Eco3.21 New Roots Farm Developer VISTA

Eco3.21 New Roots Farm Developer VISTA

New Roots, which is located near Dilworth, MN is currently supporting 15 farmers or farm families, 14 of which are New Americans from Bhutan, Congo or Burundi. New Roots is sponsored by Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society, a ND nonprofit with a regional sustainable farming membership base primarily in ND, SD, and MN. Headquartered in Moorhead, NPSAS promotes sustainable food systems through education, advocacy, and research. These food systems work to address rural poverty through building strong networks and capacity among immigrant communities. The VISTA will be primarily focused on developing program materials, resource lists, and business development curriculum to serve refugee and immigrant farmers as they develop their businesses. The VISTA member will work with NPSAS staff to provide individualized coaching and assistance to each farmer and use these coaching experiences to develop a model framework and curriculum that can be replicated in other communities. In some cases, the coach will work with the assistance of an interpreter. Additional barriers for some farmers include literacy in either English or their native language. The ideal Farm Business Development Coach will be an individual who complements their basic knowledge of bookkeeping systems and use of simple systems such as an Excel spreadsheet with a genuine interest in assisting others to attain their goals. Flexibility and goodwill are required, since some or most of the communication will also include the additional barriers associated with use of technology such as Zoom. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here.

Member Duties : 1) Survey and interview beginning farmers to understand skills, previous experience, and needs regarding the development of a business plan. 2) Assist in training each individual with NPSAS staff; identify training resources to support an individualized goal planning process; develop a toolkit of available resources that includes addressing learning barriers such as English language proficiency and literacy. 3) Recruit and match participants to volunteers and facilitate farmer connection to SCORE Volunteers; Minnesota Department of Agriculture; USDA Farm Service Agency regional/local staff. 4) Develop communications strategies to highlight NPSAS' work, Coordinate photo documentation and filming aligned with NPSAS and New Roots communication strategies 5) Develop a took-kit to inform replication, covering training, resources, and land leasing for replication in other communities.

Program Benefits : Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend , Education award upon successful completion of service , Living Allowance , Training , Health Coverage* , Relocation Allowance , Childcare assistance if eligible , Stipend .

Terms :

Permits attendance at school during off hours , Permits working at another job during off hours , Car recommended .

Service Areas :

Health , Environment , Entrepreneur/Business , Hunger , Community and Economic Development .

Skills :

Environment , Business/Entrepreneur , Architectural Planning , Teaching/Tutoring , General Skills , Public Health .