Ecological Farming Program Manager

Job Title: Ecological Farming Program Manager

Location: Northern California, Davis area or Central Coast preferred / hybrid/ remote work option available

FTE: 100% FTE

Starting Salary: $58,000 - $65,000 annually

FLSA: non-exempt

Reports To: Director of Ecological Farming

Other Details: Bilingual (Spanish/ English) required; Eligible for bilingual pay differential

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 Ecological Farming Program Manager will play a key role in CAFF’s Ecological Farming (EF) Program Area, which includes our work in Climate Smart Farming/ Soil Health as well as our Ecological Pest Management (EPM) Program. The Program Manager will join the Ecological Farming team in its work to implement on-farm research and demonstration projects, facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning opportunities, develop accessible and relevant extension resources and provide and guide technical assistance to the agricultural community. The Ecological Farming program area works with farmers, researchers and technical assistance providers in Central and Northern California to carry out projects including, but not limited to: Biologically Integrated Farming Systems; Ecological Pest Management; Adaptations to Climate Extremes; Understanding Barriers and Motivations to Adoption for Soil Health Practices; Integrated Crop Livestock Systems; Healthy Soils Practice Implementation; and helping farmers access funding opportunities and other resources. In collaboration with the broader Ecological Farming team, the Program Manager will work to expand the reach, relevancy and accessibility of the program’s work through building relationships and fostering farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing at the community level, with particular focus on working with Latinx farming communities. A person who will excel in the position is highly motivated to move the needle towards more ecologically integrated agriculture, is passionate about serving and learning from different communities of farmers, and is aligned with CAFF’s mission and core values.

Position will involve frequent trips to the Sacramento and Northern San Joaquin Valleys and the Central Coast. Additional travel will be required throughout California for extension and technical assistance efforts.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

% Time — Description

30% – Latinx Farmer Engagement around Ecological Farming

Build and maintain relationships with Latinx farmers interested in ecological farming and other CAFF services

Carry out Spanish language technical assistance for the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Healthy Soils Program

Help coordinate Spanish language and/or bilingual farmer-to-farmer learning spaces including field days, community gatherings, listening sessions and conference workshops

Develop accessible and relevant Spanish language resources based on farmer experiences and interests on topics including but not limited to soil health, sustainable pest management and available funding opportunities for farmers

Support the process of translating the Ecological Farming web pages into accessible Spanish (translation work conducted by external contractor)

Contribute and conduct outreach to CAFF’s growing network of Latinx farmers through direct communications, creating Spanish-language outreach materials (flyers, social media)

Communicate and collaborate with others in the technical assistance and extension community who are serving Latinx farmers

15% – Support English-language Resource Development for Ecological Farming

Assist with content, development and design for CAFF’s ecological farming webpages, posting resources and organizing content

Assist with farmer and rancher case studies

Assist with filming videos highlighting farmer knowledge around ecological farming

Assist with Farmer’s Beet podcast episodes

15% – Support Programmatic Outreach and Extension for Ecological Farming

Help coordinate Ecological Farming extension events (field days, webinars, etc.)

Develop and distribute fliers for field days and other extension events

Develop, administer and track evaluation surveys and post-field day emails

Organize and send out the (monthly) Ecological Farming Program Newsletter to promote program events, resources and project updates

Organize Ecological Farming photos and videos for use in resources and outreach materials

Participate in/ attend relevant community events as needed

15% – Ecological Farming Team Activities

Attend Ecological Farming Program Team meetings

Contribute to Ecological Farming program strategy and planning discussions around project development, evaluating impact, and improving accessibility through the lens of justice and equity and language justice

Support field work for on-farm research and demonstration projects as needed, including but not limited to Ecological Pest Management projects

10% – Support Ecological Farming Project Implementation and Tracking

Collaborate with EF staff to implement projects on topics including adaptations to climate extremes, barriers and motivations to adoption, integrated crop livestock systems, biologically integrated farming systems and soil health

Contribute to tracking and reporting around project implementation and deliverables using established systems (notion, google sheets)

10% – Provide one-on-one Technical Assistance

Provide one-on-one assistance to farmers applying for funding opportunities related to ecological farming (training provided)

Provide implementation assistance to farmers implementing ecological farming practices and projects (training provided)

5% — General CAFF Responsibilities

This person will be an important member of CAFF’s Ecological Farming Team and work closely with all members of the team on various projects.

Participate in weekly All-Staff meetings and annual All-staff gatherings

Represent CAFF by participating in community activities and events as necessary

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

Bachelor’s degree required

Minimum of 2 years working in sustainable agriculture, community development or related field required

Experience working with farmers preferred

Experience working with Latinx communities preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Fluent in Spanish including strong oral, written communication skills and cultural competency

Strong English written and oral communication skills

Strong organizational skills, particularly with systems for tracking information

Flexibility to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as collaborate with others in a team setting

Flexibility to work on a variety of projects, simultaneously

Strong interpersonal skills

Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Drive

Proficiency with collaborative working platforms such as Notion, Salesforce, Dropbox preferred

Willingness to travel to carry out fieldwork/ farm visits/ events in Central and Northern California

Experience with Creative Adobe Suite, Canva, Wordpress, Action Network is a plus

Physical Abilities

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

Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

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

Other

Travel to events/activities on a weekly basis (valid driver's license required)

Ability to use one’s own car for travel as necessary

Anticipated Start Date: June 3, 2024

Employee benefits include: medical/dental vision (100% employer paid for full time employees); sick, vacation (120 hours), holiday, personal days; home office stipend; professional development; and Workplace Wellness activities.

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, resume, and references with the subject line “Ecological Farming Program Manager” to jobs@caff.org by May 1, 2024. Requests for sample work may be made further along in the application process.