Educational Programs & Farm Associate

Urban Adamah is an educational farm and community center in Berkeley, California that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social justice to build loving, just, and sustainable communities. We provide training programs, educational workshops, and community celebrations for more than 10,000 visitors annually.

About The Role

The Educational Programs & Farm Associate is responsible for supporting our educational programs, volunteer groups, and the Urban Adamah Farm Team. This role primarily supports our Education Team and also provides secondary support to our Farm Team, with overlap and collaboration between the two departments.

The Educational Programs & Farm Associate will support the planning and implementation of farm-based educational programs, including administrative and logistical tasks, as well as program facilitation, and more. This role will also support our Farm Team by performing physical farm tasks, such as weeding, planting, pest management, animal husbandry and more.

The Educational Programs & Farm Associate has a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture and food justice and a strong interest in experiential education, community engagement, and earth-based Judaism.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SUPPORT

With guidance from the education department staff, the Educational Programs & Farm Associate will assist with planning and implementing our educational programming, including but not limited to field trips, Jewish holiday celebrations, teen programs, All Year (our Sunday school program which meets twice a month on Sundays), youth camps, young adult programs, and volunteer groups. This role will also serve as the Assistant Camp Manager in the summer months.

General tasks may include, but are not limited to:

• Facilitating educational content
• Welcoming new volunteers and visiting groups, providing farm and safety orientations, ensuring participants and volunteers are supported and engaged
• Leading opening and closing circles
• Inventorying, purchasing, organizing, and preparing materials
• Guiding groups and creating a safe and welcoming environment
• Keeping time and sending reminders to educators
• Managing when educators are out sick and filling in when necessary
• Ensuring educational and farm spaces are clean, organized, and accessible
• Setting up and breaking down of the site; opening and closing the site
• Signing participants in/out, tracking participant needs, and handling late and early drop offs
• Assisting with the recruitment, hiring, and training of educators
• Assisting with volunteer management and scheduling
• Assisting with training and supervising volunteers and program participants in farm tasks
• Supporting marketing and recruitment efforts
• Additional tasks that support the education team and programs

FARM OPERATIONS

With guidance from the Farm Team, the Educational Programs & Farm Associate performs a variety of farm tasks including, but not limited to supporting our overall crop plan, animal husbandry, weed and pest management, and soil health.

General tasks may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting Farm Manager with crop production, including seeding, planting, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, and post-harvest processing
• Weeding, pruning, fertilizing, and maintaining perennial beds maintenance
• Assisting with greenhouse operations, including propagation and plant care
• Performing animal husbandry tasks, including feeding, cleaning, and general care for goats, chickens
• Maintaining irrigation schedules and perform watering and irrigation maintenance
• Supporting pest and weed management using sustainable farming practices
• Helping monitor soil health through composting, vermiculture, and crop rotations
• Tracking farm activities, such as seeding dates, harvest yields, and animal care schedules, in coordination with the Farm Manager
• Additional tasks that support the farm team

About You

Competencies and strengths that will make you a good fit for this role include those listed below. We are open to applicants with varying levels and types of experience, provided that the applicant displays the skills required to successfully execute the job described above. You might be a good fit if you possess/demonstrate the following:

Background & Interests

• Have experience in and love working with youth and their families
• Have knowledge and experience in experiential, play-based education
• Are interested in farm and outdoor education and Jewish education
• Appreciate the natural world and are interested in facilitating others in having a deeper connection to the natural world
• Have experience working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions

Communication & Collaboration

• Possess strong interpersonal skills and can collaborate well with a range of colleagues and other stakeholders
• Are a people person at your core that loves connecting and building community around you; you would look forward to meeting new people (parents and youth)
• Are comfortable and effective working independently and as a member of a team, in both supporting and leading roles

Motivation & Organization & Growth

• Are a self-starter
• Are highly organized, able to track and execute on multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, and are detail oriented
• Are comfortable maintaining multiple channels of communication (text, email, phone, Slack) and independently managing your workflow to keep projects on track

Strategy & Problem Solving

• Enjoy problem solving, seeing it as an opportunity to connect with and support others and the organization

Growth

• Demonstrate a good balance of self-confidence and humility, can name and make the most of your strengths, and welcome feedback that will lead you to grow and develop as a professional
• Are excited to work with and learn from a supervisor who can help you grow as a professional and a person
• Appreciate a work environment where you are supported, encouraged, and sometimes pushed to learn new things or consider doing things differently

EXPERIENCES THAT COULD LEAD TO YOUR SUCCESS

• Demonstrated ability to create and manage well-functioning organizational systems
• Have experience in and love working with youth and their families
• Interest in creating warm, welcoming and inclusive environments for a ride range of people
• Have experience and interest in experiential play-based education and outdoor education
• Appreciate the natural world and are interested in facilitating others in having a deeper connection to the natural world
• Familiarity with Jewish calendar, customs, and rituals, and if not, a willingness and interest to learn
• 1+ years working on a farm, garden, or similar outdoor setting

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE POSITION

The physical demands listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee in this position. Some accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to succeed in the role:

• Typing, writing, reading, hearing, and speaking
• Standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and crouching for extended periods.
• Lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs.
• Working outdoors in varying weather conditions (rain, heat, cold, etc.).
• Performing repetitive tasks, including planting, weeding, and harvesting.
• Operating hand tools, wheelbarrows, and small farm equipment.

Additional Details

Compensation

This is a full-time, benefitted position that includes healthcare, holidays, and paid time off. The salary range for this position is $60,000 – $66,000 per year.

Schedule

While general hours of employment are 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday, the Educational Programs and Farm Associate will need to work on evenings, weekends, and Holidays as needed and assigned.

Supervision

This position is supervised by a member of the Education Department. For certain farming tasks and programs, the Educational Programs and Farm Associate may work under the direction of other program leads, including the Farm & Facilities Director and/or the Farm and Educational Programs Manager.