Groundwork Kitchen Trailer Manager and Cohort Supervisor – Abingdon, VA

Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Groundwork workforce development program provides paid, on-the-job training combined with wraparound services that support personal and career growth. The program provides opportunities for job shadowing and internships, plus advanced education through college coursework or certifications, as well as training on essential skills, financial literacy, career development, and more.

Job Summary

Under management of the Groundwork director, the Kitchen Supervisor will manage and coordinate all food operations, food preparation, and food service for the Groundwork food services pathway and its associated Social Enterprise “The Food Trailer” located in Abingdon or Duffield, VA. The Kitchen Supervisor will provide independent leadership in the areas of food preparation and staff supervision, quality control, food safety and cleanliness, sustainability, food and supply ordering and requisitions and recordkeeping.

Duties and Responsibilities

Day-to-day work responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Train and evaluate the performance of Groundwork trainees working in one or more phases of a food service operation
• Work with Groundwork team to achieve team goals and objectives
• Participate in Groundwork team activities including regular meetings and strategic planning
• Assign, coordinate, and maintain workflow in a food trailer
• Train and implement standards based on the following:
• Sanitation standards for equipment and workspace in accordance with federal and state regulations
• Requisition food and supplies
• Ensure food quality
• Apply sustainability best practices to food operations (for example, composting food waste, using recyclable/recycled packaging materials) where possible

Minimum Qualifications

Experience leading and managing a commercial kitchen or food truck. SERVSafe Manager’s certification is preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles
• Cash handling principles and practices
• Commercial food service equipment
• Customer service principles
• Safety procedures

Demonstrated Skills in:

• Supervising subordinate staff
• Monitoring and maintaining inventory
• Maintaining food service equipment
• Clear communication and budget management

A typical day in this position might include the following:

• Meet with trainees to prepare for the day’s activities, check in on attitudes, and set expectations
• Order supplies
• Food Preparation or onsite food sales via ASD Food Truck
• Meet with Director of Workforce Development on a regular basis

Supervision

This position reports to the Workforce Development Program Manager but is also expected to work closely with other ASD employees, and with limited daily supervision. This position will oversee the activities of a cohort of 2-4 trainees.

Location

Abingdon, Virginia, with occasional travel to Duffield, Bristol and Tazewell, Virginia’ Kingsport and Johnson City, TN

Salary

$42,000-$43,000 depending on experience

Hours

Full time

Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 5:00 with occasional weekend or after hours on an as-needed basis

Requirements

Able to lift up to 50 pounds

Ability to set an example of healthy work behaviors

Ability to stand/be on feet for extended periods of time

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

Finance Assistant

The Finance Assistant position will be part of the finance team and report to the Chief Operating Officer.  The Finance Assistant will assist with general accounting needs and the day-to-day operation of the ASD office.

This position is part-time, 30 hours per week. 

Responsibilities:

•  Provides assistance with general accounting and clerical needs.
• Works closely with Grant Accountant to process monthly, bimonthly and quarterly grant financial reports, process invoices, and make payments.
• Accounting related to social enterprises income and expenses, regarding deposits, budget management, invoices from vendors, managing payment types, sales tax reports quarterly, and profit and loss statements. 
• Create spreadsheets and folders for supporting documentation. 
• Reconcile ASD’s financial processes and databases including but not limited to accounts receivable and payable, purchase orders, grants, etc.
• Assists Human Resources Manager with payroll, including collecting timesheets, entering payroll into accounting system and processing payroll (including direct deposit and payroll checks). 
• Assist with preparing financial reports for the board of directors on a bi-monthly basis. 
• Tasks arranged and scheduled by the COO.
•  Assists CEO on an as needed basis.

Supervision:

This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer of Appalachian Sustainable Development.

 Qualifications:

• Experience using accounting software, Quickbooks is a plus. 
• Experience with reconciling accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. 
• Experience with grant financial reports is a plus.
• Experience organizing work, documents and files. 
• Ability to work independently and with a team. 

Salary and benefits: 

• $20/hour
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Health Insurance
• IRA with matching contributions

Location: Duffield, VA

Business Development Specialist

Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a not-for-profit organization working in the Appalachian region of Virginia and Tennessee, with some programs extending into Appalachian Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Formed in 1995, ASD’s mission is to build a thriving regional food and agriculture system that creates healthy communities, respects the planet, and cultivates profitable opportunities for Appalachians.

ASD is a long time member of the Central Appalachian Network (CAN), a network of networks working across Central Appalachia to advance connections, capacity, analysis, and shared strategies for economic transition. CAN is a recent recipient of a 5-year, $42.5 million grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in support of building the Appalachian Regional Food Business Center (ARFBC). The ARFBC was created to build more resilient food systems across Central Appalachia. The goals of this project include working in all or parts of OH, WV, VA, KY, TN, PA, and MD to build on current work and add resiliency to Appalachian food systems by working with at least 10,000 farms and food businesses over 5 years to:

1) Strengthen infrastructure for aggregation, distribution, and processing;

2) Make local foods more accessible by creating new markets (e.g. in small, rural communities) and increasing connectivity between rural producers and urban consumers;

3) Build capacity (through sub-awards and direct technical assistance) among small and medium sized farms and food businesses.

The Business Development Specialist (BDS) will be responsible for providing support to small- and medium-scale farmers, food businesses, distributors, and others seeking to expand their businesses. Support services will include assisting with the development of business plans, marketing plans, cost analysis, and other needs. The BDS will work closely with the Market Development Specialist and other members of the ASD and Appalachian Harvest teams to match producers, distributors, and other businesses with markets and marketing support. The BDS will refer clients to appropriate funding and support agencies and services such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Small Business Development Centers.

• Create, promote, and host outreach events to raise awareness of the services ASD offers to small- and medium-scale farmers and food-related businesses.
• In conjunction with the rest of ASD’s Ag Education team, create, promote, and host training events focused on agricultural market and business plan development.
• Provide one-on-one technical assistance to small- and medium-scale farmers and food-related businesses, including assisting with the development of business and marketing plans, cost analysis, and other needs.
• Work with the ARFBC Project Manager to develop relationships with federal program representatives (including but not limited to the following list), and build network and framework for ASD to support successful interactions with value chain participants
• Farmers Market Promotion Program, Beginning Farmer and Rancher, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Specialty Crop Block Grants, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and others as tools to address community needs, create new markets for the communities in our networks, support producers, promote conservation, and promote innovation of value-added products.
• Work with the entire ASD team and other partners to identify identify potential recipients of the $16.6M in Business Builder Awards the ARFBC will award.
• Support small- and medium-scale farmers and food-related businesses with accessing federal, state, and other funds
• Build relationships with Small Business Development Centers in southwest VA and northeast TN for long-term sustainability of services to producers.
• Work with the Market Development Manager to identify market opportunities for producers.
• Work with the Agriculture Education Director to build producer capacity and skills for successfully accessing new/expanded markets by providing targeted training and technical assistance, including providing food safety business and production planning training and support through workshops and one-on-one support.
• Work with the Innovative Ag and Climate Resiliency Lead to assist producers with planning for and implementing relevant climate smart production practices.
• Work with Marketing Manager and Assistant to provide marketing support to producers and food entrepreneurs.
• Support ASD’s mission and promote DEI principles in all facets of work

Desired Skills
Market Research & Analysis
Feasibility Analysis
Problem solving
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Research, analytical and critical thinking skills
Strategic planning
At least 3 years of experience in developing business plans and strategies
Market development
Experience in education, training, and/or marketing
Data collection and management
Report preparation
Experience in working within a project team
Experience in the agriculture or horticulture fields

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 – $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Travel reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Travel requirement:

• Travel

Location:

• Bristol, VA (Required)

Work Location: Remote

Market Development Specialist

Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a not-for-profit organization working in the Appalachian region of Virginia and Tennessee, with some programs extending into Appalachian Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Formed in 1995, ASD’s mission is to build a thriving regional food and agriculture system that creates healthy communities, respects the planet, and cultivates profitable opportunities for Appalachians.

ASD is a long time member of the Central Appalachian Network (CAN), a network of networks working across Central Appalachia to advance connections, capacity, analysis, and shared strategies for economic transition. CAN is a recent recipient of a large 5-year, $42.5 million grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in support of building the Appalachian Regional Food Business Center (ARFBC). The ARFBC was created to build more resilient food systems across Central Appalachia. The goals of this project include working in all or parts of OH, WV, VA, KY, TN, PA, and MD to build on current work and add resiliency to Appalachian food systems by working with at least 10,000 farms and food businesses over 5 years to:

1) Strengthen infrastructure for aggregation, distribution, and processing;

2) Make local foods more accessible by creating new markets (in small, rural communities, e.g.) and increasing connectivity between rural producers and urban consumers;

3) Build capacity (through sub-awards and direct technical assistance) among small and medium sized farms and food businesses.

The Market Development Specialist (MDS) will be responsible for building small- and mid-level markets for regional agricultural products and supporting producers in accessing those markets. The MDS will work closely with ASD’s Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, the Appalachian Harvest food hub, the Business Development Specialist, as well as a host of community and government partners to provide a comprehensive suite of tools and services to ensure producer and buyer success.

• Work with the CEO and Regional Sales and Marketing Manager to develop local and regional markets for small- and medium-scale food producers, including whole produce, proteins, and value-added products.
• Build branding and awareness of local foods utilizing the Supporting Appalachia and/or Rooted in Appalachia brands.
• Work with local buyers and producers and “match-make” to build procurement and marketing skills and increase production and sales.
• Create and host events that engage the public in supporting businesses that procure, serve, and sell local foods.
• Work with the Agriculture Education Director to build producer capacity and skills for successfully accessing new/expanded markets by providing targeted training and technical assistance, including providing food safety business and production planning training and support through workshops and one-on-one support.
• Work with the Innovative Ag and Climate Resiliency Lead to build marketing plans for climate smart production practices and increase public awareness of why that matters.
• Work with buyers, producers, and food businesses and the rest of the project team to identify new and expanded product opportunities
• Work with Appalachian Harvest and ASD’s existing infrastructure and partners across Central Appalachia to provide a variety of opportunities for a wide range of producers in an expansive geographic region.
• Work with ASD’s Regional Food Business Center Project Manager to identify potential recipients of Business Builder awards and assist producers with preparing market-focused business plans that will position them for success.
• Manage data in order to produce replicable models and/or systems
• Support ASD’s mission and promote DEI principles in all facets of work
• Work with Marketing Manager and Assistant to provide marketing support to producers and food entrepreneurs.

Desired Skills
Customer Relationship Management
Market Development
Strategic Planning
Market Research
Product Knowledge
Time Management
Excellent written and verbal communication
Project Management
Marketing and Sales
Minimum of 3 years work experience in education, training, and/or marketing
Data collection and management
Report preparation
Experience in working with a project team

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 – $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Travel reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Travel requirement:

• Travel

Location:

• Bristol, VA (Required)

Work Location: Remote

We need more Appalachian Harvest Drivers!

ASD’s Appalachian Harvest Food Hub in Duffield, VA provides support, training, aggregation and distribution support to markets for regional farmers.  Since 2000, farmers have sold more than $16 million dollars of fruits and vegetables to wholesale retailers. 

All drivers must have:

• 2 years over the road experience
• Hold a Class A CDL
• Ability to pass required drug screen
• A good driving record

Contact Chelsea Lee for more details:
Phone: (276) 431-3385
Email: clee@asdevelop.org

Position Description
This is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) position. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTAs, please visit www.americorps.gov. To apply for this position, visit https://americorps.gov/join. 

The goal of this position is to:
Increase the effectiveness of Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Agriculture Education programming. The Agriculture Education Capacity Building VISTA will build capacity by ensuring the specific needs of the community are being met and improving project sustainability through sustainable volunteer management.

Program (Project) Summary
Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a non-profit that’s been supporting local agriculture since 1995. From the beginning, ASD has been assisting agriculture producers of all skill levels by offering various educational opportunities, resources, and technical assistance. The Agriculture Education team teaches small to tall people how to grow their own food as they navigate the Producer Pathway and participate in programs based on their individual learning goals, whether it be providing fresh food for their families or growing a successful farm business.

Objective 1 of the Assignment  
Ensure Agriculture Education programming is meeting the needs of the community it serves 

• Member Activity: Identify target audiences for agriculture education (e.g. youth, beginning farmers)
  • Research regional demographics and compile information relevant to low-income, at-risk, underserved communities
  • Analyze research to determine potential impact of agriculture education programs on breaking the cycle of poverty
• Member Activity: Facilitate a regional Farm to School team to share best practices, connect projects, distribute curriculum, and develop sustainability plans
  • Conduct programmatic needs assessments to support strategic planning process
  • Build a regional Farm to School listserv
  • Electronically distribute relevant material such as funding opportunities, seasonally appropriate garden tasks, and upcoming programmatic deadlines
• Member Activity: Ensure collaboration with the Faith in Action Community Garden team
  • Participate in garden events and activities
• Member Activity: Conduct on-farm site visits with beginning gardeners interested in transitioning to income-producing market gardening
  • Develop site visit protocol to record relevant qualitative and quantitative data
  • Identify experts and community partners qualified to assist with the needs of individual transitioning market gardeners
  • Develop pre- and post- participation survey to measure effectiveness of program

Objective 2 of the Assignment 
Build program capacity in conjunction with other ASD staff and AmeriCorps members by developing a sustainable volunteer base to support and expand agriculture education programming.

• Member Activity: Compile and update a functional database of volunteers and community partners
  • Connect with current and past community members and site partners
  • Capture relevant metrics (i.e. location, skills, interest, capacity, etc.)
• Member Activity: Recruit and maintain a sustainable volunteer base
  • Develop and pilot a volunteer retention policy
  • Explore and recruit from untapped volunteer pools
  • Schedule, facilitate, and develop protocol for volunteer events such as seed sorting events, community garden open hours, and dedicated garden clean ups
• Member Activity: Develop opportunities for community members to become community leaders (Ex: adopting community garden maintenance, organizing fundraising events, scheduling volunteer work days, etc.)

Objective 3 of the Assignment 
Assist in developing a sustainable long-term funding strategy for Agriculture Education Programming.

• Member Activity: Assist in the preparation of funding opportunities (grant applications, donation requests, letters of inquiry, etc.) to support long term programming and projects addressing immediate program needs through Quarter 4.
• Member Activity: Explore social enterprise opportunities and develop feasibility analysis as appropriate by Quarter 3.
• Member Activity: Develop protocol for the execution of program-specific replicable fundraising events or campaigns by Quarter 3.
• Member Activity: Assist in the management of grant reporting by developing metric-tracking tools adaptable to programmatic goals, grants goals, and organizational goals as appropriate through Quarter 4.

Supervision
This position reports to the Director of Agriculture Education, but may also be expected to work closely with other ASD employees, and with limited daily supervision. 

Location
Abingdon/Bristol, Virginia, with occasional travel to Duffield, Virginia

Hours
Full time – 35 hours per week, option available for four-day work week.

Position Description
This is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) position. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTAs, please visit www.americorps.gov. To apply for this position, visit https://americorps.gov/join. 

The goal of this position is to:
To expand ASD’s new workforce development program by generating program awareness among all stakeholders (employers, stakeholders, investors) as well as the overall community; increase capacity of the program by building a network of volunteers and subject-expert trainers; and help ensure success and impact of the program through outreach, social enterprise development, and grant acquisition. This expansion of workforce development efforts in the region supports the anti-poverty goal of Community Economic Development, by helping individuals with barriers to employment learn the job skills and healthy life skills to transition into stable, productive workers with improved quality of life. 

Program (Project) Summary
Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a non-profit that’s been supporting local agriculture since 1995. From the beginning, ASD has been assisting agriculture producers of all skill levels by offering various educational opportunities, resources, and technical assistance. The Groundwork team provides on-the-job training for people with barriers to employment such as prior incarceration, prior history with substance use or substance use recovery, and people with limited education backgrounds. .

Objective 1 of the Assignment  
Increase program awareness through the creation and distribution of outreach material.

• Member Activity: Cultivate an online presence for the workforce development program by
  • Building a Groundwork website and publishing original content including testimonials, a blog series, and video presentations
  • Creating a social media calendar and preparing an inventory of posts
• Member Activity: Expand community knowledge of the workforce development program through the regional network by
  • Drafting a quarterly newsletter with custom content aimed at expanding business partnerships
  • Submitting quarterly articles to be published in the local newspaper focusing on workforce development initiatives in the region

Objective 2 of the Assignment 
Volunteer recruitment and management of community events.

• Member Activity: Use the Groundwork worksites (community garden, commercial kitchen, etc)  as an opportunity to organize events for the betterment of the community by
  • Recruiting subject-expert volunteers to lead workshops on financial literacy, career development, and entrepreneurship
  • Recruiting and managing volunteers to participate in and  support social enterprise and community service initiatives

Objective 3 of the Assignment 
Associate recruitment and education.

• Member Activity: Expand the existing recruitment application to both reach and attract participants from targeted populations.
• Member Activity: Research and develop a customized entrepreneur training event for workforce development participants, once each cohort.

Objective 4 of the Assignment  
Special events to promote health and career growth among targeted populations (addiction/recovery, Veterans, etc).

• Member Activity: Develop, plan, and implement special programs to benefit the workforce development participants’ physical and mental well being by
  • Identifying participant needs
  • Identifying ideal location and time for the event, and conducting all marketing to promote it and confirm attendance
  • Identifying and securing a local instructor to lead the program
• Member Activity: Develop curriculum on Leadership and Entrepreneurship that can be used by workforce development participants by
  • Researching and identifying local subject matter experts who can provide training
  • Create video series based on those trainings
  • Develop an online learning module/system for housing and presenting training and accessory materials, so they can be used for many years to come.

Supervision
This position reports to the Director of Workforce Development, but may also be expected to work closely with other ASD employees, and with limited daily supervision. 

Location
Abingdon/Bristol, Virginia, with occasional travel to Duffield, Virginia

Hours
Full time – 35 hours per week, option available for four-day work week.

Position Description
This is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) position. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTAs, please visit www.americorps.gov. To apply for this position, visit https://americorps.gov/join. 

The goal of this position is to:
To expand the equitable impact of the Appalachian centered Regional Food Business Center through farmer outreach, education, and organizational capacity building.  This expansion of the Regional Food Business Center in the region supports the anti-poverty goal of Community Economic Development, by helping individuals with barriers to entry in agriculture including historically marginalized and low-income individuals enter the agriculture sector and have more equitable opportunities for food sovereignty.

Program (Project) Summary
Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a non-profit that’s been supporting local agriculture since 1995. From the beginning, ASD has been assisting agriculture producers of all skill levels by offering various educational opportunities, resources, and technical assistance. The Regional Food Business Center is focused on bridging opportunities to farmer’s across the Appalachian region rooted in foundational principles of equitable agriculture. Through business-based capacity building, educational opportunities, and focusing on innovative models for the address of climate change and environmental change, the Regional Food Business Center is the next phase of ASD’s work in supporting the economic development of the region through agriculture. 

Objective 1 of the Assignment  
Increase program awareness through the creation and distribution of outreach material

• Member Activity: Cultivate an online presence for the Regional Food Business Center by preparing content that is approachable to farmers and can be used for social media, the ASD website, and other online avenues.
• Member Activity: Expand community knowledge of the Regional Food Business Center through the regional network by
  • Coordinating with partners in the network to foster
  • Coordinating meetings between partners to facilitate expansion of the program.

Objective 2 of the Assignment 
Volunteer recruitment and management of community events.

• Member Activity: Use ASD worksites to showcase the systems-level work of the regional food business center by
  • Recruiting subject-expert volunteers to lead workshops and educational opportunities
  • Recruiting and managing volunteers to participate in and  support social enterprise and community service initiatives related to agricultural services and system development

Objective 3 of the Assignment 
Farmer recruitment and education.

• Member Activity: Expand the existing recruitment application to both reach and attract participants from targeted populations.
• Member Activity: Research and develop a customized entrepreneur training event for workforce development participants, once each cohort.

Supervision
This position reports to the Regional Food Business Center Project Manager, but may also be expected to work closely with other ASD employees, and with limited daily supervision. 

Location
Abingdon/Bristol, Virginia, with occasional travel to Duffield, Virginia

Hours
Full time – 35 hours per week, option available for four-day work week.