and just local food system in partnership with community stakeholders and partners.
• Ability to give, receive and analyze information, formulate work plans, prepare written materials and articulate goals and action plans. Must be able to assess risk and challenges quickly and develop an effective response. Must understand people from all walks of life and be able to communicate effectively with them.
• CSA and Market Farming crop planning, marketing, and sales knowledge and experience
• Ability to mentor people (sometimes with little-to no farming experience) in a way that balances modern advances in science and technology with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom
• Ability to foster partnerships within the farming, neighborhood, and non-profit community to create mutually beneficial knowledge and skill-sharing

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Farm employees, (Assistant Farmer, Apprentice) Student Externs. Volunteer groups/individuals.

MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT TO BE USED: Farming equipment including, but not limited to: 2-wheel tractor, wheel-hoe, flame-weeder. Computers, printers, iPads, and other business equipment.

Typical Physical Demands: Ability to physically work within a variety of conditions (i.e. endurance to work long days, in diverse weather conditions), and requires frequent lifting of at least 75 pounds. Requires crouching, kneeling, standing, bending and reaching, ability to use farming equipment/tools.

Why else might you want to consider working at WellPower?

• Named Top Workplace – we have been named a Top Workplace by the Denver Post for Eleven consecutive years
• Champion Social Justice Causes – we are committed to ending anti-Black racism in our community
• 9 Paid Holidays – including Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and more
• Robust Benefits Package – our benefits start at 30 hours per week and include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and a retirement match
• Employee Resource Groups – our ERG’s offer a chance to connect, address workplace challenges and get support from individuals who share similar characteristics or life experiences
• Gainsharing – we offer a bonus to employees if the organization meets certain requirements for the year
• $52,000/year minimum wage for all employees – we believe that our employees should earn a livable wage conducive to the cost of living in Denver, Colorado
• Free Licensure Supervision – for LCSWs/LPCs/LMFTs
• Sports Leagues – we offer a variety of activities for our employees, including bowling, dragon boat racing, volleyball leagues, and more

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