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SalaryFarmers Market Assistant
This is a unique opportunity working on Markets around the City of New Haven with two established non profits, City Seed and Common Ground, in a shared position. This position will work to support market activities with CitySeed and Common Ground in order to support farmers and increase food access around New Haven. The position will work approximately 10 hours a week with CitySeed and 15-18 hours per week with the Common Ground Mobile Market. *Hours vary depending on the season. Details about responsibilities with each organization are outlined below.
City Seed Farmers Market Assistant Responsibilities
CitySeed’s mission is to engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development and sustainable agriculture. CitySeed launched New Haven’s first FARMERS MARKET in 2004, and became the first FARMERS MARKET in Connecticut to accept and double SNAP benefits. Since then, we’ve grown to run a network of markets that support Connecticut farmers and food businesses year-round, while providing food access in neighborhoods across the city. For more about CitySeed and our mission visit our website: www.cityseed.org
The Assistant Farmers Market Manager is responsible for managing the Edgewood Park Farmers’ market, which runs on Sundays May through November. Responsibilities include supervising and training volunteers at the market, working with the community, and administering the Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP). They are also responsible for monitoring the markets’ health and coming up with strategies to improve the markets for customers and vendors alike and will be involved in strengthening partnerships and programming at the market.
Expectation of hours for City Seed are approximately 10 hrs/week April through December.
Responsibilities for City Seed Market Management:
- Operate the Sunday, Edgewood Park Farmers Market, including driving the market van, setup and breakdown of tents and table displays, special events and programming, vendor and customer management, supervision of volunteers and youth workers, merchandise sales, and vendor checkout process
- Run SNAP transactions on a wireless terminal at the markets.
- Answer questions about CitySeed markets and programs, including SNAP Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP)
- Collect and input DVCP and vendor transaction data on reporting sheets
- Communicate and resolve issues with partners, vendors, and customers in a mature and positive manner
- Communicate with farmers about products for market and relay availability of product in market reports.
- Assist the Market Manager in contacting, scheduling, and setting up vendors, special guests and events at the markets as needed
- Supervise and train interns, volunteers, and youth workers at markets
- Ensure compliance of city, state, and CitySeed regulations, policies, and guidelines
- Attend additional events as necessary to represent CitySeed
- Uphold and communicate CitySeed’s mission
- Post on social media outlets including Instagram and Facebook on market days.
- Attend weekly staff meetings held on Tuesdays online or in-person
Common Ground Mobile Market Assistant Responsibilities
July-November 2024
Common Ground is home to a charter high school, a non-profit urban farm and an environmental education center. The site includes 20 acres of forested hiking trails, wildlife and diverse natural habitats, and a working farm that includes production and education gardens and a variety of farm animals. Common Ground is a center for learning and leadership, inviting people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, grow into their full potential, and contribute to a just and sustainable world.
The Mobile Market is a farmstand on wheels that brings fresh produce from Connecticut farms directly to New Haven neighborhoods. From July-Early November, the Mobile Market visits areas throughout New Haven that face food insecurity and don’t have access to FARMERS MARKETs or fresh fruits and vegetables at local stores. This season the Market is in partnership with CitySeed, Elm City Communities, New Haven Public Library, Alder Honda Smith, and Cornell Scott Hill Health Centers. For more information about the Common Ground Mobile Market please visit https://commongroundct.org/common-grounds-mobile-market/
The Market Assistant is responsible for supporting the Market Coordinator in running multiple Mobile Market stops July-Early November. Non Market responsibilities include picking up produce for the stand at local farms, collecting data at stops, some data entry and weekly outreach activities.
Expectation of hours for the Common Ground Mobile Market are approximately 15-18 hrs/week July through Mid November.
Responsibilities for Common Ground Mobile Markets:
- Day of: Support the Market Coordinator in driving the Mobile Market truck to the scheduled sites, setting up tables, displaying produce and interacting with customers to promote fresh, seasonal eating, explain WIC and FMNP benefits, SNAP Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP) and selling produce.
- Staff Supervision: Support staff and Summer Farm Interns in market activities in the absence of the Mobile Market Coordinator.
- Administration: Pick up produce for the stand at local farms, collecting data at stops, some data entry.
- Outreach assistance: Hanging flyers in key neighborhoods, dropping flyers off to relevant community centers, posting yard signs at stop locations.
Required Qualifications Valid CT driver’s license
- Customer service experience
- Proven communication, conflict resolution and creative problem solving skills
- Computer skills (such as Word, Excel, Square, Google Sheets and Calendars)
- Ability to lift objects weighing up to 50lbs, work in inclement weather conditions, and drive a van
- Conversational Spanish strongly preferred as some locations are predominantly Spanish-speaking.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise volunteers, interns and youth
Desired Qualifications
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Ability to work effectively under time constraints and stressful situations
- Ability to prioritize tasks
- Experience working with and/or desire to work with farmers and prepared food vendors
- Passion for community-level food systems and a commitment to racial and economic justice
- Enthusiasm for connecting communities through food
- Knowledge of seasonal produce
Compensation and Schedule
- This position is part-time starting at the beginning of April, working 10-23 hours a week depending on the time of year.
- Pay is $18/hour.
- This is a seasonal part-time position:
- April-June: The position starts in April with CitySeed at approximately 10 hours per week.
- July 1-November 15th: The position will expand to include training and responsibilities with Common Ground and hours will increase to approximately 23 hours per week.
- November 15th -December: The position will return to working only with CitySeed and approximately 10 hours per week.
- Tentative Schedule:
- Tuesday: Afternoon (10 am-2pm) CitySeed Staff Meeting; 2:45PM CG Market
- Thursday: Mid morning or late afternoon CG Market
- Friday: Mid morning or late afternoon CG Market
- Sunday: CitySeed Market (8 am to 2 pm)
- Some non-market responsibilities have flexible hours (e.g. Common Ground meetings, outreach, produce pick up) and some Mobile Market times may vary with clear notice.
- Applicants will be notified if there are any changes to the program. If you are interested in ONLY the CitySeed OR Common Ground Mobile Market part of the position, please indicate this on your application. There is potential for us to hire for these positions separately for the right candidates.
Please send resume and cover letter or any questions to mobilemarket@nhep.com and kaitlyn@cityseed.org by March 8th.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Common Ground is committed to the recruitment and retention of staff that is reflective of the communities we work with. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, people whose native language is something other than English, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
It has been the policy and will continue to be the strong commitment of the Common Ground and all contractors and subcontractors who do business with Common Ground to provide equal opportunities in employment to all qualified persons solely on the basis of job-related skills, ability and merit. Common Ground will continue to take Affirmative Action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, mental disorder (present or past history thereof) age, physical disability (but not limited to blindness), marital status, intellectual disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and criminal record. Such action includes, but is not limited to, employment, promotion, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, professional development, attendance at conferences or other opportunities for advancement. Common Ground, its contractors and subcontractors will continue to make good faith efforts to comply with all federal and state laws and policies which speak to equal employment opportunity. The principles of Affirmative Action are addressed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the United States Constitution, Civil Rights Act of 1866, 1870, 1871, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VI and VII of the 1964 United States Civil Rights Act, Presidential Executive Order 11246, amended by 11375, (Non-discrimination under federal contracts)
Discrimination against Criminal Offenders (46a-80), definition of Blind (46a-51(1)), definition of Physically Disabled (46a-51(15)), definition of Intellectual Disability (46a51(13)), cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (46a-77), Sexual Harassment (46a-60(a)-8), Connecticut Credit Discrimination Law (360436 through 439), Title I of the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972. This Affirmative Action Policy Statement re-affirms Common Ground’s commitment to equity in the workplace and the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity.
