Join the MFAI Team! MFAI is seeking a Farmer Mentorship Program Manager
Position Title: Farmer Mentorship Program Manager
Employment Status: Full Time (40 hr/week)
Compensation: $50,000-$55,000 starting, with full benefits (health care, PTO, paid holidays, etc.)
Location: East Troy, WI; in-person at least 2 days per week, plus remote
Anticipated Start Date: December 1, 2021
Position Description: The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) is seeking a Farmer Mentorship Program Manager to lead project management of a new Small Grains Farmer Mentorship Program. MFAI is seeking a highly organized and motivated individual who is passionate about local food systems and supporting small farms, to collaboratively develop, administer, and manage food-grade grains educational programming for both experienced and beginning farmers. The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will join a team of skilled and passionate organic and sustainable agricultural researchers, educators, and policy advocates working within MFAI towards the organization’s mission: to help communities to be healthy environmentally, economically, and socially, through supporting small and midsize farms and local production.
Program Details: MFAI, in partnership with the Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC) is developing a farmer peer learning program for beginning and experienced farmers producing food-grade small grain crops (e.g., wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc.), to address knowledge and access barriers around planting, postharvest handling, marketing, and other challenges unique to small and midsize farms wishing to produce high quality grains for local and regional emerging grainsheds. The peer learning program will pair experienced food grain farmers with farmers who are either 1) new to farming, or 2) established farmers looking to expand their operations into the food-grade small grain area in order to provide a resource network and personalized support system to build greater capacity in the local food-grade grain production system in the Midwest region. In addition, the peer learning program will provide particular support for beginning women farmers, as well as serve the needs of experienced women farmers who may have faced disadvantages, by reserving one-third of mentorship program slots for women farmers. The peer learning program will be facilitated through a highly collaborative partnership between three institutions including MFAI (lead institution) and AGC. The project leadership and Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will work closely together to develop and deliver monthly programming both virtually and in-person, including lunch meetup and seminar sessions, special-topics workshops, field days, special conference sessions, and other networking activities. To support food-grade grain farmers in market development, the program will host farmer/end-user networking events and training sessions for food and beverage businesses on how to procure and utilize locally produced grains, as well as supporting Working Groups to address barriers in local grain processing and marketing. The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will lead in the development of monthly educational programming and events, with support from content expert collaborators and MFAI project leadership, and fellow dedicated mentorship program staff at AGC. The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will be responsible for 1) recruiting and enrolling beginning farmers and mentors to the program, 2) ensuring that monthly educational programming is planned and delivered effectively, 3) leading communication among project staff and mentorship program participants, 4) collaboratively planning and running in-person events, and 5) ensuring that project timelines, deadlines, and reporting requirements are met.
This role is being hired in tandem with the Network Engagement Manager at the Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC). Interested individuals are encouraged to review both job descriptions and apply for either or both positions, based on their qualifications and interests.
Minimum Qualifications
Exceptional communication and people organization skills via email, phone, Zoom, social media, and other relevant media platforms
Experience working within agriculture and with farmers
Experience with convening and organizing in-person events, including classes, workshops, meetings, field days, etc.
Experience in marketing and communication, including events advertising, promotion, web editing, social media, traditional media, etc.
Familiarity with project management processes, including leadership, meeting facilitation, and federal grant reporting and requirements.
Experience with grant-funded program management
A passion for small farms, local food, and nonprofit work and advocacy
Able to work in a semi-structured environment, self-starter and self-director, able to work in a dynamic, flexible and changing environment, able to solve previously unanticipated problems
The ability to obtain a valid Driver’s License prior to the start of employment and capable of lifting up to 40 lbs.
Preferred Qualifications
Farming experience and/or familiarity with small grain production and processing systems
Knowledge and/or experience performing farming operations with full-scale equipment
Ability to work in-person in the MFAI East Troy, WI headquarters at least 2 days per week
Communications/Marketing background and/or experience
The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Nicole Tautges, MFAI Agroecologist, and Dr. Esther S Durairaj, MFAI Agronomist, all reporting to MFAI’s Executive Director Perry Brown. This is a Full-Time (40 hour per week) position eligible for benefits, including health and dental insurance. The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will be expected to take part in MFAI organizational meetings, including bimonthly Staff Leadership Team meetings, and may be asked to participate in other MFAI organizational activities, as appropriate to the individual hired.
Annual salary for this position will start at $50,000 to $55,000, negotiable depending on the experience and interests of the individual hired. This position comes with benefits, including flexible paid vacation/sick days, paid federal holidays, flexible working hours, and access to health care plan or stipend in lieu of health care plan. Funding for this position has been secured for 3 years, with a high probability of extension depending on performance of the individual hired. In-person work at MFAI’s East Troy, WI headquarters, at least 2 days per week is preferred. The Farmer Mentorship Program Manager will undergo performance evaluation 6 and 12 months after hire, and then annually subsequently.
Interested applicants can apply by completing THIS SCREENING FORM, via Google Forms. Applicants from groups most impacted by systemic inequities, including people of color, are strongly encouraged to apply. Questions about the position or application process can be directed to ntautges@michaelfields.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the application deadline set at Friday, October 29th by 5:00pm Central time. Qualified individuals will be invited for at least one interview with program leaders. Please provide a current phone number and email in your application materials so that we can contact you in a timely manner. Anticipated Start Date is December 1, 2021.
MFAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MFAI is committed to equal treatment of all employees without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical or mental disability or other basis protected by law. MFAI is committed to supporting a healthy and inclusive working environment. This includes building a diverse staff while advancing equity and inclusion goals throughout our network.
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that applicants with disabilities may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of needs at the time of application.