ACORN Programs and Outreach Coordinator

Location: Middlebury, Vermont (hybrid model)

About ACORN: The Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN), founded in 2009, is a small non-profit with the mission to promote the growth and health of local food and agriculture in Vermont’s Champlain Valley by providing support to our farmers and food producers, engaging in food education and ensuring access to healthy food for all members of our community. From the Tour de Farms and Champlain Valley Guide to Local Food and Farms to the Farmacy Food as Medicine program and various Farm to School initiatives, ACORN is a catalyst for developing local, sustainable and collaborative solutions that adapt to community needs. We opened a Food Hub in Middlebury, VT that is a space for aggregation, storage and distribution for local producers.

This is a full time position! The Programs and Outreach Coordinator reports to the Executive Director of ACORN. The primary components of this position include marketing and outreach with food producers, food businesses, community partners and community members. The coordinator will work with ACORN’s ED on planning and program execution for current programming, as well as fundraising. A significant portion of this position’s workload can be handled remotely but the position will be based out of Middlebury. Special consideration will be given to candidates within a 1 hour driving distance of Middlebury.

Key Responsibilities:

1) Program Support:

Farmacy: Food is Medicine (Year Round)

• Be the liaison between the Farmacy food producers and ACORN on a weekly/monthly basis
• Create the weekly newsletters that are included in each week’s share
• Coordinate with medical care providers regarding communication and data collection with Farmacy participants
• Assist with the weekly CSA packing and distribution in Middlebury with the potential for making home deliveries as well
• Coordinate and facilitate Farmacy Committee meetings
• Oversee summer interns working with the program
• Oversee distribution of participant surveys
• Create tasty treat samples for each week’s share

Local Food and Farm Guide + Eat Local VT (January - June):

• Conduct annual producer outreach in the winter to ensure the guide and map listings are up to date via Constant Contact, email and phone.
• Update and format Directory Listings’ spreadsheet and CMS
• Write articles for the Guide as needed
• Be an active part of the Guide Committee that collaborates with the Addison Independent on guide layout, printing and distribution
• Oversee intern from Middlebury College assisting with guide creation

Tour de Farms (April - September) The coordinator and ED will collaborate to:

• Recruit, organize, and communicate with farms and food vendors participating in the Tour
• Recruit volunteers for day of and for preparation of the event
• Write and submit press releases to media outlets 
• Find, procure, and maintain relationships with local sponsors
• Coordinate with the towns the Tour rides through to answer safety and traffic needs.
• Coordinate traffic and safety needs with a certified flagging company and local police, if necessary
• Coordinate day-of activities for the Tour
• Ensure that proper insurance coverage is provided by the farms and that the towns, ACORN, and its board and officers are adequately insured
• Work with the ACORN Executive Director to ensure the Tour is professionally advertised via posters, postcards, social media and other media outlets
• Represent ACORN at planning and farm meetings
• Meet with the ACORN Tour de Farms committee on a monthly basis and contact members of this committee to assist with issues related to the organization of the Tour
• Serve as day-of event manager, ensuring the smoothness of the event

Annual Appeal + Annual Meeting (October - January)

• Develop support materials for ACORN’s annual fundraising appeal
• Promote ACORN’s Annual Appeal to the Network and to the community (November - January)
• Manage communication with donors including handwritten thank you cards for major donors and emails for everyone else
• Assist with the planning, marketing and organizing of ACORN’s Annual Meeting in November in collaboration with ACORN’s Executive Director

2) Marketing and Communications: The Coordinator supports ACORN’s Executive Director with web development, marketing and communications. At individual events, the Coordinator may be responsible for staffing, logistics and volunteer coordination.

• Handle incoming phone calls and emails
• Work with the ED to manage and update the ACORN website
• Assist with the creation of marketing materials (ads, posters, logos, photos, press releases)
• Manage ACORN’s social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, Front Porch Forum, Linktree)
• Keep network database current in Constant Contact

3) Development:

• Support the ED with ACORN fundraising, sponsorship recruitment and grant writing/reporting
• Manage database of all people/organizations actively solicited
• Track project data and create reports to support development efforts

• Attend state and regional events for outreach and networking purposes (1-2x/month)

   

We know it's impossible to convey every single task for a particular job in a single job post. Our hope is that as we work together we can use this job as a starting point so that your role can evolve over time and we can adjust your job description accordingly.

• Preferred Qualifications:
• Enthusiastic about the mission of ACORN, sustainability, food justice and committed to being part of a dynamic, growing community-focused organization.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn about, our local food system. Existing relationships with Champlain Valley producers and buyers is a plus.
• A proficient communicator with strong written and verbal skills. An interest in and passion for marketing and public relations will be useful!
• A self-starter capable of working without direct daily supervision.
• Personable, customer-oriented, comfortable while interacting with a broad range of people, and willing to problem-solve.
• Capable of handling many tasks and managing several priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent time management and record keeping.
• Comfort calling food producers, buyers and potential sponsors/advertisers is a must!
• Proficient in the use of Squarespace, Google Workspace, Slack, Constant Contact, Canva, and Zoom. Able to learn new computer-based software quickly and thoroughly.

• Valid driver’s license and ability to lift 40 pounds.

   

More Details about the Position:

• Hours of work are flexible, with some nights and weekends required for meetings and special events.
• Many meetings will be done virtually using Zoom.
• Travel within the state will be required. A personal car, computer, cell phone and stable home internet is required in this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ACORN is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity of experience and perspective to enrich our work. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, crime victim status, health coverage status, HIV status, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.