TOWN CLERK



Farm and Community Relations Assistant

General Statement of Duties

The Farm and Community Relations Assistant will be responsible for supporting the monthly (9 annual) Friends of Agriculture breakfasts including budget support, local product sourcing, program scheduling, logistics and volunteer coordination. The position will be responsible for supporting and assisting with all Polk County aspects of the annual NC Foothills Farm tour in coordination with Rutherford County. Position will support relative community education and events, including event planning and social media across all sectors in relation to Polk County agriculture. Position includes general office duties such as engaging clients, answering phone, managing emails and recordkeeping support.

Duties and Responsibilities

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING

• Handling all aspects of social media including Facebook, Instagram, and any other outlets we see fit. This will include daily posts leading up to events held in the Ag Economic Development office and surrounding areas that benefit farmers in our area.

• Making sure we are on all the local food list servs announcing dates, times and subjects of the specific events.

• As directed, sending press releases to local media outlets announcing events and resources for farmers

• Update and distribute email newsletters about upcoming events 

• Update and maintain Polk County Farms and NC Foothills Farm Tour website regarding events

AGRITOURISM/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Serves as liaison with farmers in our area to encourage participation with farm related events each year to drive consumers to their farms, creating relationships with the farmer and the consumer. This will in return benefit the farmer participating by increasing sales, which will boost the revenue coming into Polk County, and grow the opportunities for farmers to stay in this area, grow their business through agritourism, and encourage tourism and business opportunities. 

• Establish and maintain relationships with farmers and businesses in Polk County to provide better resources for the success of their agriculture related businesses and needs.

• Continue researching and developing opportunities for farmer resources in our area including but not limited to: NC Foothills Farm Tour, Ag Breakfasts, Farmer’s Markets, future conferences and workshops, etc.

• Building partnerships and relationships with neighboring counties to provide some of these resources throughout our region

NC FOOTHILLS FARM TOUR

• Assists with recruiting farmers in Polk County to participate in the annual NC Foothills Farm tour: Note: This function will be coordinated with Rutherford County.

o Receive and screen farm tour applications

o Coordinate farm visits with perspective participants

o Support a fluid communication plan between farmers, coordinator and NC Foothills Farm Tour team

o Assist in mandatory farm tour participant training before the event, including, but not limited to: safety, liability, signage, marketing, volunteers, event specifics, expectations, etc.

• Volunteer Coordination

o Assist in the recruitment of 40+ volunteers for the day of the event. This includes creating and updating the volunteer training manual, onsite training for volunteers before the event, creating a fluid communication plan between coordinators, farmers and volunteers about expectations on the day of. 

• Other Duties:

o Responsible for Farm Tour budget support; will work with the farm tour team to help create an annual budget for farm tour expenses.

o Research sponsorships. This includes everything for marketing materials (printed, online, radio, television, programs, website, etc.) 

o Website development and maintenance. Create content for the website, updating, creating lists of farms on the tour, interactive map system, ticketing information, and farm participant information

o Responsible for ticket sales: Eventbrite, securing locations to sell in person tickets 

o Assist in creating marketing material leading up to the tour. Ex: signage, brochures, fliers, mapping, press release, etc.

o Under direction, contacts media outlets for promotion of the event. 

o Wrap up: data collection for farm tour team and farmers, compile reports of data collected for presentation purposes, review budget, inventory, create surveys for farmers, volunteers and participants for feedback

o General support of the Farm Tour events

POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST

• Assist with recruitment of speakers for ag breakfast for the months of September-May

• Assists with all communication leading up to the day of the breakfast: this includes presentations, bio, introductions, directions, and answering questions about the event.

• Organize all ingredients for the breakfast. This includes reaching out to local farmers to purchase and pick up their offering each month for the breakfast. This task includes specific communication via email, call or texts about drop-off, pick-ups, etc on a tight time-frame in most cases. 

• Preparation, including set-up, break-down and cooking the day before and day of the breakfast.

• Volunteer recruitment support for people to help the day of the (and sometimes day before) breakfast. This includes all communication with volunteers via email, phone or text Sept-May of expectations each month. (Duties include, managing the sign-in station, cooking, cleaning, technical assistance, set-up and break-down.)

• Assisting with the budget of the Ag Breakfast. This includes collecting invoices from farmers or vendors, creating reimbursement spreadsheets, coordination of reimbursement through Farm Bureau, dropping off invoices, picking up check, and paying all vendors for their product for the breakfast. 

• Assist in the development of all social media and marketing material for FOA Breakfast

• Follow-up emails and thank you cards to speakers and volunteers each month

OTHER DUTIES AS NEEDED

• Provide support for Farmland Preservation and Farmland Protection Plan implementation

• Handles data input from farms and agricultural related businesses for the purpose of long term planning and economic development support

• Support the Columbus Farmers’ Market as needed

• Data collection as needed or assigned, ie- Farmland Preservation, Ag Stats and other development research.

• Assist in long term planning, including grant applications and implementation as needed.

Recruitment and Selection

➢ Knowledge and use of Social Media platforms a must

➢ Basic financial record keeping

➢ Good working knowledge of Google docs, Word and databases

➢ Consistent ethical practices

➢ Excellent relationship building skills ~ field specific

➢ Ability to work with diverse teams

➢ Strong communication skills, written and verbal

➢ Volunteer coordination and administrative skills

➢ Effective in establishing and maintaining positive work relationships within the department.

➢ Ability to build relationships with local government agencies and local partners as needed.

➢ Strong organizational skills- people, policies, projects, work schedules and timelines. Most projects are time sensitive

➢ Effective Event planning, coordination and implementation is essential

Education and Experience Requirements

Two-year college degree in a related field from an accredited school, and/or significant experience in related fields or professional activities. At least two (2) years of work experience in an administrative or support position. Agricultural related background is essential and required. Experience with working in local government a plus.

Physical Activities and Requirements

The physical activities for this position are: Stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, lifting, standing, walking, grasping, talking, writing, hearing. Regular lifting of up to 40 pounds, occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds. Position requires working outdoors with exposure to the elements on a regular basis.

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Job Class Title: Farm and Community Relations Assistant

Department: Agricultural Economic Development

Salary Grade: SG 17 (Min: $13.18/hour)

Work Schedule: Part-time Regular: (26 hours/week)

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

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