Welcome! We currently have two openings:
Twin Cities Urban Agriculture and Gardening Steering Committee
Twin Cities Urban Agriculture Initiative Co-Manager
Twin Cities Urban Agriculture and Gardening Steering Committee
Background:
In partnership with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Renewing the Countryside (RTC) is stewarding a Twin Cities urban agriculture and People’s Garden* initiative that aims to create synergies between related networks and initiatives (including the USDA’s new urban agriculture service center) to help metro-area farmers and gardeners access the resources they need to flourish. This initiative will be led by a steering committee composed of 10 or more people working on different aspects of urban agriculture and community gardens, with at least 25% of the committee being directly involved in urban agriculture or urban gardening and 40% identifying as Black, Indigenous, and/or People Of Color (BIPOC). For the purposes of this initiative, urban agriculture and gardening refers to growing food/fiber, nursery stock, and/or medicinal or landscaping plants in the greater Twin Cities Metro area (within 60 miles of Minneapolis or St. Paul).
* USDA People’s Gardens are characterized by: 1) benefiting the community, 2) being collaborative, 3) educating the community, and 4) incorporating sustainable practices.
RTC has been entrusted with this stewardship role to:
- Reach out to urban farmers and the urban agriculture community to better understand people’s experiences, needs, and goals, and to foster collaboration
- Administer 3 urban agriculture and gardening mini-grant programs for: (1) urban farmers, (2) People’s Gardens, and (3) urban-agriculture-serving organizations
- Hold a series of field trips to urban farms and gardens
- Facilitate urban farmer micro-business training
- Support cultural competency and anti-oppression training for urban-agriculture-serving organizations
- Provide support for farmers to access USDA programs/services
- Provide support for farmers to access urban farmland
Steering Committee Responsibilities:
- Provide overall guidance on initiatives as outlined above
- Facilitate partnerships across the metro area to support urban agriculture and urban gardening
- Oversee the development of three separate grant-funded programs: 1) one for urban farmers; 2) another for People’s Gardens, and 3) a third for organizations. The steering committee will develop and approve an application/selection process for each program, and select individuals to serve on the review panel
- Meet 4 times/year and be responsive to periodic communication between meetings, around 20-40 hours/year commitment
- Work with RTC to provide feedback to USDA on urban agricultural needs
- Serve in this role for 1 year, renewable up to 3 years
Qualifications:
- Collaborative attitude and willingness to work as a team
- Patience working with bureaucratic structures (whose staff are willing to learn)
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Current or previous experience working in, and knowledge about:
- any aspect of urban agriculture and gardening, especially focusing on the Twin Cities, including: land access, growing techniques, business and/or food donation, educational programming, conservation practices, soil remediation, urban agriculture policy
- Experience overseeing grant programs is a plus
A Note to Potential Candidates:
The qualifications above serve as a guide for knowledge and capabilities that will be helpful in this position rather than a list of requirements that each candidate must meet. If you are interested, please apply whether you feel you meet every qualification or not. We recognize that every person has a unique and dynamic set of experiences and skills that can positively contribute to our efforts. We appreciate each individual’s strengths and encourage learning and growing into roles at a comfortable pace.
Compensation:
$750 per year per steering committee member
Steering committee nomination process:
The group selected should be broadly representative of the urban farming community throughout the greater Twin Cities Metro Area. We seek diverse representation in terms of: (1) geography, culture, race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion; (2) ways of being involved in urban farming at the levels of individual, community, or agency; and (3) areas of concern, including community and youth engagement, environment, economic justice, and racial and ethnic equity.
Please consider nominating yourself or someone else to participate on the steering committee. If you are nominating yourself, please answer the following questions in your format of choice (for example: a short video recording, a written response, or a short interview/conversation). If you are nominating someone else, please let us know their name, why you think they should serve on this committee, and provide their contact information so we can follow up with them.
- Tell us about your experience with urban agriculture.
- Tell us about your experience with, or commitment to, social justice.
- What is your vision for urban agriculture in the Twin Cities?
- Why do you want to participate in this steering committee, and what are your goals?
- What are the main skills, qualities, and/or perspectives that you would bring to this leadership team?
How to apply:
Please submit your written or recorded responses to these questions by September 15, 2023.
If you would like to schedule an interview as a way to answer the five questions above, please contact us ASAP or by Monday, August 28, at the latest, and plan to be available the weeks of August 28, Sept 4, or Sept 11 for a 30-minute recorded conversation (probably by phone or video) with someone from our planning team.
Note that if we get an abundance of applications, we may ask if you are willing to serve (in a compensated way) in one of the other roles needed to make these programs work, such as proposal reviewer, field day facilitator, or resource connector.
For more information and to nominate yourself or someone else, contact: [email protected].
Twin Cities Urban Agriculture Initiative Co-Manager
Job Description:
Renewing the Countryside (RTC) seeks a half-time Project Co-Manager to support our Urban Agriculture partnership with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). This role involves project coordination, collaboration with multiple public and private actors, and direct outreach and engagement with urban farmers, gardeners, and community partners. The successful candidate will have experience with urban agriculture, rootedness in the Twin Cities, a collaborative spirit, and a demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial equity and justice.
RTC’s mission is to cultivate and support vibrant, sustainable and equitable communities. Since 2002, we have served as connectors and facilitators, bringing together community members to advance ideas that contribute to economic, social, and environmental wealth. At RTC, we have a clear vision: to be an organization where talented people want to come, to stay, and to do their best work. We deeply value a diverse group of staff in creating an inclusive and collaborative environment, and engaging in work that promotes equity.
Location:
This urban agriculture initiative encompasses the greater metropolitan area of the Twin Cities. We anticipate this position mostly working from home (and potentially in a St. Paul office space that we anticipate opening in 2023), and in close coordination with another co-manager, the project team, and a community steering committee.
Hours:
Half time: 20 hrs/wk. Additional hours and responsibilities may become available depending on skill set and funding.
Compensation:
$28/hr based on experience. Dental and health benefits, paid time off, sick leave, and parental leave are offered in proportion to full time status.
Tasks:
- Support partnership building across the Twin Cities urban agriculture landscape, including public agencies and offices, non-profit organizations, urban farmers, gardeners, coops, businesses, and others
- Convene and facilitate a variety of group conversations, such as team meetings, stakeholder meetings, outreach events, and listening sessions
- Develop and support a community steering committee
- Coordinate the development and rollout of microgrant and organizational subaward opportunities
- Coordinate training and professional development programs for urban farmers and organization staff
- Analyze project progress in relation to project requirements, and provide guidance on tasks, deliverables, project evaluation, and reporting
- Additional tasks as needed to support RTC’s role in the development and stewardship of this Twin Cities urban ag initiative
Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Twin Cities urban agriculture environment
- Knowledge about any aspect of urban agriculture and gardening, such as: land access, growing techniques, business and/or food donation, educational programming, conservation practices, soil remediation, USDA programming, and urban ag policy
- Demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice and equity
- Comfortable collaborating with people from a variety of backgrounds and willing to be accountable to the communities they engage with, and to lead or participate in reconciliation or conflict resolution
- Experience managing projects and facilitating meetings
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- High degree of organization, attention to detail, and persistence
- Comfort with computer technology, including Google applications (Drive, Docs, Spreadsheets), Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel), and video conferencing platforms
- Preferred: familiarity/experience managing a grants program
- Preferred: language skills in Hmong, Swahili, Spanish, or other language
A Note to Potential Candidates:
These qualifications serve as a guide for knowledge and capabilities that will be helpful in this position rather than a list of requirements that each candidate must meet. If you are interested, please apply whether you feel you meet every qualification or not. We recognize that every person has a unique and dynamic set of experiences and skills that can positively contribute to our efforts. We appreciate each individual’s strengths and encourage learning and growing into roles at a comfortable pace.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by email to: [email protected]. We will begin reviewing applications by August 28, and the position will remain open until filled.
Renewing the Countryside provides equal opportunity for employment and condemns discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other factor. We are committed to equity and strongly encourage people who are BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, and/or from other underrepresented or marginalized communities to apply.