Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator - AmeriCorps Service Member Position

The Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator position at Growing Places, a nonprofit in Leominster, MA, is an 11-month AmeriCorps role focused on managing volunteers, educating on environmental stewardship, and completing capacity-building projects. The coordinator will work with local farmers and staff to enhance inventory management and support local food processing efforts, promoting sustainable agriculture and food justice in North Central MA.
About the position

This is a TerraCorps AmeriCorps Service Member Position serving with Growing Places for a duration of 11 months. The Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator (SAC) will work closely with the Director of Systems + Impact to manage volunteers on various community service projects, educate individuals on environmental stewardship, and complete three capacity-building projects. The SAC will engage with staff, local farmers, and volunteers to enhance the capacity of the inventory management system and a new local food processing center that lightly processes agricultural products. Additionally, the SAC will organize a volunteer program to support Growing Places' role as North Central MA's sustainable agriculture mid-tier operations, which includes aggregation, processing, and distribution of locally produced agricultural food. The SAC will also be responsible for educating and orienting volunteers about Growing Places' mission and their role in promoting environmental sustainability related to the local food system. Growing Places is a nonprofit organization established in 2001, focusing on food and environmental justice across 27 communities in North Central MA (NCMA). The organization aims to inspire and connect the NCMA community to create equitable access to healthy food and promote environmental sustainability through education, collaboration, and advocacy. The work at Growing Places is dynamic and continuously informed by community needs, addressing high rates of food insecurity and nutrition-related chronic diseases. TerraCorps, the organization facilitating this position, partners with over 40 nonprofits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, focusing on community needs related to local land conservation and sustainable agriculture. Service members are paired with a site supervisor who provides guidance and mentorship while they learn to manage community programs and projects over an 11-month, 1,700-hour service term.

Responsibilities
• Manage volunteers on community service projects.
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• Educate or train individuals in environmental stewardship or environmentally conscious practices.
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• Complete three capacity-building projects.
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• Serve with staff, local farmers, and volunteers to build capacity of the inventory management system and new local food processing center.
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• Organize volunteer program to support Growing Places' role in sustainable agriculture operations.
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• Educate and orient volunteers about Growing Places' work and their role in promoting environmental sustainability.

Requirements
• Be at least 17 years of age at the start of service.
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• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
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• Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.
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• Satisfy the National Service Criminal History Check eligibility criteria.
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• Strong interest in national and community service.
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• Strong writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills.
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• Able to serve both independently and as a member of a team.
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• Comfort navigating computer software programs including MS365 and inventory management software.
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• Experience training and/or educating community members and volunteers.
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• Able to build relationships with people from varied backgrounds.

Nice-to-haves
• Adaptability in a busy working environment
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• Strong organizational skills
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• A strong interest in creative and innovative project development.

Benefits
• $27,000 living allowance (pre-tax), paid biweekly over the 11-month term.
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• $7,395 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon completion of service.
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• Student Loan and Interest Forbearance on qualified federal student loans during service.
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• Individual healthcare coverage.
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• SNAP benefits in RI and SNAP/HIP benefits in MA (if eligible).
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• Childcare benefits (if eligible).
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• Opportunity to take up to two weeks' time off for holidays, sick/personal days, and/or vacation.
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• Mentorship, training, and career development opportunities.
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• Personal rewards of national service and community engagement.
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• Lifelong access to a diverse and growing community after service.