Agriculture Production Specialist, Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program

The Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program is an integral program of the food self-reliance efforts of The Kohala Center. Its primary function is to help revitalize island food production through assisting new farmers or ranchers to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to manage small production operations in ways that are environmentally responsible and economically sustainable. The Agriculture Production Specialist assists the Director of the Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program in implementing and managing all aspects of the training program, with particular focus on developing and maintaining The Kohala Center’s Demonstration Farm and satellite teaching locations.

Essential Job Functions

Under the general supervision of The Kohala Center’s Director of the Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), the Agriculture Production Specialist provides content expertise and management for an educational farm program designed to train beginning farmers and ranchers in sustainable agricultural practices and production operations.

• Assists the BFRDP Director and other program staff to establish and maintain agricultural training sites in Honokaa and Kohala that serve as outdoor teaching, demonstration, and production classrooms. Sites should be developed with diversified operations that illustrate the development and management of orchards, vegetable crops, and animal husbandry associated with successful small scale farms.
• Assists the BFRDP Director and other program staff in designing and implementing the Kamehameha Schools High School Ag Internship Program.
• Assists with the recruitment of program participants and provides on-going support to participants during all aspects of the training programs.
• Assists with record keeping, reporting, and communications for the training programs and general farm operation.
• Carefully manages the risk of having students in settings with farm machinery.
• Serves as a resident expert on sustainable production farming in Hawaii’s climates and remains current on issues and advances in this field in order to instruct program participants and advise senior staff.
• Represents The Kohala Center as an expert in sustainable food production and farmer training in highly divergent forums from the agriculture and food production industries.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills required.
• Good judgment and the ability to effectively manage inexperienced students in farm and community settings are essential.
• Proven ability to interact positively with a wide variety of people in groups and in one-on-one personal communication.
• Strong knowledge of sustainable food production and the building of soil fertility.
• Knowledge of farm planning, farm production economics, and sound marketing strategies.
• Working knowledge of farm equipment maintenance and repair.
• Strong organizational, project management, and time management skills.
• Ability to work positively in a fast-paced, demanding, and collaborative organization.
• Must have reliable personal transportation for use in traveling between work sites.

Experience

• Four years of experience as an agricultural production instructor at a functioning educational farm.
• Other educational or farm production experience can substitute for two years of ag production instructional experience.

Education

• BA in agriculture or agricultural ecology required.

Working Conditions

• This position requires mobility as well as evening and weekend hours.
• This position requires the ability to perform heavy physical work and operate heavy equipment.
• Work is performed in a wide variety of settings in the community and at various outdoor sites on island.
• Out of area travel is required, including to satellite teaching areas on Hawaii Island, to neighboring islands, and periodic out-of-state travel.

How to Apply
Please download and fill out the employment application form and submit with your cover letter and resume to Cortney Okumura at cokumura@kohalacenter.org. No phone calls, please.