Summary
Under the direct supervision of the Farm Program Director (FPD), the Farm Program Assistant (FPA) is responsible for providing leadership and management of LEAFF (Local Emergency Assistance Farmer Fund). LEAFF is a program that purchases fresh produce from BIPOC farmers and donates it to hunger relief organizations throughout the Twin Cities Metro area. The FPA will be responsible for overseeing the movement of produce from eligible LEAFF farms from receiving to delivery at partner organizations. Other duties include assisting the FPD in providing technical assistance to farmers. Through our Farm Programs, TGA provides low or no-cost 1:1 technical assistance to farmers covering a wide range of topics, including farm production, business management, marketing, insect and disease management and fertility.

Responsibilities
LEAFF Receiving and Distribution (50%)
● Verify farmer program eligibility
● Check-in farmer deliveries and assist with unloading from farmers’ trucks
● Verify produce type, packaging and quality
● Accurately tally deliveries and check against farmer invoice, or write out invoice for farmer if they do not provide one
● Provide packaging to farmers who need it, and occasionally help farms repackage produce from harvest containers
● Move pallets of delivered produce into the warehouse and/or walk-in coolers
● Sort received produce by produce type
● Record farmer invoices in LEAFF database
● Enter farmer invoices into Accounts Payable system
● Upload accurate receiving totals to shared distribution spreadsheet
● Speak with distribution partners and record orders for produce
● Make open and honest decisions about who gets what when demand exceeds supply
● Build pallets based on orders received from partner organizations
● Make follow-up calls with organizations to verify what they will be receiving
● May be asked to help load trucks or make deliveries if needed

LEAFF Administration (25%)
● Keep up-to-date and accurate data on the farms and produce
● Communicate with LEAFF partners and FPD when problems arise
● Attend meetings of the LEAFF organizing committee and report on progress/outcomes
● Respond to farmer inquiries around invoice/payment matters
● Accurately record hours worked and report them to the office manager

Farm Program Assistance (25%)
● Assist FPD in providing technical support to farmers
● Provide language assistance with Hmong farmers when needed
● Assist in developing materials for farmer education
● Other duties as assigned Minimum Qualifications
● Commitment to The Good Acre’s mission
● Must be able to repeatedly lift 40-pounds to shoulder-height
● Familiarity with most produce, including Asian specialty crops
● Be comfortable and accurate with counting, multiplication, and adding
● Strong communication skills
● Familiarity with Google suite of applications is a plus
● Ability to work independently as well as being a supportive team player
● Must have a valid driver’s license

Desired Qualifications
● Fluent in spoken Hmong
● Farming experience
● Warehouse experience
● Comfortable working with people from different cultures

Compensation
$18-$21/hr, negotiable based on experience, minimum of 30 hours per week

Application instructions
Applications are due April 16, 2021. Please send a resume or list of relevant experiences to [email protected] In your email, please answer two questions
1. What excites you about working in local food or with local farmers?
2. Is there anything from your resume or past experience that will make you extra successful in this role?