Perry County Job and Family Service’ New Appalachian Farmstead is offering a VISTA member the opportunity to be the development leader for conceiving and launching the New Appalachian Farmstead’s agro-ecology-based workforce development and community outreach program we call the Farmstead’s Community Agriculture Project.

This opportunity will use your creativity and deep commitment to the regeneration of rural lives and communities. It will call on you to embrace an evolving set of responsibilities and challenges as this critical Farmstead project evolves from concept to reality.

The VISTA member will lead activities and support program staff that accomplish strategic goals and objectives set together with the leadership of Perry County Job and Family Services (PCJFS). You will be supported in this work through partnerships PCJFS has with community leaders, educational institutions and local government.

The VISTA member will lead the creation of agroecology- and community-based programs that are simultaneously pathways for people to gain essential skills for life, work and career, and models of new approaches for sustainable and profitable land use in Perry County.

Development of the New Appalachian Farmstead is underway and ground-breaking on our new facility at the Perry County Home Farm has taken place. It is our intent to engage a VISTA member by November 1.

VISTA Member’s Objectives and Activities

OBJECTIVE: Establish and maintain a Community Agriculture Network for Perry County. The Community Garden Network's purpose is to promote, support and launch community gardening in public areas across the county, including on village park property, institutional grounds, and particularly the Perry County Home site.

Organize the Community Agriculture Project's Visitors Committee and establish relationships with local community garden experts.

Locate and design gardens on the New Appalachian Farmstead Site.

Procure tools, equipment, and plant material.

Recruit new community gardens according to available resources, plans for services, and benefits for new locations.

Recruit established community gardens into Network; define services and benefits for local community participation.

Work with workforce development professionals on identifying and developing training activities that target specific needs and goals of potential participants.

Educate caseworkers and partners of the workforce development opportunities created by the project and collaborate with them to secure referrals of participants.

OBJECTIVE: Launch a program of agro-ecology training targeting small, cash-poor landowners in the region. Also targeted for training would be potential entrepreneurs providing services utilizing their land for small scale agricultural businesses such as cut flowers or vineyards. The agro-ecology training program would be a specialized form of extension outreach that would heavily promote use of small parcels in agro-ecology and provide trained labor to be engaged by landowners to carry out cultivation.

Establish relationship with Central State University and determine what of its extension resources can be recruited to developing an agro-ecology training program.

Work with County Auditor Office and its land parcel database to target small landowners for recruitment into a non-production ag/agro-ecology land use training program.

Work with PCJFS staff, CAP Visitors Committee Central State to hold community extension-type agro-ecology training on the County Home site.

Connect the agro-ecology training program to food and health security networks as well as workforce development programming at PCJFS, local schools, and recovery treatment providers.

OBJECTIVE: Coordinate Community Agriculture Project activities as compelling, community-oriented workforce development opportunities for the county's residents. PCJFS, schools, institutions and non-profits need work opportunities that build essential skills of people disconnected with the workforce.

Coordinate with the PCJFS Workforce Development supervisor about needs and opportunities for skills-based learning at the County Home Farm community garden site.

Develop, with the help of the CAP Visitors Committee, a work plan of developing and maintaining the County Home Farm community garden site.

Identify with the PCJFS Workforce Development supervisor a plan to engage different target populations in work activities on the County Home Farm community garden site. Target populations will include out of school youth and adults in recovery.

Work with the PCJFS Workforce Development supervisor to train and prepare advanced participants to take the lead in delivering services to local participants in the community garden network as it grows.

Work with entrepreneurial development resources to plan and fund an "agricultural maker-space" that combines the learning and training of previous Objective with a tool library and more personalized coaching of landowners and ag services providers.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS SOUGHT

Exposure to agriculture, ecology, natural resources, food systems or related fields.

Demonstrated commitment to a mission to fight rural poverty and serve all in our community.

Successful development of grant proposals.

Able to occasionally work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends.

Have access to reliable transportation and maintain valid driver’s license and insurance coverage for vehicle.

Effective user of workplace collaboration and communication technology.

Some experience with non-profit governance and with developing grant proposals would be a plus.

QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICORP VISTA SERVICE?

Go to our sponsor's website for this project, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks: https://ohiofoodbanks.org/recruitment/

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary, Internship

Pay: $1,462.00 per month

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

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