WCH Farm Coordinator- North Lawndale Youth Farm (Chicago, IL)

Title: WCH Farm Coordinator- North Lawndale Youth Farm

Exemption Status: Non-exempt

Department: Windy City Harvest

Reports to: Senior Manager Farm Operations

Year-Round, Full-time

Supervises: Program Participants and Volunteers

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2025 Chicago Botanic Garden Benefit Guide - Year-Round Full-time

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

The Windy City Harvest (WCH) Farm Coordinator will oversee farm operations and support the delivery of educational programs, ensuring the successful execution of WCH's agricultural initiatives. This role involves managing sustainable vegetable production, leading a team of participants and volunteers, and maintaining high standards for farm productivity, food safety, and program impact. In addition to promoting sustainable farming practices, the farm coordinator will provide hands-on educational experiences for participants, volunteers, and the community. Strong leadership, organizational skills, and a passion for urban agriculture and community engagement are key to success in this role.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

Farm Operations

• Create and implement crop plan for sustainable vegetable production, using succession plantings, integrated pest management, and season extension.
• Meet production goal of annual crop plan.
• Forecast weekly harvest availability, maintain and provide accountability measures for weekly harvest.
• Harvest and process vegetables in compliance with Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety Modernization Act standards and the Windy City Harvest post-harvest handling guide.
• Train participants in proper harvesting and post-harvest handling procedures.
• Train program participants to follow crop plan, greenhouse seeding, and harvest schedule.
• Maintain the irrigation schedule and check that irrigation system is working properly. Irrigate on weekends and holidays as needed.
• Complete all logs and records associated with production, site safety, food safety, and sales paperwork.
• Attend weekly staff meetings and scheduled meetings as requested, ready to present information about farm production and program participant highlights.

Youth Farm Seasonal Program Delivery: Spring (2 days a week); Summer (5 days a week); Fall (2 days a week)

• Train and lead a team intern, program participants, volunteers. Provide regular written feedback.
• Manage and inventory site supplies and equipment.
• Track expenses within budget, maintain copies of all receipts.
• Collect and organize written, anecdotal, and photographic documentation for social media, education, publication, and reporting purposes.
• Participate in all training workshops and other requirements from the Chicago Botanic Garden.
• Plan and lead program participants in farm workdays, educational workshops, and field trips.
• Support WCH programming by leading workdays and classroom activities.
• Work with Chicago Botanic Garden team to plan and implement curriculum.
• Act as a resource for program information for project partners, community members, Garden staff, and the media as required.
• Recruit participants and promote WCH programming as needed.
• Host and lead planned visitor tours or farm experiences.
• Support with WCH programming as needed.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• At least one year of sustainable vegetable production in urban agriculture
• One year of experience working with people of various age groups, including mentoring, supervising, and facilitating groups
• One year of experience leading nature-based, urban agriculture, or farming programs
• An interest or experience with youth development and workforce development
• Plan workdays with labor plan and be able to work independently
• Ability to perform physical tasks in all types of weather
• Experience in farm protocols, integrated pest management (IPM), planning and projecting harvest availability, and food safety standards
• Experience in training others and providing constructive feedback
• Excellent communication and time management skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook
• A valid driver's license and clean driving record

Physical Demands:

Staff must be able to work in all weather conditions. The role will require frequent lifting, standing, walking, and bending. Daily use of small farm machinery and post-harvest handling equipment is expected. Staff are required to lift, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 pounds. This position also includes daily written paperwork and the use of office equipment.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.