Subject: Job Opportunity in Seattle: Community Garden Coordinator

From: John Barclay <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 14:33:20 -0500 (CDT)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 17:20:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: 'Ralph' S. Curran <[email-masked]>

Ralph Coolman
Seattle P-patch Program

     Dear Friends,

     Attached is a job announcement for a Community Garden Coordinator
     position with the Seattle P-Patch Program.  The position is for a
     project called Cultivating Communities.  The Community Garden
     Coordinator assists neighborhoods in Seatle's low-income housing
     projects in the development of both community and market gardens.  Our
     market gardens use public land to develop small scale Community
     Supported Agriculture enterprises that link the low-income community
     with the greater Seattle community.

     this is an exciting position that requires skills in community
     organizing, organic gardening, program development, grant writing and
     work with multi-cultural groups.  Please reply by July 5, 1996 with a
     resume and cover letter to:

     P-Patch Program
     7th Floor,
     Alaska Building
     618 Second Avenue
     Seattle, WA 98104-2232

               or

     [email-masked]

     Good Luck
     Ralph Coolman
     P-Patch Program

     June 24, 1996

     Dear Applicant:

     Thank you for your interest in the position of Community Garden
     Coordinator in our project "Cultivating Communities."  During the last
     two years we have worked with the ethnically diverse residents at four
     Seattle Housing Authority sites to build eleven community gardens and
     one Community Supported Agriculture garden, a cooperative business
     venture between consumers and gardeners. This project was created by a
     partnership of the P-Patch Program, Friends of P-Patch and the Seattle
     Housing Authority to meet a need at the housing sites.  Funding for
     the project, including salary, comes from multiple grant sources.

     This project will continue for two more years.  In the remaining time
     the focus of the project will shift from garden construction
     development to making the gardens and the CSA community managed
     efforts.

     Due to the current City hiring freeze. The coordinator will be hired
     as a temporary employee of the City of Seattle in the P-Patch Program.
      The position will start on August 12, 1996 and last until the end of
     the year. During this time we will begin the process for a permanent
     hire.  Holding the position as a temporary is helpful but no guarantee
     for permanent hire.  As a temporary hire there are no benefits, and
     salary is approximately $31,500/yr.

     If you wish to apply, please send a resume and cover letter of any
     length to P-Patch Program 7th Floor, Alaska Building, 618 Second
     Avenue, Seattle, WA  98104-2232, by July 5, 1996. In your cover letter
     please detail your experience with the minimum qualifications and
     position requirements listed on the attached job announcement.  If you
     have questions, please call 684-0264.

     Thank you for your interest.

     Sincerely,

     P-Patch Program Staff
     Friends of P-Patch Board

     JOB DESCRIPTION

     Coordinator for Community Garden and Community Supported Agriculture

     Job Title: Community Garden Coordinator for "Cultivating Communities"

     Proposed Start Date:  August 12, 1996

     Job:  Coordinate and develop self-reliance among eleven community
     gardens in the Seattle Housing Authority communities of Holly Park,
     Rainier Vista, Yesler Terrace and High Point and oversee transition of
     newly formed community supported agriculture (CSA) project into self-
     sustaining and community managed enterprise.

     Background:  "Cultivating Communities" is a four year collaborative
     project between Friends of P-Patch, a non profit organization, the
     Seattle P-Patch Program and the Seattle Housing Authority.  In phase
     one the project coordinator established 11 community gardens and a
     community-supported agriculture project that employs 7 SHA families
     and delivers produce to 15 to 20 subscribing families.  In phase two
     the focus will shift from development to helping the gardens and the
     CSA become community managed.

     Overall Responsibilities:

        Community Garden Responsibilities.  Work with gardeners to manage
     the gardens; coordinate and secure cooperation of participants in the
     project, including SHA residents, SHA administration, Neighborhood
     House, translators, Friends of P-Patch, and the P-Patch Program among
     others.  Since the gardens must be able to stand on their own at the
     end of the project, the coordinator will need to work with all
     participants to develop systems that will insure survival and
     continuity in the gardens.

        CSA Responsibilities:  Coordinate continuing growth and expansion
     of CSA, working toward goal of CSA becoming community managed and
     self-sustaining.  Facilitate development of relationship between
     subscribers and gardeners.  Implement training programs
     (horticultural, business and marketing) for gardeners.

        Additional responsibilities:  Work with Friends of P-Patch to
     develop  grant funding proposals.  The coordinator will develop the
     program proposal while Friends of P-Patch will manage grant writing.

     Specific Tasks:

     Community Gardens.

        (1)     In the remaining months of 1996, insure that gardens are
     tended, planted and bedded down for winter.  Recruit residents in
     order to continue developing the waitlist and to bring new people into
     gardens;

        (2)     In early 1997 coordinate start of the gardening season,
     meet with gardeners, recruit and place new gardeners, work with
     translators and interpreters where needed, pass out seeds and hold
     gardening workshops;

        (3)     Coordinate with gardening education organizations (Seattle
     Tilth, WSU/King County Extension) to offer workshops on organic
     gardening and provide education tours of community and demonstration
     gardens; and

        (4)     In remaining two years of project, work with gardeners and
     P-Patch Program and SHA to develop a system of self management for the
     gardens.

     Community Supported Agriculture Project

        (1)     In remaining months of 1996, continue to oversee
     production, subscription sales and management of CSA;

        (2)     Beginning in Fall of 1996, work with gardeners and
     subscribers to plan for 1997 production; also begin planning and
     development of system to insure long term viability; Work with
     gardeners and subscribers to expand subscriber waitlist and develop
     other marketing options;  Work with gardeners and subscribers to plan
     training programs in essential market garden skills, including among
     others, marketing, storage, preservation, delivery, sales, accounting.

     Other tasks:

        (1)     Create reports, include photo documentation, for grant
     makers, document project for possible publication as a model project.

     Minimum Qualifications:

        (1)     Demonstrated community organizing skills:  neighborhood
     organizing, community development or grass roots organizing;

        (2)     Demonstrated experience with collaborative work projects
     and the design and implementation of programs;

        (3)     Business development background, with CSAs a plus, but
     especially experience collaborating with others to develop a business;

        (4)     Organic food gardening skills: four years experience
     preferred, though two years of education in horticulture, agriculture,
     organic gardening or similar study, may substitute for one year of
     experience;

        (5)     Demonstrated sensitivity toward cultural diversity;

        (6)     Ability to work with limited supervision and a willingness
     to work some evening and weekend hours;

        (7)     Familiarity with grant proposal preparation and fundraising
     strategies;

        (8)     Computer skills including database management (Paradox) and
     word processing (Word for Windows or WordPerfect);

        (9)     Excellent written and oral communication skills;

        (10)    Valid Washington driver's license and insurance; and

        (11)    Ability to lift 50 pounds.

     Preferred Qualifications:

        (1)     Familiarity with local resources (gardening, community and
     other environmental);

        (2)     Fluency in a language found in the SHA housing sites
     including, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Laotian or Cambodian;

        (3)     Negotiation and problem solving skills with the ability to
     help individuals and the group overcome setbacks (undesirable activity
     or vandalism);

        (4)     Ability to provide safety training for gardeners and
     volunteers;

        (5)     Knowledge of working with a nonprofit board;

        (6)     Ability to work with and maneuver in large bureaucratic
     systems (SHA, City of Seattle);

        (7)     Ability to work within a budget creatively;