CLOSED: Job Announcement: Farm to Table Coordinator (12-month contract)

PSFN is no longer accepting applications for this position.  Thank you for your interest.

 

Farm to Table Coordinator (12-month contract)

Puget Sound Food Network

City of Seattle-King County Public Health announced the 2010 award recipients who applied for $8.9 million in Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grants from the HEAL (Healthy Eating/ Active Living) Community Grant Program.

The Northwest Agriculture Business Center’s Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN) received partial funding to participate as a partner in a CPPW funded project led by Seattle Human Services Aging and Disability Services. This Farm to Table partnership is focused on connecting local food to Seattle’s least served communities through Congregate/Home Delivered Meal Program programs. The scope of this project is to make healthy foods affordable for senior meal programs and childcare centers by cooperatively purchasing fresh local produce through a Farm to Table partnership.

PSFN is seeking Farm to Table Coordinator to act as “benevolent broker” to help improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income adults.

It will be the PSFN Farm to Table Coordinator’s responsibility to identify local food sources, negotiate pricing and create solutions that will lead to opportunities for expansion in Puget Sound and modeling in other cities, especially underserved communities. PSFN will be tasked with tracking and reporting our contributions to this project, identifying key obstacles, and recommending solutions for future endeavors. The project’s full duration is twenty months starting September 2010, however the Farm-to-Table Coordinator will be hired as one-year term contractor.

Position Scope:

  • Identify local farm sources for fresh produce, including, where applicable, ethnically diverse producers including Hispanic, Hmong, and other minority farm communities as resources/partners.
  • Facilitate and assist the Agency partners (senior nutrition and child care providers) in ways to order more local fresh produce for their programs.
  • Survey Agency partners about real and perceived needs, what products they want to buy, and relevant product specifications. Communicate with Agency partners on product volumes and pricing and assist with ordering produce with the goal of agencies establishing cooperative ordering processes.
  • Collaboratively work with WSDA staff on interpreting assessment of Agency partners and consolidating the administrative costs associated with procurement
  • Work closely with PSFN’s Farm to Community Coordinator and communicate all project related interactions and transactions with farmers and Agency partners, identify areas of opportunity and obstacles, assist with making recommendations for expansion
  • Pilot the ordering of produce from local farmers with 4 agency partners (Chicken Soup Brigade, Catholic Community Services, A child care provider, and Senior Services/Pioneer Human Services).
  • As needed, assist coordination of distribution and storage logistics of full and/or consolidated lots between transaction participants.
  • Represent PSFN at regular Farm to Table Project meetings with Agency partners and CPPW coalition gatherings.  Attend NABC staff meetings when required.
  • Assist PSFN’s Farm-to Community Coordinator with project research and report writing and communicating all activities related to the project.
  • Submit monthly progress reports to grant funding contracts office

Desired Qualifications:

  • Career experience (10+ years) in foodservice distribution as a broker or in institutional cooperative purchasing.
  • Comfortable with picking up the phone and calling companies and farmers (experience working directly with Washington farmers is desired).
  • Knowledge about issues related to food systems redesign, regional food security, public health and preserving farming in our region.
  • Respectful colleague with a talent for getting along well with a variety of people and in many types of settings is highly preferred.
  • Ability to work independently without supervision while still being able to think and act as part of a team of collaborators working towards a common goal.
  • Must be willing to utilize your own home office space and equipment (including computer and cell phone) for this position. This position requires a solid working knowledge of mainstream computer software (MS Office), relational databases (web-based systems, etc.) and other technical communication devices (i.e. cell phone, handheld GPS)
  • Must have current Washington drivers license and be willing to use your own form of transportation. This position includes minimal in-state travel. Mileage and other regular travel expenses reimbursed.

The Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN), a project of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, is building a supply chain support system that combines technology and professional staff to increase the production, distribution, and consumption of food and other agricultural goods produced in the region. PSFN helps retail stores, restaurants, institutions and consumers locate and receive local product in the varieties and quantities needed at competitive prices. The mission of the Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN) is to increase the production, distribution, and consumption of regionally produced food.

Interested candidates please submit a brief but descriptive cover letter and current resume to the attention of Lucy Norris, Project Manager, Puget Sound Food Network. Resumes will be accepted by email only to jobs@agbizcenter.org between Tuesday, October 5 and Thursday, October 14. More information about PSFN can be found at www.agbizcenter.org or by writing info@agbizcenter.org.

Contract Term: 11/1/2010 through 12/31/2011

Location: Telecommute only within King County (Washington)

Salary: Wages are commensurate with experience and capabilities