Small Farms Food Safety Educator Job Listing at University of California in Davis, CA (Job ID 66795)

Description

Job Description

The Small Farms Food Safety Community Educator will coordinate tri county-based outreach and training efforts to increase extension support for small-scale, diversified, and socially disadvantaged farmers. Working under the general direction of a county-based Small Farms Advisor, the Small Farms Food Safety Community Educator will develop, design, and evaluate bilingual educational materials, develop, plan, and deliver extension programming, develop and conduct effective methods to increase outreach, and participate in program evaluation, needs assessments, and strategic planning for outreach and extension efforts in the assigned counties. 

This position will develop bi-lingual outreach materials and presentations, delivering technical information on food safety practices related to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, compost and climate smart principles related to Climate Smart Agricultural programs. The Educator will also develop methods and techniques to assist Spanish speaking farmers with the complexities of grant applications, rebate opportunities, and related project management, data collection and reporting requirements of the funding sponsor. In support of the Small Farm Program, this position shall also be familiar with preparing, reconciling, and evaluating grant and project related reports and budgets. 

Outreach and extension efforts will be coordinated with a statewide network of Community Education Specialists and Small Farms Advisors in multiple counties, and ANR State Specialists. The Small Farms Food Safety Community Educator will work closely with partner agencies and non-profit organizations to coordinate and leverage statewide technical assistance efforts.

This position is a career appointment that is 100% fixed.

Pay Scale $58,800/year to $79,100/year

Job Posting Close Date: 
This job is open until filled. The next application review date will be 5/3/2024.

Key Responsibilities:

40%

Develop design, and deliver bilingual educational, outreach, technical assistance, and conduct workshops orally in Spanish and written in Spanish to small-scale farmers about FDA FSMA on-farm food safety practices. Conduct farm visits and meet with farmers individually to assist with on-farm implementation of food safety practices, paperwork and recordkeeping requirements for regulatory compliance of food safety practices related to:

• management of fertilizers and soil amendments
• agricultural water, both for production and post-harvest uses
• worker health, hygiene, and training
• storage and handling of produce
• packaging materials
• domesticated and wild animal intrusion
• equipment, tools, buildings, and sanitation

10%

Develop, design, deliver bilingual outreach, and technical assistance to small-scale farmers by employing practices to improve soil health, water and energy efficiency, completion of reporting requirements, and budget management for Climate Smart Agriculture projects funded by the Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Provide technical assistance with applications to grant and rebate programs. Conduct farm visits and meet with farmers individually to assist with project implementation and verification.

10%

Develop and conduct effective methods, venues, and partnerships to increase outreach to small-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers. Maintain farmer contact lists and coordinate outreach through radio, social media, newsletters, farm visits, and networking. Organize, promote, and conduct extension workshops. Leverage and coordinate resources from additional grant-funded projects in the assigned county or counties to enhance outreach and extension programming.

20%

Develop, design, deliver bilingual educational outreach materials and presentations in Spanish on topics listed above in a culturally appropriate format for small-scale, limited-English speaking farmers. Outreach and educational materials include and are not limited to flyers, factsheets, presentations, webpages, social media posts, videos, and newsletter articles. Follow-up with farm site visits and assist with the development and maintenance of paperwork and record-keeping systems required for regulatory compliance.

10%

This position will assist with project and grant management and work with the Small Farms and Specialty Crops Advisor and collaborate with bilingual Chinese/English speaking program staff to develop and coordinate educational events and materials to diverse farming communities.

10%

Participate in data collection, and maintain records of project activities, document feedback from farmers, gather input from farmers, conduct follow-up farm site visits aimed at evaluations, and prepare required reports for grant-funded projects. Manage database and Excel records, assist with tracking of activities, farmer contacts, and expenses, organize information for program evaluation, and prepare reports and summaries. Keep accurate records and develop systems to organize reporting data. Participate in long range planning and evaluation of outreach, extension, and training methods and prioritize methods with higher success.

Requirements:

• Minimum of an Associate's degree with coursework in entomology, plant pathology, agronomy, plant science, soil science, irrigation, agricultural engineering, agricultural science, or a related field and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Thorough organizational skills and attention to detail. Excellent time management skills and the ability to manage multiple project tasks. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. 
• Thorough communication skills.
• Experience working in an agricultural setting or directly working with farmers. 
• Experience in extension, adult education, project coordination, public speaking, or community outreach.
• Proficient bilingual communication/translation abilities in English and Spanish (both written and spoken) or English and Mandarin (both written and spoken).

Preferred Skills:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree with coursework in agronomy, plant science, soil science, agricultural science, or a related field and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Experience working with disadvantaged or underserved communities. 
• Demonstrated skills and experience communicating research results to diverse audiences.
• Experience in applied agricultural research.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must comply with regulatory agency reporting requirements (California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act).
• Must possess valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle. Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Reimbursement of job-related travel will be reimbursed according to University policies.
• The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. This is a designated position requiring a background check and may require fingerprinting due to the nature of the job responsibilities. UC ANR does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities.
• As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment in which smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes), is strictly prohibited.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) brings the power of University of California research and education to all 58 California counties. Through research and extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition, and youth development, we work to improve the life of every Californian.

Collaborating to solve problems.

Connecting to serve communities.

For over 100 years, our advisors, specialists, faculty and staff have been committed to connecting Californians to their land grant university. We are highly collaborative and mission-driven to promote the health and well-being of people and places across the state. We are also trusted partners with hundreds of community organizations in addressing California's most pressing challenges.

UC ANR is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. We encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

This position will promote, in all ways consistent with the other responsibilities of the position, accomplishment of the Affirmative Action goals established by the Division.  

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. If you have questions, please email the Human Resources Department.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time.  Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

Internal Candidates: Review the job posting and click the internal applicant link to apply. Use the same credentials used to login to UCPath to access the internal UC ANR job postings in order to apply.

Employment applications must be submitted online through our careers site.  Please note, we do not accept resumes or applications by email or on paper.

External Candidates:  You must register to apply for a job or create a job search agent profile. Review the job posting and click the external applicant link to apply. Click the 'Register Here' link and follow the steps to create the account. The system will not prompt you to register until you try to apply for a job online.

Employment applications must be submitted online through our careers site.  Please note, we do not accept resumes or applications by email or on paper.