Beginning Farmer Program Assistant- CALS

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The CALS School of Integrative of Plant Science (SIPS) encompasses five fields: Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding & Genetics, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences. Combined there are 100+ faculty, ~200 undergraduate majors, 200+ graduate students in six fields, and 600+ other employees located in Ithaca, Geneva, and other satellite locations across New York State. The School offers a multidisciplinary undergraduate major in Plant Sciences and is also home to the Agricultural Sciences major. The Cornell Small Farm Program (SFP) engages in research and extension projects and collaborations that support and enhance the viability of small farms in New York. This position will support beginning farmer education and the Farm Ops Project, a SFP effort focused on supporting military veterans pursuing agricultural careers through training, support networks, and informational resources.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and up to 2 years of relevant experience in agriculture or equivalent combination.
Must have and maintain a valid NYS Driver’s License.
Must be able to meet travel requirements of the position, have reliable transportation and be willing to travel with occasional overnight trips being required.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Attention to detail and organizational skills are critical, as is ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate activities.
Demonstrated ability to manage time, tasks, resources and information efficiently to meet goals.
Excellent customer service skills; must work effectively with clientele.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience with social media platforms, internet and web development platforms.
Ability to work well and establish effective working relationships with a wide variety of collaborators and educators to ensure a high-quality and respectful work and training environment.
Must be able to work outdoors in all types of weather.
Will be expected to work flexible hours, occasional evenings, and weekends as job functions require.
Demonstrated experience working with agricultural and diverse communities.
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Analyze situations, evaluate risks, and choose the best course of action to achieve organizational goals.
Capacity to convey information clearly, concisely, and professionally across various formats.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and Power Point is required.
Ability to learn new tasks, remember complex processes, and work quickly and efficiently to complete duties independently while making timely decisions within a workflow.
Capacity to tune out distractions, such as office chatter, focusing on clients or data.
Ability to observe details, recognize patterns, and spot discrepancies or errors.
Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Nice To Haves

Appreciation of agriculture as a business and as a lifestyle.
More than 2 years of experience working with farmers and/or the agricultural community.
Prior Cornell experience, advanced familiarity with Cornell systems.
Project management experience.

Responsibilities

Assist in extending our resources to support those on active duty who want to farm after their service commitment.
Support development of resources and training available to meet the needs of veterans and others who have an interest in pursuing careers in agriculture.
Develop connections to establish collaborations with agricultural and non-agricultural veteran groups to create pathways that link veterans to broad agricultural support.
Support the implementation of farmer training and educational resources that address specific needs of beginning farmers and complement existing, established resources.
Demonstrate support and understanding of the beginning farmer and veteran audience through further development of existing communications platforms and messaging.
Facilitate communications to attract veterans and other aspiring farmers to project activities.
Schedule, coordinate, obtain and perform surveys and processing of program results; collect and evaluate data and run standard reports.
Participate in program planning and development.
Perform data entry, maintain databases and assist in development of standard procedures for collecting information, payment fees, and provide instruction.
Assist in planning and organizing logistics of workshops, conference and tours; maintain event calendars and keep track of participants/attendance and correspondence for programs.
Inform clients, stakeholders and community members of available educational and extension programs and services offered by community agencies and organizations.
Assist in developing new materials; select appropriate program or material for each client.
Maintain and update website and social media pages; identify information, tools, research and other related data for stakeholders.
Assist in the preparation of training and educational materials; coordinate requests for outreach resource documents such as fact sheets, newsletters and guides; maintain supplies and materials inventory.
Prepare, maintain, and demonstrate appropriate use of educational materials and lesson plans; conduct home visits and group presentations.
Assist in recruitment of program participants.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care options
Generous retirement contributions
Access to wellness programs
Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
Health and personal leave
Three weeks of vacation
13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
Two additional floating holidays
Tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program
Tuition aid for external education
Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program