We’re Hiring!

Position Vacancy

Part-time Assistant Farm Manager

Summary of Organization: 

Whitelock Community Farm is a resident supported urban farming effort in Reservoir Hill, Baltimore, Maryland. The goals of the Farm are to: pursue affordable sustainable fresh food sources, provide neighborhood job creation, and help revitalize the neighborhood through greening and positive community activity.

 

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES: We are seeking a dynamic individual to support a broad range of activities on our farm. The Assistant Farm Manager is a part time position. The Assistant Farm Manager will report directly to the Whitelock Community Farm Manager. 

 

Responsibilities include:

• Volunteer training and management
  • Must be comfortable working with all age groups
  • Assist in educational and other programs with our neighbor partners
• Field production
  • Seasonal planning 
  • Greenhouse cleanliness, maintenance, planting
  • Oversee field maintenance (mowing, weeding, etc)
  • Plan for soil development, pest management, etc.
  • Manage the community compost drop off
  • Maintain and record information/documentation such as production, farm management practices, etc. 
  • Aid in the expansion site of the Farm
• Markets/Marketing 
  • Assist in the harvesting, washing and prepping of produce for the markets and CSA
• Social media
  • Post to Facebook regularly 
  • Assist with social media outreach 

• Property management
  • Watering and opening cold frames and hoophouse in hot weather
• Other: 
  • General administrative support, as needed
  • Assist with the representation the farm in public forums as necessary with stakeholders and opinion leaders
  • Participate in farm events, potlucks, community activities, etc. 

 

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Applicant should be experienced and capable of safely operating heavy equipment without direct supervision
• Must have 1 years farm production experience
• Valid Driver’s License 
• Ability to complete manual labor including sitting, bending, and lifting and/or moving items weighing from 20-50+ pounds. Good vision abilities are needed for close vision, distance vision, and color vision.
• Ability to work outdoors in extreme weather for extended periods of time
• Willing to work flexible work schedule, including weekends when needed 
• Basic knowledge of MS office and other basic computer skills is a plus
• Flexible, energetic, with a strong work ethic
• Aware of and sensitive to working in multiple socio-economic settings and with multi-cultural groups
• Strong decision–making skills
• Comfortable with a team approach to programming and the ability to manage several activities
• Ability to interact skillfully and diplomatically with numerous counterparts
• Knowledge of gardening and organic methods of producing food

 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:  Modest salary is supplemented with organic produce and the potential for an AmeriCorps educational stipend. 

 

POSITION START DATE:  February 1, 2014 or as soon as the position has been filled. 

 

DEADLINE:  To apply, please provide a work history or resume and three references to farmer@whitelockfarm.org. 

 

 

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Whitelock Community Farm Job Posting

Hello everyone

The Whitelock Community Farm will be hiring a new Farm Manager this year and we would like that person to start very soon. Please share our Job Posting with your networks.

Whitelock Community Farm

922 Whitelock Street Unit 4

Baltimore, MD 21217

farmer@whitelockfarm.org

Farm Manager

Summary of Organization:

Whitelock Community Farm is a resident supported urban farming effort in Reservoir Hill, Baltimore, Maryland. The goals of the Farm are to: pursue affordable sustainable fresh food sources, provide neighborhood job creation, and help revitalize the neighborhood through greening and positive community activity.

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES: We are seeking a dynamic farm manager to support a broad range of activities on our farm. The Farm Manager will be responsible for staff and volunteer management, farm operation, seasonal planning, and general farm maintenance at Whitelock Community Farm. The farm manager will report directly to the Whitelock Community Farm Board.

 

Responsibilities include:

• Staff Management
  • Scheduling, organize daily and weekly tasks for staff and volunteers
  • Training and evaluation reporting to Whitelock Farm Board
• Tools and Inventory Management
  • Keep records of tools and inventories
  • Report and replace tools as needed
  • Ensure proper use of tools with staff and volunteers

• Volunteer training and management
  • Conduct volunteer orientation, as needed
  • Organize jobs and tools to keep volunteers busy
  • Assist in leading groups on farm
  • Identify tasks and tools to suit individual needs/abilities

• Field production
  • Seasonal planning
  • Greenhouse cleanliness, maintenance, planting
  • Oversee field maintenance (mowing, weeding, etc)
  • Plan for soil development, pest management, etc.
  • Manage the community compost drop off
  • Maintain and record information/documentation such as production, farm management practices, etc.
  • Plan for the expansion site of the Farm with the Whitelock Farm Board

• Markets/Marketing
  • Lead point person for farmers markets: communication, prepping product, staffing, pricing and set-up
  • Oversee CSA:
    • Advertise for shares, organize membership database
    • Weekly communications with members of available produce and changes in scheduling
    • Provide recipes, and alternative recipes for new foods
    • Organize harvest, washing and presentation

• Other: Urban Farm Alliance, mobile market
  • Send availability lists, prepare orders, coordinate delivery for markets on Saturday

• Social media
  • Post to Facebook weekly
  • Contribute to email campaigns for volunteers, CSA, general supporters via Mail Chimp

• Property management
  • Watering and opening cold frames and hoophouse in hot weather
  • Liaising with groups on property after hours (Board, RHIC etc.)
• Administrative Work
  • Grant writing assistance by providing data sets of sales, harvested amounts, volunteer numbers, etc
  • Ensure time sheets of all employees are completed and verified.
  • General administrative support, as needed
• Other:
  • Represent the farm in public forums as necessary with stakeholders and opinion leaders
  • Advise and communicate with the WCF Board for decisions
  • Assist with development and implementation of WCF Events and tours at the Farm

 Qualifications and Requirements:

• Applicant should be experienced and capable of safely operating heavy equipment without direct supervision
• Must have >2 years farm production experience
• Valid Driver’s License and reliable transportation
• Strong preference for applicants who have a willingness to reside within the Reservoir Hill neighborhood
• Ability to complete manual labor including sitting, bending, and lifting and/or moving items weighing from 20-50+ pounds. Good vision abilities are needed for close vision, distance vision, and color vision.
• Ability to work outdoors in extreme weather for extended periods of time
• Willing to work flexible work schedule, including weekends when needed
• Basic knowledge of MS office and other basic computer skills is a plus
• Flexible, energetic, with a strong work ethic
• Aware of and sensitive to working in multiple socio-economic settings and with multi-cultural groups
• Strong decision–making skills
• Comfortable with a team approach to programming and the ability to manage several activities
• Ability to interact skillfully and diplomatically with numerous counterparts
• Knowledge of gardening and organic methods of producing food

Personal Characteristics:

• Ability to multi-task
• Work independently
• Proven ability to work with a variety of people
• Confidence in operating heavy equipment and safely handle food

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:  Modest living stipend is supplemented with health insurance, an AmeriCorps education stipend, and organically grown produce.

POSITION START DATE:  October 1 or as soon as the position has been filled.

To apply, please provide a work history or resume and cover letter farmer@whitelockfarm.org

Enter our Greens Cook-off!

 

Great Prizes! 

Join us for the 3rd Annual Harvest Festival – October 13th

We will have our annual greens cook -off, a squash art competition, games for kids, St. Veronica’s Steel Youth Orchestra and much more!

You can now purchase the Soft Cat album online to benefit Whitelock Community Farm!  Find it here.  For more info, see the post below.

Soft Cat

Soft Cat, a Baltimore based band, is generously donating 100% of the online sales of their new album Lost No Labor, to Whitelock Community Farm.  We are honored by their generosity and to be quite honest, are really impressed with the quality of their music.  The album is  ambient and melodic – think driving down a small country road at dawn during a snow storm, with a good cup of coffee in your hand.  We will be sure to let you know when this album becomes available.  But for now we just want to tease you with this press release!

After the release of 2010’s Wildspace (Friends Records), a darkened, dreamy collection of songs inspired by the thriving wilderness located in urban settings, Neil Sanzgiri took a year away from music to finish up his fine arts degree in Interdisciplinary Sculpture. What started as a bedroom recording project grew into a baroque ensemble consisting of horns, flutes, cello, violin, banjo, classical and electric guitar. For the majority of Soft Cat’s early existence it was rare to see them perform anything but acoustic, playing anywhere from farms and backyards to living rooms and art galleries. 

In February of 2013, Soft Cat returns with Lost No Labor, an album that marks a step forward in Soft Cat’s sound pushing the delicateness of arrangements and the richness of tones to a much more mature level. With the live formation constantly rotating from members traveling in-between cities, Soft Cat at its core has become Neil Sanzgiri, Kate Barutha and Brendan Sullivan and features members of other Baltimore bands such as Secret Mountains, Small Sur, Strange Fur, Wing Dam, and Weekends. Drawing upon that flux in geography, Soft Cat’s Lost No Labor attests to the band’s scale and warmth and marks and shows a steady progression towards a follow up to Wildspace that has taken nearly two years.

Lost No Labor is with Human Kindness Overflowing, a non-profit record label that supports humanitarian efforts through online donations from record sales. All proceeds from Lost No Labor will go toward Whitelock Community Farms in Baltimore, MD, which supports the Baltimore community through sustainable fresh food sources formed on an abandoned lot in the neighborhood of Reservoir Hill. 

Grow It, Eat It, Sell It gardening classes and mentorship program.

 

Reservoir Hill – “Grow it, Eat it, Sell it” Mentorship

In 2013 Whitelock Community Farm will be partnering with Baltimore City Master Gardeners and CGRN (Community Greening Resource Network) to hold vegetable gardening and business classes in Reservoir Hill and connect three Reservoir Hill residents (trainees) with Master Gardening mentors and resources for FREE.

Classes

• Gardening classes- Held at JEH Recreation Center, Thursdays from 6:30pm – 8:45pm, March 14 – April 18th.  Topics include:        

1. Healthy dirt and compost
2. Garden design and layout
3. Vegetables and their growing needs
4. Making the most out of your garden
5. Planting crops and garden maintenance
6. Managing pests

• Classes led by Baltimore City Master Gardeners
• Trainees will receive a binder full of resources and helpful tips
• Trainings on how to market and sell produce to be held in the fall of 2013

Getting the garden started

• Access to a garden plot in one of the neighborhood community gardens, if gardening space is needed.
• Free soil testing, soil amendments, seedlings, seeds, access to tools, and water.
• A one-on-one Master Gardening mentor to help with planning the garden and troubleshooting.  The mentor will not do the physical labor for the trainee but will be available to answer question, advise, check in and connect the trainee with helpful resources.
• Trainees will be able to sell their produce in the neighborhood next to the Whitelock Community Farm stand on Saturdays from 10am – 1pm.

Spreading knowledge

• We ask that trainees share their knowledge and veggies with other.  It is our hope that 1^st year trainees become 2^nd year mentors to sustain the program.

Trainees will be selected from an application process based on their 1) interest in learning how to garden, 2) need, 3) ability and 4) capacity to succeed.

Interested in applying?  Contact Elisa at farmer@whitelockfarm.org or (410) 205 – OKRA [6572] by March 1, 2013.