What are the responsibilities and job description for the Seasonal Farmer and Educator position at EARTH MATTER NY INC?
Benefits:
- Sick Pay
- Paid Federal Holidays
- Phone Benefits
- Commuter Benefits
THE POSITION: 32 hr/wk position - April 1 - October 31, 2025 - Seasonal
Earth Matter NY seeks an seasonal Farm Production Educator Staff to manage crop production and assist with educational groups on our 1/8 acre educational farm and Lavender Field. Join our team to facilitate our “Table to Farm” exploration of the nutrient cycle and how applications of compost benefit growth of crops. You will work with a wide variety of people including trainees, volunteers, and regular Heritage Farmers of all ages. You are a community organizer, problem solver, detail-oriented person, and creative. You can grow food, fix equipment, make flyers for events, and write social media content. You seek to be a sustainable urban agriculture expert and ambassador.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Earth Matter NY seeks an seasonal Farm Production Educator Staff to manage crop production and assist with educational groups on our 1/8 acre educational farm and Lavender Field. Join our team to facilitate our “Table to Farm” exploration of the nutrient cycle and how applications of compost benefit growth of crops. You will work with a wide variety of people including trainees, volunteers, and regular Heritage Farmers of all ages. You are a community organizer, problem solver, detail-oriented person, and creative. You can grow food, fix equipment, make flyers for events, and write social media content. You seek to be a sustainable urban agriculture expert and ambassador.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage greenhouse, farm bed prep, and irrigation
- Assist with record keeping (i.e. tracking yields, crop plans, plant rotation, harvest schedule, crop performance, etc.)
- Assist in all aspects of farm production through community engagement
- Co-lead corporate and other team building groups - workdays, tours, workshops
- Coordinate and co-lead volunteer activities, including regularly scheduled farm shifts and Heritage Farmers
- Develop, manage Island vendor sales system - growing and distribution of herbs and added value products
- Assist with farm & compost experiments conducted with trainees
- Collaborate to manage all aspects of farm upkeep; maintain farm tools and equipment, organize various materials as needed
- Relocation - assist with site design and physical relation of Soil Start Farm in 2025
- Staff Compost Learning Center (CLC) during weekend Open Hours as needed
- Participate in chicken care and goat care shifts as needed
- Attend Earth Matter staff meetings
- Perform additional duties as determined by Earth Matter NY
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
- Lead ⅛ acre farm production with various in ground, raised bed, and greenhouse techniques
- Education facilitator experience with the groups public, and groups, and volunteers
- Volunteer coordination management, with a commitment to developing leaders for all NYC communities
- Power tool operation, carpentry and maintenance experience
- Ability to prioritize and handle multiple, competing tasks
- Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills with members of the public, visitors, regular volunteers, trainees, and internal Earth Matter teammates
- Self-directed, motivated, highly accountable, flexible, well-organized and detail-oriented
- Ability to work outdoors in 3 seasons, and some weekends
- Social media skills (content creation, post, and management) are a plus
- Google Drive mastery, (e.g. creating documents, managing spreadsheets); knowledge of Canva is a plus
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
- At least three seasons experience on a working farm, preferably in urban conditions
- Compost making experience (backyard, community garden, or industrial scale)
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred
- Active NY driver’s license preferred
Hourly compensation range: $30/hour PT benefits (commuter and phone benefits, paid federal holidays, standard sick pay)
Compensation: $30.00 per hour
About Us
Earth Matter was conceived in spring 2009 to address the dual problems of resource recovery and healthy soils with a single solution: promoting the local composting of organic waste into a healthy soil amendment. We are passionate about resource recovery and healthy soil as primary goals of a 21st century urban environment.
Mission
Earth Matter NY is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.
We seek to reduce the organic waste misdirected into the garbage stream by encouraging neighbor participation and leadership in composting.
We see that:
- There is one soil, one air, and one water, all commonly held and stewarded by one people, the nurturance of which is critical to a verdant world.
- Organic waste should not be part of modern landfills because the waste of any process is food for other processes.
- Transportation of waste far beyond the source unnecessarily despoils the soil, air, and water.
- Society needs to alter the way waste is treated as part of an integrated, long term solution to food, climate, and energy issues.
- The power to manifest global social change lies within each of us. The challenge to take action rests on our shoulders.
We endeavor to:
- Compost organic waste locally on behalf of our friends.
- Educate, encourage, and support ongoing community composting efforts.
- Utilize best practices for the improvement of soil health.
- Promote water conservation practices to reduce the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) burden on municipal sewer systems.
Salary : $30