Job Announcement: CALF Coordinator, Part-Time 25 hours per week
Friends of Family Farmers (FoFF) seeks a passionate and dedicated person to join our team and help grow the next generation of socially responsible family farmers and ranchers in Oregon. This position will coordinate the Capital Assistance for Local Farmers (CALF) program which helps to train farm service providers across the state on the opportunities and avenues available to fund viable and sustainable farms. This position also assists with the Small Farmer Disaster Resilience Grant Program (SFDR) in coalition with the Oregon Community Food Systems Network (OCFSN).
*Accepting applications until November 30th at midnight*
Description and Responsibilities
The CALF Project Coordinator will serve as the convener of a program designed to bring farmer serving organizations together with state, federal and private entities who have grant, loan and financial assistance programs for farmers. The CALF Coordinator will be responsible for communication with the 10 project partners and Farmer Advisory Committee members to accomplish the goals of the 2023 CALF Project RFSP planning grant. These activities revolve around convening a Community of Practice, coalescing a Network Resource Inventory and helping to deliver the report at the end of the project. The CALF Coordinator will work closely with the members of the Community of Practice and facilitate discussions, schedule meetings, take notes and synthesize information to document the progress of the project. The ultimate goal of the project is to increase technical assistance availability for grants, loans, and nontraditional funding sources for small, highly diversified, local market farmers. This role will play a direct role in building programs statewide for years to come. Although this role is directly tied to the 2 year grant period beginning in Q4 2023, there is potential to grow by expanding into additional program work with FoFF and this project group plans to apply for an additional 3 years of funding to continue this work when the grant period expires. This person will also serve a vital role in coordinating the application review process of the OCFSN SFDR program through reviewing and clarifying applications, as well as providing administrative support to the grant review committee.
Working Conditions
This job requires a significant amount of time working on the computer and phone communicating with program participants, as well as occasional travel to meet with farmers, ranchers and partners. All staff work from home, so the ideal candidate must be organized, self-motivated, and able to create a reliable working space including a good internet connection. The position is 25 hours per week with the majority of hours worked M-F and occasional evenings or weekends required. The CALF Coordinator will report to the Community Engagement Manager.
Responsibilities:
CALF Community of Practice Convening (30%)
- Planning Opening and Closing Convenings in Q4 2023 and Q3 2025 respectively, including contracting a professional facilitator, planning agendas and conducting the pre and post project assessments
- Scheduling and facilitating quarterly meetings of the Community of Practice starting in Q1 2024
- Recruiting the Farmer Advisory Committee
- Maintaining communications within the group throughout including distributing meeting materials.
Network Resource Inventory (20%)
- Recording and cataloging resources shared by partners during the Community of Practice.
- Researching additional resources for farm funding through existing partner resource libraries, attending Oregon Community Food System Work Group meetings or general internet search.
- Compiling the initial draft of this resource and seeking feedback from the partners in the Community of Practice
- Public distribution of the final product
CALF Project Report (20%)
- Assist the Community Outreach Manager in conducting 1 farmer funding focus group with farmers in FoFF’s network each year.
- Gather feedback and results from partner focus groups and synthesize into key learnings and takeaways.
- Assist the Community of Practice with the development of the Farmer and Service Provider Financial Resource Survey
- Distribute the survey and develop communications plans to hit the target response rate.
- Work with the Community of Practice to synthesize findings and finalize the report at the Closing Convening
- Distribute the finished report through FoFF and partner communication channels
OCFSN SFDR Grant Program Administration (20%)
- Initial application review and answer follow-up questions about applications with farmers
- Provide administrative support to the Grant Review Committee
- Handing award decisions over to OCFSN RFBC Coordinator for processing
- Support testimonial gathering and reporting
Organizational Support (10%)
- Participate in weekly online staff meetings, check-ins with supervisor, and DEI training.
- Contribute to FoFF’s annual priority setting and strategic planning as desired
- Assist with general communications and editing
Qualifications
Required:
- Experience facilitating group meetings with diverse stakeholders
- Event or conference planning experience
- Commitment to bringing an equity lens to the work you do and striving for a more just food future
- Demonstrated commitment to service, humility, integrity, and transparency; hold a high level of trust and respect for self and others
- Ability to analyze and synthesize individual feedback and anonymized data into themes and recommendations
- Strong written, interpersonal and public communication skills; excellent organizational skills
- Commitment to promoting socially responsible agriculture and the mission of Friends of Family Farmers
- Must maintain a current Oregon drivers’ license, a clean driving record and auto insurance
- Must be based in Oregon
Strongly Preferred:
- Agricultural production experience and/or experience living in rural communities
- Experience working on USDA funded projects/programs
- Ability to tell the story of progress in a growing program
- Knowledge of Oregon’s small and mid-sized agricultural community; food justice issues; rural life; working with coalitions of diverse individuals and groups to address a community need
Compensation:
- Pay: The base rate for this position is $20.19 per hour with increases for spanish language fluency and/or highly related advanced degrees or work experience. Annual COL increases are applied in January and step increases with annual performance reviews.
- Benefits include option to buy into FoFF’s group health insurance plan with 50% premium covered, or opt for a monthly health stipend
- Monthly home office stipend
- 15 paid holidays and 95 hours of Paid Time Off annually
- This is a work-from-home position, and travel reimbursements will be available when required to work away from employees home base
How to apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to Community Engagement Manager: Brittney Deming (brittney@friendsoffamilyfarmers.org)
The position is open until November 30th at midnight. Interviews to begin December 7th.
***A note to potential candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, and other candidates from most-impacted communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s welcome. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
Friends of Family Farmers is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.