The Floyd Farm to School Coordinator will facilitate and expand local food procurement and begin to build a regional program with school districts in the Roanoke Valley, the New River Valley and the Blue Ridge Plateau.
This person will work closely with Floyd County school officials, farmers, SustainFloyd staff, the Healthy Community Team’s Obesity Prevention Specialist, the Floyd Farm to School Working Group and program evaluators from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.
Beginning in early 2014 and extending through Nov. 30, 2015, the Program Coordinator will: 1) Act as liaison between Floyd County school cafeterias and farmers; 2) Develop a network of growers to take the program from monthly to weekly deliveries at all five county schools, and 3) Begin to develop partnerships with Floyd County Schools’ buying partners as a first step toward building a regional system. By the end of 2015, the Program Coordinator will deliver not only a developed Floyd F2S network but also a long-term plan for the program moving forward.
This is a half-time job not to exceed an average of 20 hours per week, though the hours are flexible and will vary over the course of the year. The job pays $20 per hour, with no fringe benefits. Additional mileage will be paid for travel between schools, farms and for meetings with regional partners. The coordinator will also travel to the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Austin, Texas, from April 15-18. Travel and accommodations will be covered.
This will be a contract position and will include the duties listed below. Please contact Mike Burton at 540/250-0111 or info@sustainfloyd.org for further information.
All applications/resumes are due no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2014.
Goals
- Act as liaison between Floyd County school cafeterias and farmers.
- Develop a network of growers and protocols to take the Floyd Farm to School program from monthly to weekly deliveries at all five county schools.
- Begin to develop partnerships with Floyd County Schools’ buying partners as a first step toward building a regional system.
- Shepherd the Floyd Farm to School program toward self-sufficiency or sustainability.
Regular Tasks and Responsibilities
- Communicate with school officials, growers and other program partners to trouble-shoot and ensure deliveries are being made on a satisfactory basis.
- Assist SustainFloyd with tracking expenditures and income for grant reporting purposes.
- Facilitate billing and payment between the schools and growers.
- Develop protocols to find local growers who produce food that is fresh, healthy and cost-efficient for schools.
- Periodically inform the public about the Farm to School program through web updates, social media and communicating to print and broadcast media as needed.
- Coordinate with teachers, administrators and the school board.
- Assist in developing and planning educational field trips and/or workshops for school students.
- Coordinating and hosting local and regional trainings for cafeteria workers, teachers, etc.
- Produce monthly progress report for the Floyd Farm to School Team using objective data.
- Assist SustainFloyd staff in producing quarterly grant report.
- Assist SustainFloyd and Floyd Farm to School Team members in supplemental fundraising through grant research, grant writing and public campaigns.
- Schedule and facilitate meetings between school officials from Floyd County and other school districts interested in building a regional Farm to School network.
- Travel to Austin, Texas, to participate in National Farm to Cafeteria Conference from April 15-18, 2014.
Qualities of a Good Coordinator
As evidenced by the responsibilities just described, the Farm to School Coordinator must be leaders who possess a complex blend of skills that are both interpersonal and organizational. Following are some qualities SustainFloyd would like to see in a potential coordinator:
- Highly organized and motivated.
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
- The ability to work with people from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Experience in schools and agriculture.
- An independent worker who is creative when it comes to problem solving.
- Able to pass background test for working with students.
- Knowledge and experience of the county/region, and familiarity with its culture.
- Own reliable transportation.
- Farm to School knowledge and experience a plus.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs.
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite and personal computers.