The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition (LFC) is the parent organization for several projects, including the Valley Roots Food Hub (VRFH), Cooking Matters (CM), Local Foods Local Places (LFLP), Rio Grande Farm Park (RGFP), and other initiatives that reconnect Valley residents to the seed, soil, farmers, animals, and stories of where and how their food is grown.
This full-time position will involve activities related to one or more of these projects, with the possibility of being split into half-time positions that draw on a volunteer’s skills and interests and can be matched with another part-time community placement elsewhere. The full-time position will focus primarily on the work of Local Foods Local Places and possibly other programs when needed.
Local Foods Local Places recently completed a two-year SLV Community Food and Agriculture Assessment, which outlines the region’s challenges, needs, and opportunities in regard to the Valley’s food system. From there, they spent another year working on an Action Plan, engaging community members on what specific actions would address those needs and opportunities in the areas of food access, environmental stewardship, producer and food business opportunities, and general community engagement.
The work now is to implement the Action Plan and carry on related work. Work with the Program Director, a great team, and diverse community partners.
Key projects a volunteer will be supporting
- Updating the Local Roots Guide: outreach to regional food businesses and updating listings.
- Marketing Support: creating social media campaigns around the value of supporting local food businesses. This may also include watching recorded educational talks and making 30- to 60-second clips for YouTube and the LFC’s media outlets. Hanging posters around the Valley.
- Asset Mapping: identifying and recording existing food system assets around the SLV, such as greenhouses, storage facilities, community gardens, local grocery stores, etc.
- Tabling at Events: setting up the booth and talking to attendees about the work of the LFC and LFLP
- General Administration: this could include creating or updating spreadsheets, updating the website, organizing marketing materials, writing reports or emails, making phone calls, and visiting businesses, etc.
Ideal Candidate
- Has education and/or experience in sustainable agriculture and rural food systems
- Is adaptable and able to shift between varied projects, settings, and community needs
- Is comfortable building relationships with a diverse range of community members and collaborators
- Is comfortable working in a Latino cultural setting; Spanish fluency is a plus
- Is willing and able to travel to towns throughout the San Luis Valley
- Is able to work independently and remotely
- Has strong time management skills and is a self-starter
- Is outgoing, personable, and comfortable meeting new people
- Has professional verbal and written communication skills
- Is computer literate, and comfortable in virtual meetings
- Familiar, if not fluent, with Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, Docs, and Slides)