Snug Harbor Heritage Farm Associate

10-Week Full Time position | Staten Island, New York

Who We Are

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (“Snug Harbor”) offers dynamic programming in the arts, horticulture, agriculture, education and recreation for diverse cultures and all ages, on a historic, welcoming campus that is a unique oasis in New York City.  We envision being a nationally visible yet locally impactful cultural organization beloved by all who visit.  We value artistic vibrancy, stewardship, conservation, inclusion, community, communication and discovery.  Located less than 1.5 miles from the Staten Island Ferry and easily accessible by public transportation, Snug Harbor welcomes nearly 500,000 visitors each year to explore our gardens, grounds and galleries.  Our 83-acre campus features 26 architecturally significant buildings and 14 distinctive gardens, including a traditional Chinese garden and a Tuscan garden.  A vibrant cultural hub, Snug Harbor is also home to several non-profit institutions, artists’ studios and small businesses.  Founded in the 19th century as a charitable rest home for sailors, today Snug Harbor is a growing, must-see destination.

Snug Harbor Heritage Farm was established in 2012 to help feed, inspire, and educate the local community.  The 2.5 acre farm is cared for in an environmentally sustainable manner so that it will produce fresh fruits and vegetables for years to come.  The Heritage Farm has grown an average of 15,000 pound of produce over the past seasons, with more than 10% of produce contributed to soup kitchens and food pantries, and to our education programs. 

The VISTA Summer Associates Program helps city agencies and nonprofits continue to provide services for low-income and vulnerable New Yorkers over the summer.  Summer Associates are committed individuals who are passionate about service and interested in social justice issues.  These individuals spend ten weeks making a major impact on communities in New York City.  Summer Associates come from all walks of life.  Members address poverty and advance equity across NYC by building program capacity.  NYC Vista is administered through NYC Service, a division of the Mayor’s Office.For more information about the NYC VISTA program and available positions, please visit https://www.nycservice.org/initiatives/44.

The Position:

Snug Harbor Heritage Farm is one of NYC’s largest, serving as a sustainable production farm.  As Staten Island’s largest cultural organization and only botanical garden, Snug Harbor is a center of sustainable practice.  With COVID-19, Heritage Farm moved from serving Michelin-starred restaurants to focusing on our role within the hyper-local food system.  Farm Associates observe and support connections between the Farm and local food pantries, including produce donation and organics waste acceptance.  Associates will develop and support protocol and process managing produce donations and organics waste diversion throughout the borough.  Organic waste management is a crucial component of environmental sovereignty and community resiliency.  This position reports to the Farm Manager, with operations lines to the Director of Education & Engagement.  This position is a full-time, seasonal position.

Responsibilities:

  • Active member of the Heritage Farm team, participating in plant propagation, maintenance, harvest, and produce markets
  • Develop familiarity with Staten Island’s current and potential food systems stakeholders
  • Synthesize findings in a concise, action-oriented brief with an index of sites and stakeholders
  • Draft protocol and process to align Heritage Farm production and composting operations with local food pantries
  • Identify alignments between Heritage Farm food donation deliveries and organic waste capture at food pantries
  • Plan a targeted engagement program to increase borough-wide awareness of environmental issues associated with food systems, and introduce community members

Qualifications:

  • Passionate commitment to food systems and urban agriculture
  • Experience writing technical briefs as well as skilled in persuasive language
  • Strong communication skills
  • Strong interest in community organization and education
  • Commitment to developing leadership skills
  • English required, Spanish strongly preferred
  • Comfortable and capable of travelling throughout Staten Island
  • Capable of lifting at least 50 pounds regularly
  • Strong commitment to national service and the mission of the host agency
  • Desire to work in the government sector
  • Desire to serve with diverse communities
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills
  • Ability to conduct community outreach and make presentations to community groups
  • Willingness to take initiative to achieve goals
  • Strong project management/multi-tasking abilities
  • A clear plan for living on the AmeriCorps stipend in New York City
  • Availability to lead and/or attend events during evening and weekend hours if required by position (frequency varies by position)
  • Minimum high school diploma or equivalency
  • Ability to pass a criminal background check
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, Lawful Permanent Resident, or person legally residing in a state that has the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status. (By law, only VISTA members who are either: U.S. Citizens; U.S. Nationals; or Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens (sometimes referred to as “Lawful Permanent Residents”), are eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award in lieu of a cash stipend.)

TO APPLY

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=103880.

Snug Harbor celebrates and commits to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.  We value and seek the strengths of human variety across communities, in programming, with staff, the Board of Directors, volunteers, artists and visitors. Snug Harbor strives to build a culture of diversity of voice and representation, authentically inclusive spaces and equity for all. Snug Harbor is an Equal Opportunity Employer.