Company description

The Syracuse Refugee Agriculture Program (SyRAP) is a training program and incubator farm for former refugees who are interested in accessing farmland to grow their own food and/or to generate income from selling their produce. The program’s offices and most farmers’ residences are in Syracuse, but the 180-acre farm property is located in Lacona, NY, in northern Oswego County. Each year, a new cohort of farmers receive relevant training in vegetable farming basics, marketing, and business topics. In Year 2 and beyond, farmers receive access to a 1/8th-acre plot at the incubator farm to manage independently, with technical assistance from SyRAP staff, with the intention that they eventually “graduate” towards more independence, operating with less support from the program and assuming some of the financial costs of farming. In addition to receiving curriculum and technical assistance, farmers are also supported by the program with tools, facilitated market channels, interpretation of program materials, and free transportation. SyRAP also consists of a series of community gardens on the Northside of Syracuse, and formerly, operation of a meat goat farm.

The Agriculture Program Coordinator and Educator will be an employee of Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE). RISE advocates and promotes self-sufficiency through employment, education, social support, and economic independence for members of the refugee and immigrant communities in Onondaga, Erie, and Oswego counties, NY.

Job description

The Agriculture Program Coordinator and Educator’s primary job is to be the hands-on manager of incubator farm programming at RISE, while also assisting the Program Director with development, outreach/communications, grant-writing, and other duties as needed.

During the growing season, the Coordinator/Educator will be responsible for organizing and communicating with farmers and will provide hands-on education to participants on a variety of topics related to small-scale diversified vegetable farming: farm safety, equipment use, seedling production, soil preparation, market techniques, etc.

During the winter, the work will shift to include more curriculum development, program planning and evaluation, and one-on-one work with farmers to plan for the coming season.

The Coordinator/Educator will be required to work with a wide variety of individuals and organizations, including farmers and staff from multiple nationalities, program partners, and other neighbors or community stakeholders surrounding RISE’s new farm in Lacona, NY. The successful candidate must have a sincere interest in sustainable food/agriculture systems, food justice, working with different cultures, decreasing food insecurity, and increasing self-sufficiency.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

October 10, 2023