Apprenticeship Opportunity with Local Roots NYC CSA

Local Roots NYC is a team of home cooks and local food cheerleaders that create community around local food through our network of CSAs while placing value on authenticity and responsible stewardship – not just of our local farmland but also our city landscape. Though a small organization, we’ve got big dreams we hope you can help us reach. We seek individuals who are hard working, always open to learning more and improving, easy to get along with, eager to suggest their own ideas towards a collaborative project, and passionate about the local food system.

 

The Distribution Apprentice will assist in the management of a CSA site. You must be able to convey the passion behind Local Roots NYC as well as tell the stories of our farmers to our CSA members. Our apprentices are an integral part of our organization and are included in decision making at Local Roots NYC. To those working at Local Roots NYC, we offer flexibility in forming their ideal food job that work within our mission statement and the opportunity to engage in various projects: from planning Meet Your Farmer Events to creating educational materials for youth. We value the work of all our team members and look forward to growing the local food movement with you. You will receive hands on experience at a small food hub, be an integral part of the farm-to-city connection, and have an opportunity to network with other food related businesses and organizations. Apprentices have either been hired or gone off to work at other great food organizations or urban farms.Responsibilities– Set-up and breakdown of a CSA site– Assist CSA members in picking up shares and using the scale– Learn about CSA shares and the farms we work with to convey information to members –Inspire our members with creative cooking and recipe ideas– Help build partnerships with other community organizations and small businesses– Conduct outreach for new CSA members through flyering or events, as well as at CSA pick up– Facilitate cooking demonstrations or other homesteading techniques (optional)- Prepare simple food samples made from CSA share– Possibility of assisting in operations work 1 day a week at our home base, organizing inventory amongst CSA sitesQualifications– Passionate about the local food system– Interested in alternative food distribution systems– Extremely organized and pays close attention to detail– Outgoing, friendly personality and an enthusiasm to learn– Excellent customer service and communication skills, must be well-spoken– Sales experience– Ability to problem solve on the spot, good at multi-tasking–  Enjoys working independently in a customer service oriented environment– Interested in building community around local food at our CSA pick ups– A love for cooking at home, familiar with seasonality of produce in NYC– Active in social media and proficient in food photography preferred– Experience conducting cooking demonstrations a plusTime Commitment A minimum of 6 hours per week is required for this apprenticeship and a preferred commitment of 6 months but a minimum of 3 months (June – August 25th).Compensation: This position is ideal for students receiving credit, seeking a work share, or those with an additional source of income. Compensation is either school credit and a complimentary CSA share -or- $10/hr. All Local Roots staff receive discounts to our CSA offerings and are invited to attend visits to our farms. This position begins the first week of June.To apply, send a brief cover letter and resume to CSA@LocalRootsNYC.org by June 4th with subject line “CSA DISTRIBUTION APPRENTICE”. Please include availability; CSA locations and times can be found on our website. Applicants that can work for aWednesday or Thursday from 2:30-7pm preferred.Cover letter should include:1. What is your ideal work culture?2. Describe how past jobs made you feel appreciated2. How do you express gratitude towards your coworkers?