Farm Programs Manager

About Plant It Forward

Plant It Forward is building Houston’s most resilient, equitable, and community-rooted food system — powered by a network of trained farmers from underserved communities such as refugees, immigrants, students, and second chance citizens. We grow fresh produce across the city, distribute through our Food Hub to restaurants, retailers, institutions, and local markets, and connect communities through education and enterprise.

Job Overview

The Farm Programs Manager will work closely with the Farm Programs Director to execute various projects related to (1) Farmer Education, (2) Farm Site Management, (3) New farm Site Implementation, and (4) Farmer Relations. This person will be flexible, motivated, proactive, organized, hard-working, and patient. You will work with a small group of equally dedicated staff who are committed to empowering farmers and enhancing Houston’s foodways through sustainable agriculture and local food.

Key Job Duties

• Coordinate and/or deliver technical workshops for farmers on specialty crop production, livestock management, agribusiness, and relevant programming and resources
• Provide technical assistance (i.e. coaching, mentoring) and education in topics related to agricultural production and business management
• Create and manage project schedules and budgets, including monitoring & evaluation
• Ensure that the maintenance and appearance of the farms are meeting or exceeding the partner expectations so that the network farms are a vital part of the neighborhood
• Maintain and troubleshoot the infrastructure, including irrigation, port-a-johns, hand-washing stations, shelter, fencing, composting, plant support and farm stands
• Occasionally assist farmers with ordering seeds, tools, and supplies
• Participate in creating and implementing Farm Improvement Plans and development of new Farm projects
• Assist with on-farm events, including service-learning events with schools and other volunteer groups
• Manage service contractors as necessary
• Supervise interns and volunteers as needed
• Able to work on the farms and office, including hard repetitive physical work (lift and carry 50 pounds)
• Willingness to work outside in the elements, year-round
• Ability to independently get to farm sites throughout Houston region
• Comfortable operating mechanized farm equipment

Qualifications

• Very strong project management skills - general experience, PM certifications, and experience/familiarity with GANTT charts is a plus
• Comfortable multitasking on various projects simultaneously
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with sustainable agriculture and in-field experience with small-scale vegetable farming in the Gulf Coast region
• Strong interest in farming including willingness to participate in physical labor and learn about best-practices in vegetable farming within the Gulf Coast
• Demonstrated ability to work well in team settings
• Ability to work autonomously and prioritize tasks with minimal daily supervision
• Experience with small business management/entrepreneurship

Hours

Salaried at 40 hours/week, some weekends and evenings required.

Compensation

$60,500. This position is grant funded through August 2026. Benefits include 401K with 2% match, farm share subscription ($2,028 value), 12 days of paid time off (PTO) annually, 12 paid holidays annually, 5 days of sick leave annually, hybrid work schedule.

Reporting Relationships

Farm Programs Manager reports to the Farm Programs Director.

• 401K with 2% match
• farm share subscription ($2,028 value)
• 12 days of paid time off (PTO) annually
• 12 paid holidays annually
• 5 days of sick leave annually
• hybrid work schedule