Farmhearts Fellowship Available to Beginning Farmers in the Catskills Region

The 2011-2012 Farmhearts Fellowship has enabled the development of two beginning farmer programs here in the Catskills.

1. Catskills FarmLink which provides a mechanism for connecting Catskills land with those interested in farming it 
2. Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) which provides opportunities for beginning farmers to connect with and learn from existing farmers who offer up their time, talents and experience to the next generation. 

Farmhearts is again sponsoring a fellowship in collaboration with the Farm to Market Program of the Watershed Agricultural Council (the Council). The fellow will continue development of Catskills region beginning farmer training, working with the Farm to Market Program.  

Click HERE for a full job description.

The mission of Farmhearts is to preserve the environmental integrity and economic sustainability of agricultural regions by supporting family farms. The Council is a private non-profit organization with the mission to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City watershed region. The Farm to Market Program of the Council administers the Pure Catskills buy local campaign, organizes events on value-added production, and facilitates business connections between farm and food businesses. Over 200 businesses from Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties participate in the Pure Catskills campaign.

Eligible candidates include apprentice farmers, proprietors of recently established agricultural businesses and emerging professionals in the local food marketplace. Individuals may apply by providing a personal statement and a resume. The statement should address agricultural experience, communications skills, familiarity with the agricultural community in the Catskills region and the individual’s future goals related to agriculture. Please limit statements to one page. 

Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2012. The anticipated start date for the fellow is mid-November. Selection of the fellow will be performed by Farm to Market program staff and representative farmers. Payment will be offered on an hourly basis and will be commensurate with experience. The anticipated hourly compensation is $16-18. Work schedule will be arranged with the selected fellow allowing for part and full-time employment based on seasonal availability. This is a temporary position. All applications and inquiries should be directed to Amy Hawk, Administrative Services Director. No phone calls please. 

Fiscal sponsorship for Farmhearts is provided by the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (www.sullivanalliance.org). For more information about Farmhearts, contact info@farmhearts.org. WAC is funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other public, foundation and private sources. WAC is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.