Position Title: Vermont Harvest of the Month Program Manager
 

Supervisor: Farm To School Program Manager

Employee Status: Part-Time, Non-Exempt

Food Connects is an equal opportunity workplace that does not discriminate on the basis of disability or other legally protected categories. If an employee has a disability that makes it difficult to perform their job duties, they are encouraged to notify us to discuss reasonable accommodations. 

About Food Connects

Food Connects is a dynamic and quickly growing nonprofit organization based in Brattleboro, VT that delivers regionally produced food and educational and consulting services aimed at transforming regional food systems. Founded in 2013, Food Connects is a catalyst for food systems change by connecting the next generation with their food, regional farmers with new markets, and school chefs with regional food.

Position Summary

The Harvest of the Month (HOM) Program Manager’s primary responsibility is to manage the statewide Vermont Harvest of the Month program (VT HOM), with an emphasis on fostering collaboration and statewide networking opportunities as well as developing and disseminating educational resources. The person in this position works in collaboration with the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network and affiliated Farm to School organizations throughout Vermont. This position intersects with multiple departments within Food Connects. It is housed within the Food Connects FTS program working closely with the Food Connects Farm to School team and Marketing Department, as well as occasional collaboration with the Development Manager and the Food Hub Institutional Sales team. They have an integral role in supporting our organization’s mission to create healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities. 

This position is currently grant funded through June 2025 through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture with additional support through Shelburne Farms. The position will continue past this date pending additional funding. 

Core Competencies

• Building Collaborative Relationships 
• Written Communication
• Flexibility
• Thoroughness
• Time Management

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Statewide Harvest of the Month Program Management (10 hours/week)

• Conduct general program management (grant management, budgeting, workplan, etc), in collaboration with FTS Program Manager.
• Generate content for blog, newsletter, social media posts, and website development in collaboration with the Food Connects Marketing Department. 
• Conduct HOM program evaluation, grant-writing and fundraising in collaboration with FTS Program Manager and Food Connects Development Manager.
• Liaison with Food Hub sales team about FTS HOM efforts/matters, e.g. creation of new HOM crops and associated materials.

Harvest of the Month Statewide Networking Coordination: 5 hours/week

• Maintain a statewide network to support teachers and educators in collecting and sharing HOM activities and best practices.
• Promote the HOM program statewide among teachers, educators, non profits, farmers, and other relevant groups, especially to teachers and educators who are newly interested in getting involved in FTS.
• Act as a liaison to the Vermont Harvest of the Month partners, Green Mountain Farm to School, Vital Communities, VTFeed, Shelburne Farms and the VT FTS Network. Coordinate and organize statewide HOM meetings, including running monthly/quarterly meetings, setting agendas, and developing team projects.

Developing and Delivering Educational and Print Resources: 10 hours/week

• Connect with teachers and other educators to collect activities, lessons, curricula and resources to use in updating HOM materials.
• Oversee adaptation, updating and dissemination of HOM educational materials, including slideshows, fliers, curricula, taste test toolkit, professional development webinars, etc.
• Collaborate with Marketing Department and FH/FTS Institutional Sales to create and distribute HOM posters and calendars, as needed.
• Oversee and execute each year’s HOM project-level work (e.g., in 2024-25, updating HOM materials for equity and cultural relevance).
• Develop and run HOM workshops for teachers and educators at Farm to School and Early Childhood events and other professional development settings.

Additional Responsibilities

Travel throughout Vermont three to four times per year to support programming.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

Schedule:

• 25 hours per week within the range of approximately 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
• Occasional meetings and events on evenings and weekends (with plenty of advance notice).

Work Conditions: 

The Harvest of the Month Program Manager is based in the Food Connects office in Brattleboro with opportunities for remote work. We are willing to consider a remote arrangement for the right candidate, with a strong preference for a Vermont-based candidate.

Physical Demands:

• The ability to lift 50 pounds.
• This position entails frequent travel to numerous locations under various weather conditions. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications 

• Professional experience in education, nonprofit or public health sectors. 
• Experience in program management, particularly in educational settings.
• General knowledge of veggies, fruits, and other locally-produced items.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal (in person, over the phone, email, text, etc.).
• Excellent group facilitation skills. 
• Strong proficiency with Internet, spreadsheet use, Google suite; comfort with learning new software platforms.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and in the face of changing demands.
• Strong organizational skills and natural proclivity for keeping detailed records.
• Cheerful, professional presence. 
• Self-starter who can work well independently.
• Ability to work effectively with others in a team-oriented environment.
• Ability to quickly assess a situation and make necessary decisions; skilled at creative problem solving.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage workload in a fast-paced, ever-evolving work environment. 
• Reliable private vehicle for occasional regional travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with Farm to School programs, childhood nutrition issues, and/or the local food system.
• Experience providing professional development training to teachers and other educators in person and through webinars and other remote contexts.
• Knowledge of, or familiarity with, key State/Regional Farm to School partners, such as VT-FEED, Green Mountain Farm to School, VT Agency of Agriculture, Hunger Free VT, etc.
• Experience with graphic design and visual communications.