What are the responsibilities and job description for the Food Access Program Coordinator position at High Desert Food and Farm Alliance?

Job Description

Salary : $21 / $25 / Hour

High Desert Food & Farm Alliance

Job Title : Food Access Program Coordinator

Employment Status : Hourly, Seasonal (Mid-April to Mid-Late November). 20 hours per week from April through May, ramping up to 40 hours per week from June to November.

Compe nsation : $21.00 - $25.00 per hour depending on experience

Location and Dates : Candidates must be available to work Saturdays (approx. 8 : 00am-4 : 00pm) at the Northwest Crossing Farmers Market in Bend from May 31 to September 27, 2025 and Wednesday afternoons (approx. 2 : 00pm-4 : 00pm) at the Downtown Bend Farmers Market from May 7 to October 8.

Start Date : Early-Mid April 2025

About HDFFA : The High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA) is a non-profit whose mission is to support a healthy and thriving food and farm network in Central Oregon through education, collaboration and inclusivity. We meet our mission by fostering relationships between producers (farmers, ranchers and food businesses) and consumers, increasing awareness of and access to food from our region, and cultivating community participation with local food. We serve farmers, ranchers, food businesses, nonprofits and underserved families in the high desert region of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.We believe everyone deserves good food.

About this Opportunity

HDFFA is seeking a Food Access Program Coordinator to join our team for the 2025 growing season. In this role youll be coordinating our Fresh Harvest Kit and Grow & Give programs throughout Central Oregon, as well as managing and hosting an engaging and dynamic booth at our Northwest Crossing Farmers Market booth on Saturdays. Youll be responsible for collecting, weighing, tracking and redistributing produce donations from farmers and community members, including organizing and overseeing on-farm harvest events. Youll also implement the smooth coordination and distribution of Fresh Harvest Kit supplies for multiple sites throughout Central Oregon during the season. The Coordinator will work with food access leaders, community members, local farmers, and other partner organizations to improve access to healthy, local foods throughout the Central Oregon community.

Who were looking for

You are passionate about improving food access for all Central Oregonians and want to support farmers and ranchers, people experiencing food insecurity, and those living in rural communities in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties. You are comfortable collaborating with farmers, community leaders, volunteers and partner organizations and are excited about engaging the public at community events, like the Northwest Crossing Farmers Market, and at our food access distribution sites. You are a creative problem solver, with excellent communication, time-management, and organization skills which will allow you to effectively coordinate our Grow & Give and Fresh Harvest Kit programming throughout the tri-county region.

Primary responsibilities and functions

General HDFFA Functions (5%)

Maintain a working knowledge of the mission, vision, core values, food access programs and events of HDFFA
Distribute HDFFA resources, including our 2025 Food and Farm Directory and High Desert Food Trail maps
Maintain clear communication with HDFFAs Food Access Manager via weekly check-in meetings, as well as other staff as necessary via phone, email, and meetings

Grow & Give (40%)

Implement the annual fresh produce donation drive (Grow & Give) including communication, coordination, collection, weighing, tracking and redistribution of all produce donations in the tri-county region

Oversee the completion of Grow & Give partnership contracts with farm partners

Coordinate gleans and on farm pick-ups with farm partners

Collect, weigh, track and redistribute produce donations weekly at the Wednesday Bend Farmers Market and Saturday Northwest Crossing Farmers Market

Cultivate new and existing Grow & Give partner relationships with farmers, community & school gardens, and other produce donation sources and redistribution sites, including traveling for site visits

Take active ownership towards achieving the annual Grow & Give donation goal totals

Organize & lead volunteers during Grow & Give activities, such as on-farm gleans

Track Grow & Give volunteer hours and records

Attend community garden opening days and workdays in conjunction with the Food Access Manager

Attend Fill Your Pantry (usually the Saturday before Veterans Day) for a Grow & Give collection

Fresh Harvest Kits (30%)

Organize & lead volunteers during Fresh Harvest Kit activities, such as spice packing events

Coordinate, organize and transport Fresh Harvest Kit supplies (bags, pantry staples, spice packets, print material, etc.) regularly to our various sites throughout Central Oregon

Track, organize and purchase inventory of Fresh Harvest Kit supplies to ensure sufficient stock throughout the season

Communicate regularly with partner farms, distribution partners and HDFFA staff to coordinate the Fresh Harvest Program and troubleshoot any issues

Administer surveys to participants and community members to gather insights

Accurately enter and manage survey data for analysis and reporting

Market Support (25%)

Set up, tear down and staff the HDFFA booth at the Saturday Northwest Crossing Farmers Market in Bend

Track and organize tabling supplies, including inventory of merchandise, ensuring sufficient stock throughout the season

Engage market patrons through education of our programs, selling merchandise, tasting events and other interactive activities

Promote, recruit and host food business partners for the new marketing & tasting benefit at the booth

Collect and track Grow & Give donations at the end of each market and redistribute to a local meal site

Required Qualifications

Excellent communication and organization skills, with strong attention to detail

Ability to creatively solve problems

Self-motivated with the ability to work independently, balance multiple projects and prioritize tasks effectively

Demonstrated interpersonal skills to build relationships and interact in a respectful and professional manner with volunteers, stakeholders and partners

Ability to engage the public and participants at community events or sites with a customer service-oriented approach

Ability to work on Saturdays at the Northwest Crossing Market from May 31 - September 27 and Wednesday afternoons at the Downtown Bend Farmers Market from May 7 - October 8. Occasional Saturdays outside this window will be required for other ad-hoc events (ex : Community Garden openings, Fill Your Pantry, etc.).

Willingness to travel throughout Central Oregon for gleans, Fresh Harvest Kit supply coordination and other food access programming needs, as necessary

Ability and willingness to work outside, harvest and wash produce, and transport 1,000s of pounds of produce with an HDFFA-provided vehicle

Ability and willingness to drive HDFFAs company vehicles including a pick-up truck and cargo van.

Ability to lift 50 pounds safely and stand for 45 hours. This includes loading and unloading market booth items (including tent and table), the ability to set up a 10x10 tent and ability to lift large bins of produce

Willingness to train to operate a forklift

Preferred Qualifications

Program coordination or other administrative experience

Previous farming experience

Previous volunteer coordination and / or hosting experience

Experience with Canva

Prior work in food access, community health, or food system initiatives

Experience working with non-profit organizations or in community development programs

Spanish proficiency or fluency

Benefits

Accrued sick leave at a rate of 1.33 hours accrued for every 40 hours worked

Employees who have earned at least $5,000 in compensation from HDFFA during any 2 years before the current calendar year and who expect to earn at least $5,000 during the current calendar year are eligible to participate in the SIMPLE retirement plan, following the 90 days of employment with HDFFA.

The candidate must possess a current, valid, Oregon driver's license. In addition the candidate will need to provide a 5-year motor vehicle record obtained through DMV2U - Login (oregon.gov) that includes no license suspensions or major violations in the last five years.

Mileage reimbursement will be provided at the federal mileage rate when a personal vehicle is used for HDFFA business.

How to Apply

To learn more and to apply please go to https : / / hdffa.org / employment /

Application materials will be reviewed as received.

Commitment to Inclusive Hiring Practices

The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, which helps build the competencies, knowledge, and skills that translates directly to our openings. If you are excited about this opportunity but are unsure if your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application and how your talents and experience can bring value to this role.

HDFFA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Salary : $21 - $25

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