JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is seeking committed and reliable team-players to join our team as Drivers working with our Market Mobile team. Market Mobile is a wholesale distribution platform where local farms sell their products to a variety of customers through one online order form, delivery service, and invoice.

The Drivers support Market Mobile operations through successful implementation of established operating procedures and compliance with regulatory guidelines. Daily tasks include safe, efficient driving according to assigned routes, accurate customer deliveries in collaboration with delivery assistants, loading/unloading trucks, and completion of prescribed paperwork. The Drivers may also provide support as needed with packhouse cleaning and sanitation, receiving, and packline. The Drivers must maintain a valid DOT Medical Card at all times. Drivers will have clean driving records, keen attention to health and safety, and knowledge of best practices in food handling, especially in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak. They will be quick learners, have strong attention to detail, and should enjoy working in an environment that centers teamwork.

The Drivers will work under the supervision of our Operations Manager. They work closely with Packhouse Associates and the rest of the Market Mobile team. Farm Fresh RI is working hard to keep all customers and employees safe during this public health crisis, and will provide necessary protective equipment.

Primary Outcomes

• Truck Operations: Applicable rules, regulations, and traffic laws are strictly followed at all times. Daily truck inspections are consistently completed. All incidents and accidents are properly and promptly reported.
• Deliveries: All sites and customers receive what they ordered within the proper timeframe and with courteous and professional service. All invoices are signed and driver/assistant paperwork is completed.
• Communication: Communication with customers, producers, and other staff is professional, prompt, and solution-oriented at all times.
• Maintenance: All fleet maintenance issues are promptly reported to the Operations Manager.
• Equipment: All equipment is used correctly and safely. Equipment is put away when not in use.
• Supplies: All supplies are used correctly and safely. Supplies are organized and put away when not in use.
• Sanitation & Cleaning: Packhouse is clean and well organized at all times.

Organizational Outcomes
As a team member at Farm Fresh RI, you will also work to ensure the following foundational outcomes for our organization.

• 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 in order to handle all food properly.
• Health & Safety: Staff, volunteers, and visitors are safe in the Packhouse and on the road. Staff and volunteers feel safe and supported in the workplace.
• Food Systems Knowledge: All workers are able to speak about local, sustainable, and equitable food system development, and understand how Farm Fresh programs address different aspects of these topics.
• Service Orientation: Staff and volunteers are helpful and respectful in all interactions with each other and constituents of all Farm Fresh programs.

Education, Knowledge, and Experience Required

• Ability to bend and lift loads up to 50 lbs
• Clean driving record
• Professional driving experience
• High school diploma or GED equivalent preferred
• Food systems experience preferred

Critical Skills

• Knowledge of best practices in food safety
• Quick learner
• Detail-oriented
• Team player

To Apply

• Please apply online here.
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with interviews starting May 26, 2020.
• No phone calls or drop-ins.

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. Started in 2010, Harvest Kitchen covers multiple facets of programming, including a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth that are involved with the RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). All products created by Harvest Kitchen use ingredients sourced from local farms and we sell our products at local farmers markets and on-site at our kitchen in Pawtucket. The program focuses on empowering youth to understand how their activities connect to the local food system while gaining the necessary skills and experiences to be able to pursue their personal and professional goals.

Job Function/Purpose of Role
Farm Fresh Rhode Island is seeking a committed and reliable team-player to join the team full time as the Harvest Kitchen Retail Supervisor. An ideal candidate would be someone passionate about local food, has creative retail sales vision and can mentor youth enrolled in our job training program. We seek someone who is detail oriented, responsible and passionate about contributing to increasing access to healthy food and mentoring youth with significant barriers to employment.

Farmers Market Responsibilities

• Package and stage product and materials to be sold at all Farm Fresh RI retail sales outlets.
• Transport market sales equipment and product from our Pawtucket office to market sites.
• Set up and break down Harvest Kitchen product sales at markets weekly.
• Record sales transactions and balance the market sales at end of each market.
• Manage Harvest Kitchen seasonal market staff and scheduling.
• Purchase and maintain market sales supplies.
• Maintain updated inventory level tracking documents and submit monthly inventory reports.
• Prepare weekly banking paperwork reports.
• Supervise part-time Harvest Kitchen Farmers Market table staff and schedules.
• Support Harvest Kitchen social media efforts with regular posts and updates.

Cafe Responsibilities

• Manage outreach for, and planning of, in-house and off-site special events.
• Create outreach for Harvest Kitchen events and catering opportunities.
• Support Harvest Kitchen Cafe social media with daily posts and updates.
• Maintain Harvest Kitchen POS system with accurate prices, costs, and items.
• Perform administrative tasks including document organization and updating.

Job Requirements

• Commitment to Farm Fresh RI mission and values
• Strong interpersonal skills (patience, respect, transparency)
• Professional and practical communications skills (written and verbal)
• Outgoing and able to connect with a range of audiences
• Able to work effectively on a team
• Ability to multitask and respond to changing priorities
• Strong organizational skills
• Interest in local food systems and food justice
• Considerable math and accounting knowledge
• Valid drivers license and access to reliable transportation
• Available to work some evening hours seasonally
• Available to work Saturdays, 7:00am - 2:30pm year-round
• Able to bend and lift loads up to 50 pounds
• Experience utilizing POS software
• Note: The Harvest Kitchen Retail Supervisor position is subject to change over time.

Availability and Hours

• Full-time position: 40 hours a week, Saturday mornings (7am-2:30pm) are required, and weekday evening shifts may be required June through November
• Benefits: Health and dental insurance packages available; 15 paid vacation days, mileage reimbursement
• Full Time Hourly Position, starting at $16.50 with the opportunity for a $1 raise after a positive 6 month review

To Apply

• Please send resumes Attn: Jen Stott to harvestkitchen@farmfreshri.org with the subject line “Retail Application.”
• Final application deadline is June 5, 2020; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
• No phone calls or drop-ins.

Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic Youth Culinary Education AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational communication skills to build capacity for the Farm Fresh RI’s Harvest Kitchen program. Harvest Kitchen is a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth involved with the RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The youth 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 Harvest Kitchen. This position requires a one-year commitment to begin in July, 2020. Application deadline is June 3, 2020.

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 Harvest Kitchen internship referral process.
• Cultivate relationships with new and existing internship sites.
• Seek opportunities for collaboration between Harvest Kitchen trainees and outside organization programs and services.

Skills Required

• 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 skills or other language skills are a plus
• Able to bend and lift loads up to 50 pounds

About Farm Fresh RI
Begun in 2004 as a student thesis project at Brown University, Farm Fresh RI has grown briskly to capture the public interest in locally grown food and translate it into sales for RI farmers and producers. Strongly mission-driven, Farm Fresh achieved 501c3 status in 2007, and has since implemented a variety of programs to enhance the local food system of the Rhode Island region, with particular attention to farm viability and low-income access to fresh food. Farm Fresh operates a wide range of marketplace programs (retail, wholesale, processing) that engage and connect tens of thousands of RI, MA and CT eaters with thousands of RI, MA and CT farmers.

Mission: Farm Fresh Rhode Island is growing a local food system that values the environment, health and quality of life of RI farmers and eaters.

Vision: A New England abundant with diverse family farms and fertile soils, with locally and honestly produced foods and flavors at the heart of every dinner table.

About AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation’s most pressing challenges and advance local solutions.

AmeriCorps VISTA Member Benefits:

• Bi-weekly living allowance of $479.08
• Student loan deferment
• Mileage reimbursement
• Professional development opportunities
• CNCS health benefit & childcare assistance
• $6,195 Segal Education Award upon completion of service to help pay for college, graduate school, or vocational training, or to repay student loans

To Apply
This is a full-year position starting in July 2020 and ending July 2021. The deadline to apply is 6/3/2020. Applications must be submitted through the AmeriCorps VISTA site, as described below. Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Hopes Harvest RI cannot accept applications directly.

• Please review the AmeriCorps VISTA information here: www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
• Then visit
  my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click Search Listings. For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options.
• On that page, scroll until you find this position. Click on it, and click “Apply Now.”
• Submit your application including two references.

Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic Volunteer, Communications & Development AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational communication skills for Hope’s Harvest RI (https://hopesharvest.org). Hope’s Harvest RI is a startup gleaning project that mobilizes volunteers to rescue food from local farms that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to local hunger relief agencies. This position offers a unique opportunity to increase capacity for volunteer management, communications, and development within the context of the Hope’s Harvest RI’s food rescue program. This position requires a one-year commitment beginning in July, 2020. Application deadline is May 29, 2020.

Primary Responsibilities

• Improve Farm Fresh RI’s capacity to fully utilize volunteers within the context of the Hope’s Harvest RI food rescue program by updating and iterating systems for volunteer recruitment, tracking, management, and acknowledgement.
• Implement and refine a comprehensive communications strategy for the Hope’s Harvest RI food rescue program.
• Revise and update templates for ongoing outreach to stakeholder groups to improve volunteer recruitment, fundraising efforts, and community awareness of program activities and impact.
• Increase fundraising capacity for Hope’s Harvest RI food rescue program, specifically around corporate sponsorships and events.

Skills Required

• 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 and Google Docs
• Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment

About Hope’s Harvest RI
Started in 2018, Hope’s Harvest RI is a fiscally sponsored project of Farm Fresh RI that has, to date, recovered over 115,000 lbs of fresh, local produce for Rhode Islanders in need. We partner closely with farmers and hunger relief agencies to fill logistical gaps in the food system - ensuring food that would otherwise have gone to waste gets distributed to some of the 53,000 individuals per month who rely on the emergency food system.

Mission: To improve the livelihoods of local farmers, increase food security for our most vulnerable residents, and get everyone engaged in strengthening the food system by eliminating on-farm food waste in Rhode Island.

Vision: Hope’s Harvest RI envisions strong and connected communities where farmers are honored, valued, and compensated for their contributions, neighbors get their hands dirty and have fun helping each other, and everyone enjoys an abundance of fresh, healthy food.

About AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation’s most pressing challenges and advance local solutions.

AmeriCorps VISTA Member Benefits:

• Bi-weekly living allowance of $479.08
• Student loan deferment
• Mileage reimbursement
• Professional development opportunities
• CNCS health benefit & childcare assistance
• $6,195 Segal Education Award upon completion of service to help pay for college, graduate school, or vocational training, or to repay student loans

To Apply
This is a full-year position starting in July 2020 and ending July 2021. The deadline to apply is 5/29/2020. Applications must be submitted through the AmeriCorps VISTA site, as described below. Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Hopes Harvest RI cannot accept applications directly.

• • Please review the AmeriCorps VISTA information here: www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
  • Then visit
    my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click Search Listings. For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options.
  • On that page, scroll until you find this position. Click on it, and click “Apply Now.”
  • Submit your application including two references.

Since 2004, Farm Fresh Rhode Island has been providing affordable markets selling local, fresh foods in low-income neighborhoods. We value increasing healthy food access while at the same time maintaining fair prices to farmers and transparency around local food systems. All markets managed by Farm Fresh RI accept and encourage the use of federal food assistance programs.

Job Function/Purpose of Role
Farm Fresh RI is seeking committed and reliable team-players to join our Community Access team as Welcome Table Managers and Staff. We are looking for dedicated team members who will assist in managing the Welcome Table at the following farmers markets for the full 2020 outdoor season:

Providence Neutaconkanut Park Market
Spanish speaking required
Mondays July 6 – Oct 26
Working hours: 1:30 - 6:45pm

Central Falls Market
Spanish speaking required
Wednesdays July 7 – Oct 27
Working hours: 2:45 – 8:00pm

Pawtucket Market
Wednesdays July 1 – Oct 28
Working hours: 1:45 – 7:00pm

Providence Broad Street Market
Saturdays June 20 – Oct 29
Working hours: 6:30am – 1:00pm

Woonsocket Thundermist Market
Tuesdays July 7 – Oct 27
Working hours: 1:30 – 7:30pm

Brown University Market
Wednesdays September 2 – Oct 28
Working hours: 9:15am – 3:00pm

Armory Park Market
Thursdays June 4 – Oct 29
Working hours: 1:30 – 8:00pm

Hope Street Market
Saturdays May 4 – Oct 26
Working hours: 8:00am – 1:30pm

Farm Fresh RI staff will train the hired workers on tasks necessary to be a part of the Summer Markets Team. We seek someone who is detail oriented, responsible, and passionate about contributing to increasing access to healthy food in Rhode Island. Applicants must commit to fulfilling the entire market season and provide their own transportation of market equipment to and from market sites and the Farm Fresh RI office. Staff will be reimbursed for mileage.

Hours

• Part-time, seasonal positions. Applicants staff single or multiple tables for the season. (7-24 hours a week depending on availability and interest)
• Most markets run July through October. Additional hours will be required for training and season debriefs.
• Potential for additional hours to assist with market outreach and events.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide transportation for market equipment from Pawtucket office to market sites.
• Set up and break down market tent and table.
• Assist with vendor setup as needed.
• Enforce market rules and regulations with all vendors and customers.
• Run card machine for credit card and EBT customers, and distribute Fresh Bucks tokens for transactions.
• Keep record of transactions and balance the market paperwork at end of market.
• Collect Fresh Bucks tokens from vendors at end of market and write receipts.
• Maintain positive equitable relations with all market vendors and customers.
• Work with market volunteers and interns when necessary.

Education, Knowledge, Experience Required

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Multi-lingual proficiency preferred but not required (Spanish speaking required for Neutaconkanut Park and Central Falls locations).
• 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.

Critical Skills

• Interpersonal skills, sociable personality
• Basic math and accounting
• Detail oriented

Compensation

• Starting $14-$16/hr
• Mileage Reimbursement

To Apply

• Please apply online here.
• Application deadline: May 6th 2020

The Harvest Kitchen culinary education internship is an approximately 12-hour-per-week position working directly with our Harvest Kitchen Program Director and our chef educators.

Primary Responsibilities

• For individuals interested in hands-on culinary work and youth development in a hectic kitchen environment.
• Work alongside our youth trainees and chef educators on the production of value-added products such as our signature Apple Chips, Stewed Tomatoes, Pickles, and more.
• Assist with implementation and hands-on culinary activities.

Skills Required

• At least minimum kitchen skills and comfort in a kitchen environment.
• Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal).
• Great attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment.

Availability and Hours

• Background check (BCI) required.
• Flexible hours, approximately 12 per week, depending on applicant’s interest.
• Flexible start and end dates, with a minimum three-month commitment required.
• Shifts available Monday–Friday, 10:30am-1:30pm and 3:30-6:30pm

To Apply

• Send questions and applications to chefjen@farmfreshri.org.
• Please write "Harvest Kitchen Internship" in the subject line.
• Be sure to include your resume and a letter of interest/cover letter.