About Urban Growers Collective

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is built upon the foundation of Growing Power, a nonprofit organization and land trust established in Milwaukee, WI in 1993. Growing Power operated its urban farming and education non-profit for 25-years before closing its doors in the Fall of 2017. The Growing Power Chicago branch was established in February 2002, to address the need for scalable food system models that were inclusive, impactful, and economically viable. After Growing Power closed, Chicago’s leadership team, committed to continuing the legacy of Growing Power, formed UGC to build upon our 15-years of successes creating thriving urban farms and training programs in Chicago.

UGC tackles food insecurity through a variety of programming. Our portfolio of programs includes: the Fresh Moves Mobile Market; Farmers for Chicago, our job-readiness program which trains over 300 teens annually, 30 formerly incarcerated adults through an 18-month job-readiness program, as well as our Incubator Farmer program which provides land and technical assistance for new Chicago farmers; our head- start preschool farm which serves over 150 preschoolers and their families; and finally, we provide education to a larger audience through a series of agriculture, small business development, and equality building workshops. Our core values honor shared leadership and collective decision making; racial, economic, gender and LGBTQ equity; and employee well-being: we have witnessed how these values lead to thoughtful, holistic programming and yield environments that nourish and create prosperity.

Fresh Moves Mobile Market

Urban Growers Collective uses a retrofitted bus converted into mobile farmers markets — ‘the farmers market on wheels’ — to work toward closing the ‘food access’ gap. Customers board the bus and fill their bags with delicious local produce: fruit, vegetables, herbs, as well as UGC products. Produce is priced to be affordable for all and fair return for the farmers.

The goal of the program is to: nearly doubling the total amount of farmers’ markets operating across the city; increasing farmers’ markets in low income neighborhoods by over 400%; and creating a model for linking good food and health information to support healthy eating, community based healthcare, and economic development efforts. By working with community partnerships and providing educational outreach, we believe that the project supports informed dietary choices. Fresh Moves has the opportunity to support access to consistent good food, support, information through health and school partners to provide a web of support to reverse diet related diseases and health disparities.

Position Summary: Urban Growers Collective seeks a passionate, community-driven and connected Sales Associate to load, sell produce, and reconcile end of day sales Fresh Moves Mobile Market Program.

Fresh Moves stops are each 60 - 120 minutes with approximately 14 stops each week. This position is part-time, and compensation is based on experience.

Responsibilities:

Load and unload bus with fresh produce for daily site visits and interact with customers to sell produce; must be able to lift 40 pounds of weight;

Being friendly and engaging with customers;

Communicate with all site-partners when arriving on site;

Have knowledge of handling produce;

Assist in executing outreach strategy to inform the surrounding neighborhoods about Fresh Moves; • Develop strategies to maximize sales;

Submit daily sales data and to the Fresh Moves Coordinator;

Conduct quality management of produce;

Clean and organize cooler and commissary space weekly with staff;

Driving bus to and from Fresh Moves sites; Working outside in all weather conditions;

Represent UGC in a professional, inclusive and respectful way at meetings and at partner sites.

Qualifications:

Competency working with communities of color and diverse workplace; experience in dismantling racism and anti-oppression work is important;

Customer service experience;

Ability to problem solve, excellent communication skills, and must work well as a member of a team; • Knowledge of produce handling and wholesale food operations;

Must have the ability to understand using Square;

Basic accounting and ability to follow through on cash-handling protocol;

Love for the community and passionate about social equity issues with ability to cooperate and communicate with diverse partners, including neighbors, supporters, funders and public officials;

Compensation: $20/hr, full-time and part-time hours available