About the California Program
Young Farmers’ California Program is designed to build political fluency, capacity, and leadership among California’s young farmers, particularly farmers of color. By listening to, resourcing, and supporting young farmers while retaining consistent relationships, we envision these farmers will have the confidence and tools to shape the future of agriculture in the state.

Young Farmers seeks a California Organizer to work directly with young farmers, primarily young farmers of color, to organize and advocate for a brighter, more equitable future for agriculture in the state. We are looking for a candidate who has some experience as an agricultural producer and is driven to build power among communities that have been excluded from policy making and formal structures of power. Our ideal candidate is bilingual in Spanish/English and is located in the Central Valley or Southern California. This is a full-time position but we can be flexible if an active farmer is interested in part-time work.

The National Young Farmers Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and veterans to apply.

Responsibilities

Project Management (10%)

• Implement, assess, and adapt projects to ensure successful farmer participation, resourcing, and engagement
• Participate in the Coalition’s National Organizing Team to design and implement innovative strategies in organizing, outreach, and engagement

Grassroots organizing & advocacy (45%)

• Establish and uphold relationships of accountability with farmers and connect them with resources and opportunities
• Help design and implement the California Young Farmer Platform by organizing and hosting farmer listening sessions, strategy workshops, legislative farm tours and roundtables, working closely with the California Campaigns Director
• Mobilize farmers to attend fly-ins, advocacy days, and workshops
• Focus on organizing with farmers of color and in historically underrepresented communities; this includes understanding structural barriers preventing equitable access to resources, technical assistance, and supportive policy, and mobilizing farmers and partners to strategically address those barriers
• Foster chapter development and farmer networking with support from National Chapter Manager
• Identify and build out interpretation and translation services
• Identify collaborative opportunities with organizations, groups, or individuals serving agricultural producers, particularly BIPOC-led organizations
• Represent the Coalition at events and conferences

Farmer leadership development (45%)

• Support the California Farmer Political Leadership Fellowship through curriculum development, coordination of an in-person retreat and trainings, and by providing one-on-one support to fellows during and following the fellowship
• Prepare farmers and fellows for lobby days, in-district meetings, and other engagement with legislative and agency officials and their staff
• Build strong, trusting relationships with community organizations and leaders who can mentor young farmers
• Create culturally-relevant, farmer-centered educational materials to increase farmer political fluency

Development (5%)

• Collaborate with Young Farmers staff on grant-writing and reporting
• Engage and inform current funders on our work

Qualifications

• Strong familiarity with California’s agricultural communities and organizations, with an emphasis on communities of color
• Demonstrated experience in grassroots organizing, advocacy or a related field
• Strong listener who approaches new communities with humility and accountability, and is able to build trust over time with diverse stakeholders
• Takes initiative to identify and carry out the work that needs to be done
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Bilingual English/ Spanish
• Able to travel frequently, including occasional evenings and weekends (as possible)
• Be located in the Central Valley or Southern California

An ideal candidate will also:

• Have experience in education or farmer training
• Have farming or ranching experience

Compensation

$46,000 – $56,250 based on location and experience;
Young Farmers offers a competitive benefits package, including health and dental insurance, retirement matching, sabbatical policy, and flex-time policy

How to apply

Send a cover letter and one-page resume to jobs@youngfarmers.org by July 10, 2020. Please put “California Organizer” in the subject line. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. No calls, please.