Southeast Engagement and Support Specialist (KY)

AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST•Lexington, KY

15h•$70,000 - $75,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Through a Pilot Umbrella Agreement (PUA) partnership with the Kentucky Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Kentucky based Southeast Engagement and Support Specialist helps farmers, landowners, and other program participants to increase familiarity and understanding of Farm Bill Conservation Programs and practices; and to facilitate program participation and practice adoption. Position Summary The Kentucky based Southeast Engagement and Support Specialist will build and strengthen relationships with farmers/landowners in Kentucky. They will engage with farmers to increase understanding, access to conservation programs and adoption of conservation practices and assist with overcoming any impediments to participation and implementation. The ideal outcome will be farmers/landowners who are well prepared and comfortable moving to the next steps in the conservation planning and Farm Bill program application processes.

Requirements

8+ years of professional experience, working with farms/farmers, in land stewardship, or land management positions.
A BA or BS degree in a directly related field may be substituted for up to 4 years of work experience.
A deep working knowledge of agriculture, conservation, and an understanding of the culture of farmers and farming.
A strong background in farmer and/or community engagement, including experience building networks, engaging stakeholders, and organizing events for farmers, landowners, agricultural professionals, and partners.
Experience developing and implementing engagement strategies and creating compelling communication tools.
Excellent customer service, communication (meeting facilitation, phone, writing, partner relations), and interpersonal, record keeping, and task management skills.
Ability to see the big picture while being incredibly detail oriented.
Success in roles requiring simultaneous management of multiple priorities and processes under tight timelines is important.
A valid US driver’s license and access to reliable transportation.
Passion and belief in American Farmland Trust’s mission and impact.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience and familiarity with USDA-NRCS Farm Bill and other conservation programs and conservation practices is strongly preferred
Experience working with a wide array of agricultural and conservation professionals, e.g. state and federal agencies, farmers and farmland owners, soil and water conservation districts, commodity organizations, conservation organizations, and grassroots agriculture organizations is especially valuable

Responsibilities

Work to foster improved and expanded relationships between AFT, NRCS, conservation partners and wide-ranging agricultural audiences, building mutual trust and understanding and facilitating open dialogue.
Partner with stakeholders and producers to build trust, understanding and transparency regarding conservation planning, land protection, and programmatic processes.
Seek to identify and understand public concerns, misconceptions, impediments, etc. and provide feedback, analysis, and potential solutions which can lead to greater awareness of NRCS and other financial and technical assistance, and increased submission of eligible applications.
Assist NRCS in identifying farmers and landowners who may be unfamiliar with or have limited experience participating in USDA-NRCS programs and/or practice implementation; and developing a strategy to engage these audiences.
Assist NRCS with the development of publications, talking points, presentations and other materials to target the varied needs and priorities of NRCS clients around the state of Kentucky.
Assist NRCS with provision of farmer engagement opportunities to explain NRCS programs and priorities, the conservation planning process and purpose, and practices relevant to the target audience.
Assist community-based organizations, RC&D Councils, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and others with the activities to promote and encourage participation in NRCS programs.
As needed, assist AFT with engaging farmers and landowners in Kentucky to identify the needs, experiences, and desired outcomes for farms.
Work with AFT Southeast Regional staff and partners to develop and disseminate surveys, host focus groups, and interview farmers to collect relevant data
Support data analysis and program development
Assist with hosting of workshops and events for farmers and landowner. Provide pre-application/pre-planning and at-risk technical assistance to current and potential program participant farmers and landowners.
Provide detailed explanations of the program application and conservation planning processes, program eligibility and FSA eligibility. Assist with eligibility documentation/certification and serve as liaison with USDA and partner agencies.
Provide detailed explanations of the program application and conservation planning processes, program eligibility and FSA eligibility. Assist with eligibility documentation/certification and serve as liaison with USDA and partner agencies.
As needed work with producers to identify problems and opportunities and determine preliminary objectives, begin inventory of resources (steps 1 through 3 of the conservation planning process) and facilitate transition to field office staff for continued technical support.
When applicable, assist NRCS with providing targeted intervention for clients who may need additional support to implement planned practices (e.g. difficulty securing contractors, approaching deadlines, contract modification needed, etc.). Work with these farmers to identify impediments to project completion and assist in securing the appropriate support to achieve a resolution.
Develop and compile extensive notes on all interactions with farmers and landowners for documentation in the producer’s file.
Attend meetings and training with AFT, NRCS and other partners for professional development and to learn, gather data, and record information.
Maintain records of work accomplishments for reports related to all agricultural programs and assistance.
This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to request other or different duties be performed as assigned.

Benefits

Insurance coverage begins the 1st of the month following the date of hire.
Medical & Prescription Coverage
Dental Coverage
Vision Coverage
Company Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Voluntary Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Healthcare & Dependent Care
Health Savings Account (HSA)
401k Plan
Sick Leave: Regular full-time employees accrue 13 “sick days” per year.
Vacation Leave: Accrue 15 days during the first year increasing by one day per year to 20 days per year maximum.
Holidays: AFT observes twelve fixed holidays and a week between Christmas and New Years off during the year (all offices closed) plus a choice of up to three (depending on hiring month) floating holidays.