Open Position: Farmer Training Program Manager
Posted on May 7th, 2025
Position Description
Our mission is to grow food justice in Greater Portland by providing education, resources, and opportunities to cultivate and share culturally familiar food.
Founded in 2001, our place-based programs prioritize people most likely to experience hunger and be excluded from access to fresh food and land – including children, immigrants, people of color, elders, and those with limited resources.
Cultivating Community is seeking a part-time program manager who will develop, plan, and launch a new training model to support farmers in Cultivating Community’s Farming Program with training and technical assistance in farmer-requested topics. Working in coordination with farm staff and technical assistance in farmer-requested topics.
This position will also support farm administration, record-keeping, and data collection for the Farm Program. Funded by a three-year Northeast Sustainable Agriculture, Research & Education grant, this role has the possibility for evolution and expansion as funding allows.
Position Type: Part-time, year-round, 20 hours per week
Supervisor: Director of Farm Proograms, Executive Director
Compensation: $25/hour, full benefits, paid time off, cell phone use stipend
Department: Community Farms Program
Supervisee(s): Volunteers, training program participants, mentors, and advisory committee
Location: This is an in-person role based both at Hurricane Valley Farm in West Falmouth, ME, and Cultivating Community’s office in Portland, ME
Activities, Responsibilities, and Qualifications
Overview
- Implement a three-year Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) funded farmer training project, which entails:
- Leading workshops in year 1 (2025)
- Leading seasonal cohorts of farmer trainings in years 2 and 3 (2026 and 2027) based on farmer-identified topics
- Preparation and curriculum development for farming training cohorts will occur in 2025 and be ready to launch for the 2026 season
Community Partnerships and Outreach
- Convene quarterly farmer advisory committee meetings
- The advisory committee is agroup of 9 members of the local Southern Maine farming community, agricultural service providers, and community partners with keen knowledge of Hurricane Valley Farm. Their experience will guide the project design and implementation
- Support farmer training and technical assistance, including planning farm tours, workshops, etc.; including coordinating 3 seasonal workshops with community partners and agricultural service providers
- Assist with resource development projects, relationship building, and grant applications
Farm Program Work
- Support seasonal on-farm projects associated with farmer training (e.g. spring seedling operation, high tunnel maintenance, irrigation maintenance, demo plot care)
- Develop replicable curriculum and training materials to support learning cohorts as well as to strengthen overall technical assistance and training for the Farming Program
- Other tasks as assigned
Organizational Administrative Work
- Support federal and state grant budget management, tracking, and reporting in collaboration with Cultivating Community’s Director of Administration
- Participate in training, professional development, and other enrichment activities
- Support cross-program resource sharing, communication, and engagement
- Participate in organizational processes, including strategic planning, budgeting, and the timely submission of reimbursement and time-tracking reporting
- Other tasks as assigned
Desired Qualifications
- Strong organization and administrative skills
- Comfortable working with computers and experienced with Google Suite
- Excellent communication skills
- English language proficiency – written and spoken
- Intercultural work or lived experience
- Experience providing language support
- Education experience – teaching, training, and presenting
- Vegetable farming experience
- Ability to lift 50+ lbs
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
Other Skills (Desired but Not Mandatory)
- Knowledge of the agriculture service provider network and ecosystem
- Knowledge of and experience in nonprofit program development and management
- Language proficiency in any of the following: Maay Maay, Somali, French, Portoguese, Swahili, Lingala, and Kinyarwanda (primary languages spoken by CC farmers)
- Experience with federal grant management
- Fundraising, social media, storytelling, and/or communications experience
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a short statement of interest (1/2 page recommended) and a resume to hiring@cultivatingcommunity.org. Send questions to hiring@cultivatingcommunity.org or call 207-761-4769.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The ideal start date for this position is mid-June 2025.
We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and sustainable workspace. You can learn more about our values, vision, and mission here.
Cultivating Community does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, arrest record, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. All are encouraged to apply.
