Flagstaff Foodlink Garden Coordinator

Flagstaff Foodlink Seeks a Community Garden Coordinator

Flagstaff Foodlink (FFL) is seeking a coordinator to work collaboratively with Flagstaff Foodlink's Community Agriculture Program, the City of Flagstaff, and over 100 community gardeners, at both the Bonito and Izabel Street Community Gardens. This Garden Coordinator (GC) will be hired on a contract basis and is expected to start April 1st working approximately 12 hours per week. FFL, with the GC’s support, anticipates securing additional funding to increase the GC’s position to approximately twenty hours per week by mid-May.
Flagstaff Foodlink, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, has been working to connect the Flagstaff community to healthy regional and local foods since 2004. We offer strong programs and educational, organizational and fundraising tools to the exciting and emerging local food movement in the greater Flagstaff area.
FFL runs four programs, one of which is the Community Agriculture Program. We partner with the City of Flagstaff to create community agriculture sites on public land. The program began in 2009, and since its inception we now have two, quarter-acre community gardens in Flagstaff. The gardens are designed for inexperienced gardeners of all ages and backgrounds who do not have gardening space/resources/support at their own residences, to have a place to grow fresh produce, herbs, and flowers. Both gardens are designed using permaculture principles. All gardeners have access to educational workshops on-site, one-on-one time with the GC for support or guidance, sheds full of shared tools and gardening literature, and community potluck dinners.


Coordinator Responsibilities

Outreach and Organizing:
Recruiting new gardeners, as well as cultivating community support,
Working closely with City of Flagstaff employees and Flagstaff Foodlink Board members,
Maintaining and strengthening relationships with other community organizations,
Developing relationships and maintaining good connections with local and regional media,
Speaking publicly about the program,
Volunteer coordination,
Fundraising, donation seeking, and grant writing, and
Planning garden potlucks and celebrations for gardeners and the community.

Education:
Mentoring new gardeners,
Designing and conducting educational workshops on gardening and related topics, and
Facilitating workshops led by local and regional gardeners.

Gardening Maintenance:
Maintaining the perennials, shrubs, and trees at both gardens, as well as planting annuals each spring,
Maintaining the structures at each garden (sheds, fences, art installations, and signs), and
Overseeing the development and implementation of large projects.

Qualifications
Garden/farm experience, and a basic knowledge of horticulture,
The ability to be self motivated, to create and maintain your own schedule, as well as the ability to work with a wide variety of individuals and groups,
The ability to perform strenuous physical labor,
The ability to multi-task and handle several projects at one time,
A genuine interest and commitment to the local foods movement, and
Bilingual Spanish/English a plus.

Compensation
Flagstaff Foodlink will initially offer $12.50/hr for twelve hours per week from April 1st to October 1st, as well support for grant writing and fund seeking to increase your hours per week.

To apply
Please send a resume, two references, and a cover letter including pertinent experience, and why you are interested in this position to flagstafffoodlink@gmail.com.

This position will remain open until it is filled.

Start Date
The coordinator position will begin on April 1, 2011. Hands-on training and materials will be provided.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Lyndsey Langsdale at 775-815-1113 or Jo Hale at 928-814-5559/joannahale@gmail.com