Garden Specialist and Educator at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia

Job Description:

Position Title:

Garden Specialist and Educator

Spelman's Victory Garden is hosted by the Food Studies Program and is currently focused on growing a campus garden of Afro-Indigenous and Caribbean land practices, African Diasporic medicinal herbs and plants, and ethical agricultural innovation.


The Garden Specialist and Educator position is designed to align with the Victory Garden's African diasporic mission and increase crop yields. The person in this position will conduct workshops and seminars and work with staff/students to educate and build relationships. This position reports directly to the Director of Food Studies and will largely help support garden maintenance and production.


The Garden Specialist and Educator will lead in various garden tasks including (but not limited to): weeding, mulching, planting, transplanting, watering, pruning, fertilizing, harvesting, and distributing crops. The specialist and educator will also manage a dedicated student garden assistant and student volunteer groups, and act as an educational garden resource for the Spelman community.

• Maintains integrity and improves condition of the garden site:
  
  
  • Crop planning, grow and care for plants in the greenhouse and in the garden plot. Embrace and implement regenerative and organic gardening practices.
  
  
  • Offer consistent plant care - ensures that watering, fertilizing, pest management, pruning, weeding, and soil preparation are completed according to daily and seasonal schedule
  
  
  • Maintain plant inventory, labeling, and ordering plants/supplies as needed.
  
  
  • Share harvest opportunities with the Spelman community.
  
  
  
  
  
  


• Coordinates and trains student volunteer groups for Victory Garden maintenance. This may include training others to plant, cultivate, irrigate, fertilize, and mulch various crops, and creating a garden handbook (with students) as a guide for Garden volunteers.


• Interacts and serves as a liaison with students, faculty, staff, community partners.


• Conducts garden-related data collection activities and manages the storage of collected data. This will include developing and maintaining databases of program participants and activities for reporting and tracking purposes. (i.e., social media, garden schedule, crop plans, harvest totals, and student activities)


• Collaborates with the program coordinator to order supplies and monitor expenditures for Garden activities.


• Engages faculty and students in various garden-related projects.


• Ensures projects are delivered on time and within budget.


• Researches innovative food and agricultural practices and shares findings with program participants faculty.


• Prepares meeting notes and manages the program's cloud storage for garden-related initiatives.


• Designs the Spelman Garden (including new plots) following a tradition of Afro-Indigenous and Caribbean land practices, African Diasporic medicinal herbs and plants, and ethical agricultural innovation.


• Develops a sustainable harvesting plan that benefits students and, if possible, designated Black farmers and communities.


• Leads garden tours ,and train others to lead tours.


• Properly prunes native trees and shrubs.


• Promotes the garden via social media, garden tours, and/or related marketing needs.


• Shares bi-monthly garden updates with the Food Studies Director(s).


• Hours may occasionally require evenings and/or weekends.

Bachelors degree preferred, and a minimum of three years of experience preferably in: Agriculture, Agroecology, Herbalism, Sustainable Food Systems, and local farm hand work. Experienced in food/agricultural research and organic crop production; and experience working with Black farmers. BIPOC growers, gardeners, and farmers with similar agricultural interests are highly encouraged to apply and to support this mission with their relevant experience.


Must work independently to plant, cultivate, irrigate, fertilize, and mulch various crops. Must have knowledge of horticultural requirements and scientific nomenclature of Georgia native plants, and plant propagation techniques and equipment. Must also possess knowledge of tools, equipment, techniques, skills, materials, and methods of landscaping, and maintenance of all types of landscaping.


Must be able to work under pressure and meet season-specific, time-sensitive gardening deadlines. Must possess good organizational, time management and interpersonal skills. Must be able to think critically and exercise independent judgment and initiative.


Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Must possess excellent oral communication skills with the ability to interact with faculty, staff, students, and external partners. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals is necessary. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, other employees, and the general public is required


To perform this job successfully, an individual must have beginner skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel) which includes such things as typing basic letters, memos, and e-mails using Microsoft Outlook or similar software. Must be capable of learning other software such as Calendly (Garden Scheduling).

Bachelors degree preferred

None.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: talk, hear, stand and walk for prolonged periods, reach with hands and arms, use hands to operate computer and gardening equipment and tools, bend, and squat. The employee is frequently required to: climb, stoop, or kneel or crawl, and lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Ability to perform physically strenuous work assignments on a regular basis. The employee is occasionally required to sit. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus.

Days

Full-time

This position requires onsite work and is not eligible for remote work.

Non-Exempt

1

SC0703P

08/19/2024

Yes

Spelman College is an EEO/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Title IX Employer and we participate in E-Verify. We are a smoke-free campus.

Due to the heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 and the spread of variants, Spelman College requires up to date COVID-19 vaccination of all faculty, staff, and students (collectively "Campus Community") that have job duties, attend classes, or are otherwise present on campus. You will need to submit proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination: full vaccination and a booster (when eligible) or a single dose of the bivalent vaccine) prior to your first day on campus or you may seek a medical or religious exemption to the vaccination requirement by providing the necessary documentation to: Yemi Brown, PharmD Manager of COVID-19 Operations, at
ibiyemibrown@spelman.edu. Upon receiving your Spelman Technology log-in credentials, please keep your vaccination or exemptions records up-to-date using
Etrieve.