Position Available at The Food Trust: Local Food Project Associate

Posted by on March 25, 2005

Position Available
TITLE: Local Food Project Associate
REPORTS TO: Brian Lang, Project Coordinator
LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
<a href="http://www.TheFoodTrust.org">http://www.TheFoodTrust.org</a>

The Food Trust, founded in 1992, grew out of a desire to bring affordable, nutritious, fresh fruit and vegetables to people in the inner city. Now in its second decade, The Food Trust’s mission has expanded to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. With a 2005 budget of $4 million and 27 employees, The Food Trust is generally regarded as one of the leading organizations nationally with a focus on community food security and nutrition education. This dynamic, forward-thinking agency has grown at an average rate of 50% in each year of its existence.

The Local Food Project Associate will work with a variety of projects at the Food Trust and be responsible for facilitating sales from local farmers to schools, retail stores, wholesalers and brokers. A significant part of the position will involve working on a project to increase sales of locally grown foods in Greater Philadelphia area schools for lunch, after-school, and summer feeding programs. Sales contracts of an estimated value of approximately $350,000 must be executed between local farmers and the schools to integrate local, fresh produce into school and summer feeding prgrams.

The Local Food Project Associate will:
? Promote and market locally grown food to a variety of purchasers throughout the region including schools, retail stores, wholesalers and brokers.
? Facilitate and negotiate agreements between farmers and schools for purchase of locally grown produce. Facilitate and negotiate similar arrangements between farmers’ and other retailers in the Philadelphia area on an ongoing basis.
? Identify individual farmers, farmer collaboratives, other multi-farmer marketing organizations, and brokers who aggregate local product who could fulfill these orders on a consistent basis and meet school and retailer requirements for quality, volume, grading, packaging, and on-time delivery.
? Ensure that agreements will be signed between growers and/or their representatives and the schools in a timely manner.

*Key Attributes
? The ability to work with others in a collegial environment to implement the agency’s vision.
? Bachelor’s Degree.
? Strong written and verbal communication skills.
? Adept at forging strong relationships with key people inside and outside the agency.
? The ideal candidate will have the following personal characteristics: unquestioned integrity; personal stature; a passion for excellence; a
high energy level; a sense of urgency; excellent listening skills; persuasive communications skills; an entrepreneurial spirit; a sense of humor; an open mind; a candid manner; a commitment to The Food Trust’s mission.

Salary: Very competitive, based on experience.

TO APPLY:
E-mail your r?sum? and cover letter to contact@thefoodtrust.org or fax
to 215-568-0882. Please reference "Project Associate" in the subject
line. Please do not call.

The Food Trust adheres to the policy of providing equal employment opportunities to all job applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability or sexual orientation. People of color especially encouraged to apply.