Garden Manager Highland Youth Garden
- Date Posted July 23, 2024
- Location Columbus, OH
- Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
- Job type Full-Time
Company description
Highland Youth Garden grows minds, grows food and grows community in partnership with our Hilltop neighbors in Columbus, Ohio. Located in one of the most economically challenged areas of Central Ohio, the seeds for Highland Youth Garden were planted in 2009 when a neighborhood recreation center closed and local educators and lovers-of-gardening began growing food and teaching children on the plot. Now, we feature one of the largest high tunnels in the city, an outdoor kitchen, a natural playground and an acre full of berry bushes, seasonal crops, flowers and fruit trees. We offer a diverse, hands-on learning environment for children, giving them the space and guidance to grow their own food and explore nature. We work regularly with hundreds of students at Highland Elementary School, a nearby charter elementary school (the Educational Academy for Boys and Girls) and the Hilltop Early Learning Center. Twice-monthly field trips from these schools provide gardening, nutrition and ecology education and support curriculum standards in health, science, language arts and math. A total of 650 children go to school across the street from the garden and have regular access to our facility and programs, including free after school and summer programs. Our one-acre garden grows over 4,000 pounds of food annually, all of which is offered to Hilltop neighbors during our programs and free Garden Markets. We also build and support backyard gardens for families on the Hilltop, encouraging them to develop gardening skills at their own homes. We employ Westside teens throughout the year to learn gardening, community outreach and leadership skills, fostering the next generation of food justice and urban agriculture changemakers. A hub of community activity, Highland Youth Garden has no barrier fence and is welcoming to everyone 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
Job description
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PROGRAM LEADERSHIP - 80%
- Oversees all aspects of garden planning, design, installation and maintenance with a focus on organic and no-till methods.
- Oversees development of new plots, such as new raised bed garden at 107 S. Wheatland Ave
- Oversees site composting program.
- Ensures soil testing happens on a regular basis.
- Ensures maintenance of all garden site components including high tunnel, water, electricity, and built structures
- Maintains records of plantings, designs and harvest.
- Prepares and posts weekly task and harvest lists for volunteers and other staff.
- Staff liaison for gardener networks in the area.
TEAM LEADERSHIP - 10%
- Leads planning, promoting, staffing, harvesting, and preparing for Garden Market (May - October plus Thanksgiving Market). Ensures needed statistics and contact information are collected from participants. HYG staff members will take turns supervising the market on a weekly basis.
- Oversees storage and donation of excess produce.
- Partners with the Manager of Out of School/Family Programs on the outreach, planning, promoting, staffing, installation and mentorship of Family Gardens.
- Supervises volunteers across the organization including maintaining Volunteer Local database and leading yearly appreciation event.
TEAM PARTICIPATION - 10%
- Supports other team members in education, gardening, safety and facility needs..
- Represents Highland Youth Garden positively and supports our mission in all interactions.
- Communicates via email, text messages and in-person regarding garden plans to HYG staff, volunteers, and Board.
- Mentors youth employees.
- Support community outreach projects to promote educational programming.
- Provide stories and photos for social media.
- Attends bi-monthly HYG board meetings and leads HYG Garden Committee meetings.
- Seeks out opportunities to participate in and contribute to community initiatives on the Hilltop and in the greater Columbus gardening/urban farming communities.
- Ensures expenditures are properly documented and fall within the HYG annual budget.
SUPERVISION AND REPORTING
- The Gardener Manager’s supervisor is the HYG Executive Director.
- Serve as Green Teens’ formal supervisor during the spring and fall months.
- Supervises PT Seasonal Gardener April - October
QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong knowledge of and formal experience with agriculture, minimum of 3 years.
- Commitment to and knowledge of organic and no-till methods.
- A passion for growing community and impacting others.
- Self-directed and flexible work style.
- Leadership abilities and strong communication skills.
- Desire to continuously develop skills and seek out new opportunities to help grow the organization’s impact.
- Ability to positively relate to children and mentor teens.
- Spanish fluency a plus
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Highland Youth Garden (HYG) is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all visitors, staff, board members, volunteers, and community members. HYG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. HIghland Youth Garden is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
Compensation this position is : hourly, varies DOE, $19.00 - $22.00 Application instructions Please click here to sign in and view application details.If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free! Deadlineno deadline