FOODS INITIATIVE ASSISTANT - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

FOODS INITIATIVE ASSISTANT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

Open: Until Filled!

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Foods Initiative Assistant will help with coordination and implementation of activities to meet our goals with a focus on food production, agriculture training, healthy food promotion, and market development, reports to Director, full-time position w/benefits, starting salary; $13.00 - $15.00 hourly.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Assist with the creation of a local foods economy that leverages existing land, human and traditional resources to encourage community members to engage in commercial food production.

• Assist with development of activities to increase availability of quality local grown food options.

• Be part of the selection and implementation of a cold-climate greenhouse/agriculture business incubator for "near year round" production to be used as a training ground to establish 4 new food producers per year.

• Assist efforts to revitalize our traditional knowledge and skills in gathering and preparing traditional foods.

• Participate with the development of the Foods Initiative Strategic Plan.

• Work with the Entrepreneur Program and other training sources to reach specified goals for agriculture, marketing, personal finance, and business training for successful development of local food producers.

• Assist with consumer and target market assessments to determine what educational pieces are needed to increase consumption, build sustainable consumer base, and gain interest to engage in agriculture activities.

• Help recruit community members to participate with training being provided.

• Recruit and train farmer's market managers to provide consistent support and patronage of the community.

• Assist with capacity and market development efforts to meet consumer demand, and establish appropriate workforce development in agriculture practices and management.

• Monitor where we can incorporate health/nutrition education into community and department meetings.

• Collaborate with community health programs to deliver educational and training opportunities.

• Coordinate with Red Lake Comprehensive Health and other community partners to assist with increasing participation with the existing 16-week nutrition/health trainings.

• Work with appropriate food/health programs to develop/implement reservation wide "good food" marketing campaign and incentives to help increase consumption of locally grown foods, to help decrease diet-related health issues and to help eliminate perceptions of food production being an unattainable option.

• Assist with obtaining community member participation and volunteers; by helping develop marketing invites and incentives to participate with trainings, farmer's markets, and establishing a consumer demand to help determine what food producers' plant.

• Assist team with establishing accessible, affordable and sustainable direct-to-consumer markets.

• Assist with local market development of 4 market outlet locations with a specified schedule of dates and times for each market; including seasonal outdoor markets in conjunction with cultural and arts festivals.

• Assist with telling the story by utilizing social media, the web, and the Red Lake News to promote our idea of being healthy; showcasing the food businesses, health successes, production and consumption updates, program updates, and continuous invites for others to get involved. Peer support and peer pressure will be maintained consistently as incentives for healthy food production and consumption.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education and experience with agriculture development.

• Working knowledge of Tribal, Federal, State and local resources.

• Ability to think creatively, with some budget knowledge and excellent organizational skills.

• Good communication and reporting skills, with diplomacy and dispute resolution skills.

• Marketing skills would be helpful, but not required.

• Time management and computer skills, with demonstrated work ethics.

• Native American Preference.

TO APPLY: Applications and copies of certificates/diplomas are being accepted at the Government Center – Human Resources Department, P.O. Box 546, Red Lake, MN 56671 Phone (218) 679-1847.