Farm to Market Coordinator - Bilingual

CAFF is a California-based membership organization that includes family farmers and other community members passionate about local food, farming, and the environment. As a farmer-serving organization, we recognize the historic and lasting inequities in the California food and farming system. We believe farmers of color, and other historically oppressed people, should have the opportunity to create and participate in a food and agriculture system that aligns with their needs, values, identities, knowledge systems, and communities. We commit to advancing racial, gender, and environmental justice in our larger systems, as well as in our own workplace. Currently our programming is focused in four areas: Farm to Market, Policy & Advocacy, Farmer Services, and Ecological Farming. To learn more about CAFF, our history, and our core values, visit https://www.caff.org/about.

Position Summary

The Farm to Market Coordinator will play a key role on our Farm to Market team by supporting CA small farmers, especially Spanish-speaking farmers. The Coordinator will work with other team members to deepen and expand relationships with farmers, buyers, and partners, and address supply chain logistics to secure sales and provide capacity-building training and resources. A successful candidate will be self-motivated, detail-oriented, computer literate, have technical knowledge of farming and/or supply chain coordination (i.e. purchasing), be adept in both English and Spanish, and be passionate about CAFF’s mission and core values.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

70 % Time Provide Farm to Market Technical Assistance to Farmers

● Provide bilingual support (English & Spanish) to farmers, buyers, distributors, and partners with a focus on building strong connections between these entities.

● Help implement various, iterative, grant funded Farm to Market projects.

● Support the development and delivery of market-support trainings (webinars, workshops, farm tours, etc.) for partners and farmers statewide.

● Provide supply chain consulting to farmers and buyers to achieve sales.

● Work with Directors and Program Specialists to identify buyer needs and support farmers to meet them.

● Keep detailed records of sales and interactions to support the Farm to Market program data collection efforts

● Keep detailed records of sales and interactions to support the Farm to Market program data collection efforts

20% Time Strengthen Farming Communities

● Support opportunities for California’s farming community to gather, build trust, and deepen community, especially on the Central Coast and adjacent communities.

● Develop and expand collaborative sales relationships among farmers in CA, especially on the Central Coast and adjacent communities.

● Continually assess the regional food system landscape to identify program development and relationship opportunities.

● Professionally represent the organization to a diverse array of stakeholders.

10% Time General CAFF responsibilities

● Occasionally support local and statewide CAFF events and organizational initiatives, like the California Small Farm Conference

● Participate in weekly CAFF staff meetings and annual retreats.

● Participate and contribute to racial equity action planning discussions.

● Participate in local grassroots engagement efforts, including outreach and relationship-building with farmers in your local community.

● Represent CAFF by participating in community activities and events as necessary.

● Participate in other administrative tasks as needed.

● Contributes to annual program strategy development.

We know it's impossible to convey every single task for a particular job in one job description. Our hope is that as we work together, and your role evolves over time, we can adjust your job description accordingly

Qualifications

Educational and Work Experience

● High school diploma or equivalent

● At least 2 years experience working in a farmer support and/or sales position, ideally with a nonprofit organization

● Professional or lived experience working with farmers and/or buyers in sustainable agriculture, or related fields preferred. However, more important than hands-in-the-dirt agricultural experience is a passion for food systems work and CAFF’s mission and values.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

● Strong organizational skills with an ability to handle competing demands

● Effective oral communication skills in English and Spanish as well as effective written communication skills in English

● Resourceful with a creative approach to problem-solving

● Flexibility to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively with a remote team

● Strong computer skills, including above-average knowledge of Microsoft Office applications as well as collaborative platforms such as DropBox and Google Drive

● Willing and able to maintain strict confidentiality and professionalism

● Passion for food and agriculture issues

● Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and roles across California

Physical Abilities

● Ability to sit for long periods of time working at a computer.

● Requires a full range of physical mobility, such as bending, stooping, lifting, turning, carrying objects, and grasping.

CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage those from diverse backgrounds and from historically underserved communities to apply.

To apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume with the subject line “Farm to School Market Coordinator” by replying to this post and by visiting https://caff.org/jobs/ by October 18, 2024. Reference requests will be made further along in the application process.