JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s work environment is fast paced and collaborative. We value creative thinking, approach our work with energetic spirit, and strive to have fun together while we’re at it!
Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic Youth Culinary Education AmeriCorps VISTA member with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational communication skills to build capacity for Farm Fresh RI’s Harvest Kitchen program. Harvest Kitchen is a 15-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth involved with the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF). Our youth trainees create a line of high-quality preserved foods using ingredients sourced from local farms, while building a stable foundation to maintain employment beyond their time with Harvest Kitchen. This position offers a unique opportunity to support existing trainees through curriculum enhancement and evaluation, develop partnerships with local social service agencies, and assist Harvest Kitchen program staff in referring and supporting youth trainees to additional programs beyond the Harvest Kitchen program. This position starts 8/19/2019. Deadline to apply is 7/12/2019.
Primary Responsibilities
- Refine existing Harvest Kitchen training curriculum to deepen activities around food security, farming, and community economic development .
- Refine existing trainee tracking and program performance measurement systems.
- Research current and past Harvest Kitchen internship partners to identify relationship status.
- Streamline internal Harvest Kitchen internship referral process.
- Cultivate relationships with potential new internship sites.
- Seek opportunities for collaboration between Harvest Kitchen trainees and outside organization programs and services.
Required Skills
- Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal)
- Great attention to detail
- Self starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
- Excellent time-management skills
- Ability to think, react, iterate, and redirect in a fast-paced environment
- Proficient with Microsoft Office suite
- Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
- Ability to lift 50 lb.
- Spanish skills or other language skills a plus
To Apply
- Please go to http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp. Please review AmeriCorps VISTA information on this site.
- Then go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click "Search Listings."
- For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options. Scroll until you find this position, click on it, and choose “Apply Now.”
- Submit your application including two (2) references. Note: Applications must be submitted through this AmeriCorps VISTA site. Farm Fresh Rhode Island cannot accept applications directly.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic Volunteer Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative, strong organizational skills, and outstanding communication to increase Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s volunteer capacity. As an integral part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s team, this person is responsible for recruiting volunteers across the organization, developing strategies and procedures around volunteer recruitment and management, problem-solving and adopting best practices. This position offers a unique opportunity to increase community engagement through volunteer recruitment, training, management, appreciation and retention to help Farm Fresh Rhode Island achieve its mission of farm vitality and food security. This position starts 8/19/2019. Deadline to apply is 7/12/2019.
Primary Responsibilities
- Analyze and expand on Farm Fresh RI’s current volunteer coordination techniques based on research best practices.
- Work with and across all Farm Fresh RI programs. Assess each program’s volunteer needs and capacity. Recruit and connect interested volunteers with programs.
- Continue to develop a volunteer management plan and help staff implement this plan.
- Enhance onboarding for new volunteers including volunteer screenings, orientation and trainings, and assignments.
- Improve on educational and training materials for volunteers.
- Develop projects to expand and create sustainable pipelines of volunteers.
- Maintain and enhance scheduling and reporting of volunteer hours.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of volunteer programs.
Required Skills
- Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal)
- Great attention to detail
- Self starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
- Excellent time-management skills
- Ability to think, react, iterate, and redirect in a fast-paced environment
- Proficient with Microsoft Office suite
- Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
To Apply
- Please go to http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp. Please review AmeriCorps VISTA information on this site.
- Then go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click "Search Listings."
- For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options. Scroll until you find this position, click on it, and choose “Apply Now.”
- Submit your application including two (2) references. Note: Applications must be submitted through this AmeriCorps VISTA site. Farm Fresh Rhode Island cannot accept applications directly.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an innovative and energetic Wholesale Access AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative, strong organization, and outstanding communication skills to increase Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s wholesale market for EBT users, senior citizens, and other marginalized members of our community. Market Mobile is Farm Fresh’s wholesale local food distribution platform that aggregates products across a variety of farms, allowing a wide variety of customers to access local food wholesale, while also supporting New England family farms and small businesses to receive a fair price for their products while reaching new markets. This position offers a unique opportunity to further systematize and streamline procedures for EBT users, and overall help to grow Market Mobile's reach to community members who would not otherwise access this benefit. This position starts 8/19/2019. Deadline to apply is 7/12/2019.
Primary Responsibilities
- Develop understanding and audit Farm Fresh RI’s current food access opportunities in wholesale markets.
- Research best practices for access to wholesale, local food platforms for low income shoppers.
- Compile current barriers to accessing Market Mobile from target populations.
- Develop systems and tools to support the various steps of the ordering and payment process for buying clubs and SNAP/EBT use on Market Mobile. These will mitigate barriers that are already clear, like language, access to technology, and online use of SNAP/EBT.
- Pilot outreach strategies, systems, and materials. Assess pilot and revise as needed.
- Document systems and tools for long-term use.
Required Skills
- Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal)
- Great attention to detail
- Self starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
- Excellent time-management skills
- Proficient with Google Drive and Microsoft Office suite
- Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
To Apply
- Please go to http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp. Please review AmeriCorps VISTA information on this site.
- Then go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click "Search Listings."
- For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options. Scroll until you find this position, click on it, and choose “Apply Now.”
- Submit your application including two (2) references. Note: Applications must be submitted through this AmeriCorps VISTA site. Farm Fresh Rhode Island cannot accept applications directly.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and enthusiastic Farmers Market Food Security AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational communication skills to increase awareness and understanding on how to use USDA food assistance programs to support local agriculture and food businesses. An integral part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s team, the farmers market program believes that the root cause of hunger is poverty, and therefore increasing local economic opportunities must be a part of hunger relief solutions. This position offers a unique opportunity to educate businesses and social service agencies on how to invest federal dollars in local economies and agriculture; creating more jobs and healthier, more resilient communities. This position starts 8/19/2019. Deadline to apply is 7/12/2019.
Primary Responsibilities
- Implement needs assessment for all farmers markets, CSAs, and farm stands that accept USDA food assistance programs.
- Create trainings for farmers and market managers on facilitating USDA food assistance programs onsite.
- Create toolkits and printed resources for farmers and market managers on facilitating USDA food assistance programs onsite.
- Review Farm Fresh RI farmers market outreach sites to identify new partnership and outreach opportunities with a focus on partner social service agencies.
- Develop outreach and awareness presentations to foster engagement in the concept of using USDA food assistance programs to support local agriculture.
- Pilot outreach presentations at local social service agencies and evaluate participant awareness and overall effectiveness.
- Review current Farm Fresh RI strategies for recruiting and sustaining volunteers and apply to farmers market program volunteer development.
- Enhance Farm Fresh RI volunteer onboarding practices to foster volunteer engagement in farmers market support activities.
- Consistently engage with community stakeholders to encourage volunteer participation in farmers market activities.
- Create how to guide for managing volunteers in outreach and farmers market programs.
Required Skills
- Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal)
- Great attention to detail
- Self starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
- Excellent time-management skills
- Ability to think, react, iterate, and redirect in a fast-paced environment
- Proficient with Microsoft Office suite
- Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
- Spanish or other language skills are a plus
- Willingness to work hands-on in various environments (outdoors at markets, inside at office)
- Interest in nutrition, public health, and environmental issues preferred
- Able to bend and lift loads up to 50 pounds
- Must have access to reliable transportation for transporting market equipment to and from program sites across the state
- Must possess a valid drivers license
To Apply
- Please go to http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp. Please review AmeriCorps VISTA information on this site.
- Then go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click "Search Listings."
- For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options. Scroll until you find this position, click on it, and choose “Apply Now.”
- Submit your application including two (2) references. Note: Applications must be submitted through this AmeriCorps VISTA site. Farm Fresh Rhode Island cannot accept applications directly.
This position is a part-time hourly position. Compensation is commensurate with experience.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island is seeking a committed and reliable team player to join our Harvest Kitchen team. Harvest Kitchen is part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island's initiative to increase the variety of value-added local farm products available, and part of the Farm Fresh RI mission to create a community-based food system. Harvest Kitchen covers multiple facets of programming, including:
- A 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth involved with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families
- A sister production and training program that operates within the Rhode Island Training school. All products created by Harvest Kitchen use ingredients sourced from local farms. The program focuses on empowering youth to understand how their activities connect to the local food system and the local food movement at large, while gaining necessary skills and experiences to be able to pursue their personal and professional goals.
- A local-foods café, offering delicious, nutritious, and reasonably priced foods in a neighborhood without many healthy options to choose from. The café also serves as an on-site retail training space where youth in our culinary training program can experience how it is to be working in the "front of house" while still in a structured learning environment.
Primary Responsibilities
The cashier position will be focused in the Harvest Kitchen café at 2 Bayley Street in downtown Pawtucket, which is open to the public 8:00am-3:00pm Monday through Friday. The cashier position will require shifts as early as 7:00am, as well as customer service skills, attention to detail, and cleanliness.
Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:
- Maintain a clean and well-stocked cashier station, dining space, and bathroom area.
- Maintain a working knowledge of menu offerings and ingredients with awareness of Harvest Kitchen allergen policy.
- Understand the relationship of Harvest Kitchen's menu and products as it relates to the local food system and local farmers.
- Ensure customer satisfaction with service and food quality. Harvest Kitchen’s customer service principles emphasize excellent customer experiences.
- Cash handling and financial transactions; ensuring every sale is correctly charged and closed.
- Complete all daily scheduled shift duties and side work.
- Communicate with kitchen management staff during scheduled shift through oral communication or short written correspondence/memos.
- Ensure safe food handling procedures for food sampling according to the RI Department of Health.
- Model positive and professional workplace behavior for coworkers, customers, and youth in training.
Desired Qualifications
- Ability to solve customer issues and concerns immediately and efficiently
- Punctuality and ability to maintain a good attendance record
- Attention to personal hygiene and uniform standards
- Maintaining professionalism at all times while on premises or when representing Harvest Kitchen off site
- Ability to perform and manage POS (point of sale) operations and financial transactions
- Ability to stand for up to four hours
Preferred Qualifications
- Food Safety Manager Certification (preferred, not required)
- Customer Service and/or Food Service experience
To Apply
- Please send resume and cover letter to Harvest Kitchen Program Director, Jen Stott, at chefjen@farmfreshri.org
- Or drop off your resume and cover letter at Harvest Kitchen, 2 Bayley Street, Pawtucket, RI.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island Foundational & Organizational Outcomes
As an organization, we feel it is important that all employees in all programs of Farm Fresh Rhode Island are expected to uphold the following outcomes in addition to their specific job responsibilities:
- Diversity, Inclusion, & Respect: All staff and volunteers are committed to equality in the workplace, demonstrate respect for each other and those we serve, and work to create a more equitable food system.
- Food Safety: Certifications are maintained and standard operating procedures are followed to ensure safe food handling at all times.
- Health & Safety: Staff, volunteers, and visitors are safe in our office, café, and at all program sites. Staff and volunteers feel safe and supported in the workplace.
- Food Systems Knowledge: All workers can speak about local, sustainable, and equitable food system development and understand how Farm Fresh RI programs address different aspects of these topics.
- Service Orientation: Staff and volunteers are helpful and respectful in all interactions with each other and with all constituents of all Farm Fresh RI programs.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment for all employees. We encourage enquiries from candidates who will enrich and contribute to the cultural and ethnic diversity of our organization. Farm Fresh RI does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or disability status in employment or programming. Farm Fresh Rhode Island is an Equal Opportunity Provider.
