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Urban Farm Trainer / Manager

Eden’s Rose Foundation | Albany, New York

Location: Albany, NY, primarily West Hill and surrounding urban farm sites
Salary: $46,000 annually
Schedule: Full-time, approximately 35 hours per week
Contract: Two-year, grant-funded position
Housing: Housing within walking distance of work sites may be available
Benefits: Health insurance and other employer-sponsored benefits are not currently offered

Help Grow Albany’s Next Generation of Urban Farmers

Eden’s Rose Foundation (ERF) is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic, and community-minded Urban Farm Trainer / Manager to lead hands-on agricultural training and manage urban farming operations in Albany, New York.

This position is part of our newly funded USDA Farm to School initiative, Farms Feeding Futures: Growing Urban Farms, Fair Food Systems, and Student Opportunity.

We’re looking for someone who knows how to grow food and, just as importantly, knows how to teach others to grow it.

The ideal candidate is an experienced urban farmer or gardener who enjoys working with people, sharing practical knowledge, and helping community members develop the skills and confidence to become successful growers.

About the Program

Through our Albany Victory Gardens and Urban Farmer Training Program, Eden’s Rose Foundation transforms vacant and underutilized urban land into productive growing spaces and outdoor classrooms.

Our Farms Feeding Futures initiative will train up to 40 emerging urban farmers over two years, expand neighborhood growing capacity, and introduce young people to the nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits of urban agriculture.

The program also aims to create new economic opportunities for local growers by helping them develop the skills, production capacity, and food safety knowledge needed to sell their harvests through farmers markets and potentially to institutional buyers, including local school nutrition programs.

Primary Responsibilities

Urban Farming and Site Management

Manage daily agricultural operations across ERF’s urban gardens, micro-farms, and training sites.
Plan and oversee seasonal crop production, from soil preparation and planting through harvesting and post-harvest handling.
Lead the development and maintenance of raised-bed gardens, composting systems, and other sustainable growing infrastructure.
Demonstrate and implement season-extension techniques, including Gothic-style high tunnels and protected growing systems.
Teach and apply practices such as hügelkultur, compost building, soil regeneration, water conservation, and sustainable crop management.
Maintain safe, organized, productive, and welcoming agricultural learning environments.

Farmer Training and Education

Lead the Urban Farmer Training Program through hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and practical field instruction.
Teach participants the fundamentals of small-scale urban food production, sustainable agriculture, and farm management.
Develop and adapt lessons for participants with varying levels of agricultural experience.
Provide individual and small-group coaching, mentorship, and skills assessments.
Support training in food safety, post-harvest handling, marketing, and preparation for agricultural employment or entrepreneurship.
Help participants develop the confidence and practical skills to establish and manage their own growing spaces.

Youth Education and Community Engagement

Facilitate agricultural learning experiences for middle school students, youth interns, and community members.
Support school field trips, garden workshops, planting days, and harvest celebrations.
Help young people explore connections between agriculture, nutrition, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity.
Collaborate with ERF staff and community partners to create engaging, culturally responsive educational experiences.
Work respectfully and effectively with residents of diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Program Coordination and Leadership

Coordinate with ERF’s Senior Farm Trainer, Assistant Farm Trainer, and administrative staff.
Help establish seasonal training schedules, farm work plans, and program priorities.
Supervise trainees, volunteers, and seasonal farm activities.
Maintain basic records of participant attendance, training progress, crop production, and program activities.
Support program evaluation and USDA grant reporting by documenting activities and measurable outcomes.
Help strengthen relationships with local growers, community organizations, schools, and farmers market partners.

Qualifications

Required

Demonstrated experience in urban farming, market gardening, sustainable agriculture, horticulture, or a closely related field.
Practical knowledge of vegetable production, soil management, composting, and seasonal crop planning.
Experience leading workshops, teaching, training, mentoring, or supervising others.
Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work independently while collaborating with a small nonprofit team.
Experience working effectively with culturally diverse communities, including historically underserved populations.
Ability to perform physically active outdoor work in varying weather conditions.
Commitment to community food access, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity.

Preferred

Experience managing community gardens, urban farms, or agricultural training programs.
Familiarity with Gothic-style high tunnels, season-extension techniques, hügelkultur, and other regenerative growing practices.
Experience developing educational curricula or leading hands-on agricultural workshops.
Experience working with youth, emerging farmers, or workforce development participants.
Knowledge of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), produce safety, and farm-to-market sales.
Experience working in communities facing barriers to fresh food access or economic opportunity.
Proficiency in Spanish or another language spoken within Albany’s diverse communities.
Experience with agricultural entrepreneurship, farmers markets, or institutional food procurement.

Compensation and Housing

This is a full-time (35hrs/week), grant-funded position offering $46,000 per year for an anticipated two-year contract, subject to applicable grant conditions and employment terms.

Housing within walking distance of ERF’s urban farm and training sites may be available for the selected candidate. Availability, eligibility, and terms will be discussed during the hiring process.

ERF is a small, community-based nonprofit and is not currently able to provide employer-sponsored health insurance or other discretionary benefits. Legally required benefits and protections will be provided as applicable.

Why Work With Eden’s Rose Foundation?

This is an opportunity to do more than manage a farm.

You’ll help transform vacant urban land into productive community spaces, teach residents practical skills that can create economic opportunity, and introduce young people to the possibilities of growing food in their own neighborhoods.

You’ll work with a grassroots organization that believes agriculture can nourish communities, build livelihoods, and create lasting neighborhood change.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit:

A resume outlining relevant agricultural and teaching experience.
A brief cover letter describing their experience with urban farming, training others, and community-based work.
Optional: Photos or examples of gardens, farms, workshops, or agricultural projects they have helped develop or manage.

Send applications to: dan@edensrose.org
Subject: Urban Farm Trainer / Manager Application
Application deadline: November 30, 2026
Anticipated start date: Jan. 1, 2027

Eden’s Rose Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds, including individuals with nontraditional educational pathways and extensive hands-on agricultural experience.

We value practical knowledge, teaching ability, and community commitment as much as formal credentials.