Jobs: Americorps Farm Crew & Farm Educators Sunnyvale, CA

Full Circle Farm is an 11-acre urban, educational farm nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley. Located on Santa Clara Unified School District land, our goals are to inspire curiosity about the natural world, cultivate environmental leadership, promote meaningful physical activity and a deep appreciation of fresh, healthy foods.  Full Circle Farm is a project of the non-profit organization of Sustainable Community Gardens.  Visit www.fullcirclesunnyvale.org or www.sustainablecommunitygardens.org to learn more. Full Circle Farm is pleased to announce Silicon Valley HealthCorps (AmeriCorps) positions related to farm production and garden/farm education.

Tweet

What is the Silicon Valley HealthCorps?
In an innovative new partnership, The Health Trust has joined together with AmeriCorps and nine local organizations to form the Silicon Valley HealthCorps. The goal of this collaboration is to use gardens, farm to school programs and the work of 46 AmeriCorps members to bring fresh fruits, vegetables and education to residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The program seeks to engage the community as active participants in promoting and sustaining community and school gardens, and to provide a coordinated, county-wide approach to expanding garden based learning. The program will also increase access to fresh produce through the development of new school and community gardens, low-cost farm stands, and by utilizing a farm-to-school model to increase the amount of fresh and local produce served in school lunches.

Farm Crew This position is ideal for a college student or recent graduate who would like to engage in hands-on learning of the practices and principles of sustainable agriculture for a cycle of seasons or a summer season.  The position involves working alongside Full Circle Farm staff and volunteers in the field to produce mixed vegetables and fruit for a diverse set of marketing avenues—an on-site Farm Stand, CSA, local Farmer’s Markets, festivals, the Santa Clara Unified School District and local restaurants.

Primary duties include soil/bed preparation, propagation, direct sowing and transplanting of crops, irrigation, weed control, integrated pest management, harvesting and other field related activities.  Americorps members will also assist with produce marketing and delivery, CSA coordination and Farm Stand sales.
Some experience involving organic vegetable and fruit production strongly preferred.  Applicants MUST be prepared for the demanding nature of farm work including: physical labor for prolonged periods of time, working in a variety of (hot/cold/wet) weather conditions and regular lifting of 50+ pounds.  1 Full Time Position
Term: 1 year, September 27, 2010-September 22, 2011
Work Schedule: Full time (with regular weekend commitments)
Age Requirement:18+ years of age
Language Requirement: Bi-lingual Spanish/English or Hindi/English a plus
Education Requirement: B.A. or B.S. preferred
Compensation: $16,000 annual stipend (distributed bi-weekly), plus $5,350 post service education award, access to farm fresh produce & health insurance
2 Full Time Summer Positions
Term: 3 months, June – August 31, 2011
Work Schedule: Full time (with regular weekend commitments)
Age Requirement: 18+ years of age
Language Requirement: Bi-lingual Spanish/English or Hindi/English a plus
Education Requirement: B.A. or B.S. preferred
Compensation: $4,000 annual stipend (distributed monthly), plus $1,415 post service education award and access to farm produce

Garden/Farm Educator This position is ideal for a recent college graduate who would like to spend a year learning about sustainable, educational agriculture. The position involves working with both youth and adults from diverse backgrounds and being an integral public face for the farm during our critical start up phase. Primary duties include 6th and 7th grade hands-on farm education, curriculum development, and assisting with educational workshops and tours. Other responsibilities include gardening, including propagation, irrigation, soil management, bed preparation, weeding, and harvesting. AmeriCorps staff will also assist with produce marketing and distribution, running the neighborhood farm stand, CSA coordination, and selling at local farmers markets as time permits.

Experience and enthusiasm in environmental and community education, classroom teaching, and working with kids are strongly preferred, but applicants with other related experience may apply. Applicants MUST be prepared for the rigors of farm work: long hours of heat & sun, regularly lifting 50+ pounds, and engaging in challenging labor over a sustained period.

2 Full Time Positions
Term: October 2010-September 2011
Work Schedule: Full time (with regular Saturday commitments)
Age Requirement: 18 years of age +
Language Requirement: Bi-lingual Spanish/English or Hindi/English a plus
Education Requirement: B.A. preferred
Program Benefits: $16,000 living stipend (distributed bi-weekly), $5,350 post service education award, access to farm produce and health Insurance

2 Quarter Time Positions
Term: October 2010-September 2011
Work Schedule: 12 hours per week, some Saturdays
Age Requirement: 18 years of age +
Language Requirement: Bi-lingual Spanish/English or Hindi/English a plus
Education Requirement: B.A. preferred, degree in progress acceptable
Program Benefits: $4,000 stipend distributed monthly, $1,415 post service education award and access to farm produce

Please direct inquiries to Katie Smith at katies@healthtrust.org or (408) 961-9899. Or visit www.healthtrust.or/svhealthcorps for more information.