Food and Agriculture Intern

BACKGROUND: 

The International Rescue Committee’s New Roots program helps refugees become food secure and contribute to their new homes and communities. Since 2008, New Roots has helped new Americans to navigate their food resources, facilitated low-income families to enter urban agriculture, developed local food systems and community green space infrastructure, and provided a platform for youth and adults to build job and life skills.
 

The New Roots program has two sites - a  ½ acre lot in the South Bronx and two 2,500 square foot lots in Woodside, Queens. These urban oases are home to native plants, pollinators, traditional crops from around the world, fruit trees, community garden beds, and a bountiful harvest. New Roots ensures that individuals and families have long-term access to the freshest, most nutritious food through farmers’ market visits, healthy cooking demonstrations, and fresh food vouchers – as well as a safe space to grow food and share traditions. These multi-use educational and production farms serve families, community members, and students from neighborhood schools.

SCOPE OF WORK: The IRC in New York’s food and agriculture program focuses on increasing community involvement in their local food systems, through hands-on training and food accessibility programming. Food and agriculture programming takes place at the two urban farms in the South Bronx and Woodside, Queens. The New Roots Intern will support the IRC. Food and Agriculture Coordinator and Food and Agriculture Assistants in managing this programming.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Intern will learn how to effectively manage food and agriculture programs across a wide
network
2. Intern will learn the administrative and operational aspects of community farms and
gardens
3. Intern will gain experience creating social media content
4. Intern will learn about local food systems and access to healthy food
5. Intern will learn how to engage community members around food security programming

RESPONSIBILITIES: The New Roots farm and garden close December 1st of each year
and reopen on the first day of spring. In the off-season, New Roots seek intern or
volunteer support in one or more of the following areas:

Data Collection and Management
• Support with performing batch data uploads from Excel into IRC’s database ETO (Efforts
to Outcomes)
• Perform data entry into ETO from hard copy records from on site (e.g. volunteer hours
from sign in sheets)
• Perform quality assurance checks on data in the system
• Manage New Roots’ annual client and community member survey
Media and Community Engagement
• Create, curate, & facilitate a high impact, multi-platform communications strategy to
expand communications, partnerships, education, outreach & relationships for New
Roots
• Create and edit flyers, brochures, and other media
• Create content to post on New Roots’ social media accounts and support in managing
the accounts and engagement
• Monitor and support each sites’ WhatsApp groups
• Engage with community partners and stakeholders to raise awareness for New Roots
and foster positive relationships with the community
• Translate or coordinate translation of content
General Administration
• Support with developing and organizing workshops, presentations, community, and
fundraising events
• Support in managing volunteers, land stewards, and workdays with corporate volunteer
groups and/or sister urban agriculture partner organizations
• Support with planning the next season’s farmer’s market and CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) initiatives
• Contribute to narrative grant reports to funders
• Other ad-hoc duties as assigned

NOTE: There are four positions available. We will consider candidates who express
interest in any or all of the above categories, and there is flexibility to tailor the roles to
candidates’ individual strengths and goals.

Optional:
• Ability to travel and work onsite at community farm in the Bronx and/or Queens
• Note: during the winter season this would be to support weekly site visits to ensure the sites
are intact and there are no issues.
• If this position extends into the growing season, there is opportunity to:
• Contribute to overall site maintenance and food production activities
• Assist with harvest and distribution through donation partner and weekly farm-stand
• Support in organizing work-day activities and support volunteers on site
• Support educational activities onsite

REQUIREMENTS:
• A strong passion for and knowledge of food and farming issues
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills required
• Experience with community organizing and engagement, particularly with disadvantaged
communities and related to food justice or farming, preferred
• Prior experience working in urban agriculture or gardening preferred
• Prior experience working with refugees, immigrant or pre-literate populations in non-traditional setting preferred
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written; bilingual ability a plus, preferably in Filipino,
Bengali, Spanish, Hindi, Tamil, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese

These positions report to the Food and Agriculture Coordinator or Food and
Agriculture Assistant.

IRC leading the way From Harm to Home.