The Garden Manager's main responsibilities will include regular correspondence with Inverness Jail staff, weekly site visits to raised bed garden site located outside the secure perimeter, and providing guidance regarding organic and sustainable garden management, organic soil amendments, planting techniques, etc.
This role can be fulfilled by one or two people, depending on availability and applicant(s) interest.
This is an unpaid position.
Master Gardeners may use this work toward their Master Gardener volunteer requirement.
Responsibilities:
- Provide on-site support to garden work crews on best practices in organic garden maintenance and management.
- Develop a work/grow plan that includes weekly, monthly and season-long tasks and goals.
- Oversee the implementation of weekly project tasks and goals in partnership with Inverness Jail staff coordinator.
- Conduct informal site surveys with work crews to assess level of interest, skills learned, etc.
- Provide ongoing reporting to Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and Office of Sustainability staff, including recommendations for project improvement, successes, challenges, and other pertinent information.
- Facilitate harvest and preparation of crops for donation to Snowcap Community Charities.
- Track the amount (by weight) and type of food grown.
NOTE: The average length of stay at Inverness Jail is 40 days, though many adults serve much shorter sentences. This means that work crews will experience some turnover through the growing season.
Qualifications:
- Experience working with adults in custody is preferred but not required
- Organic gardening or agricultural experience, preferably in the Pacific Northwest
- Project management experience and strong organizational skills
- Strong verbal communication skills
- Experience working with communities from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds
Commitments:
- 4 hours of volunteer training with Inverness Jail, plus a full background check
- Approximately 1.5-2 hours per week of on-site support, not including transportation to/from Inverness Jail
- Approximately 4 hours per month for planning and correspondence with Inverness Jail staff coordinator
Resources Provided:
- Inverness Jail provides training on working with inmate populations
- Multnomah County Office of Sustainability will provide volunteers with past planting schedules, donated materials, and on-going support for garden maintenance.
If you are interested in this position, please contact John Wasiutynski in the Multnomah County Office of Sustainability at john.wasiutynski@multco.us.