Mill Creek

Section I: Organization Information

Agency Mission: The Mill Creek Farm is an educational urban farm dedicated to improving local access to fresh produce, building a healthy community and environment, and promoting a just and sustainable food system.

Name/Title of Contact: Johanna Rosen and Jade Walker, Co-Directors

Address: 3451 Walnut Street, Suite P-117A, Philadelphia, 19104

Phone Number: 267-242-5539 or 215-939-2386

Website: http://www.millcreekurbanfarm.org/

Email: millcreekfarm@resist.ca

Total number of agency staff members: 2

Agency Budget: $80,000

Section II: Community Need

Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly affected by the problem.

People are increasingly disconnected from the places and processes that produce their food. There is urgent need for improved understanding of our food system to protect the health of populations and the environment. Minority and low-income populations are disproportionately affected by rising obesity rates and nutrition-related diseases. This is attributed in part to lack of access to affordable, healthy foods in inner-city neighborhoods. In West Philadelphia, shopping opportunities that do exist include very little in terms of local or organic choices and high prices are prohibitive and do not encourage increased vegetable consumption.

Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

The Mill Creek Farm is a small and young organization working to address these needs through food production and distribution and offering farm-based educational opportunities. The Farm grows vegetables as well as fruits and herbs which are sold at bi-weekly farmstands and to a local food coop as well as donated to food cupboards to improve access to fresh, healthy produce in West Philadelphia, specifically the Mill Creek neighborhood. We work with volunteers and visitors, schools and other groups, individuals, high school interns, neighbors, customers, and community gardeners, to involve people in understanding food production and urban sustainability. A fellow will support the staff in assessing and improving our effectiveness; in fundraising and coordination of educational programs in order to reach more volunteers and visitors; and in increasing vegetable production to provide more food for the community.

Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project.

Community members are involved with the farm in many ways. Most of the customers at the farm stand and farmers’ market are neighborhood residents. Some neighbors have plots in the community garden adjacent to the farm; some come to the farm for gardening resources. Young people in the neighborhood come by the farm on their own to explore and work as well as visiting the farm with field trips from neighborhood schools and community organizations. Volunteers help support the Farm’s operation and take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities. Community gatherings such as workshops and bbqs also draw neighbors to the farm.

Section III: Job Description

Please outline in list form the fellow's duties and responsibilities.

A Fellow would increase the capacity of the Farm by assisting with:
- outreach to schools and community organizations to set up field trips and educational programs,
- outreach to increase distribution of produce through sales and donations, including advertising for the farmers’ market,
- assisting with coordination of workshops and community events,
- fundraising efforts including grant-writing, sending out appeal letters, and organizing an annual benefit party,
- planning, organizing, recording and reporting,
- compiling newsletters,
- maintaining our website,
- scheduling and volunteer coordination
- supporting the Board of Directors and staff in building a long-term strategic

Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in the position.

Fellow should be:
- organized
- self-motivated
- self-directed
- flexible
- committed to working in an equitable and mutually respectful work environment that values non-dominant power structures
- interested in learning about food justice and working with diverse groups of people of all ages

Please describe your agency's plan to orient and train the fellow.

We plan to orient the fellow using our training manual, describing both on and offsite pertinent information and history and background of the organization. We will have discussions and offer materials on food justice, grassroots fundraising, and anti-oppression ally work. We will also provide on-site, hands-on training at the farm. The fellow will have opportunities to meet with community members with pertinent skills such as press, media or outreach. We will set mutually-agreed upon goals for the year and by season. Staff will work side-by-side with the fellow to get aquainted with the materials we have used in the past for fundraising and outreach. The fellow will shadow staff in working in the neighborhood on outreach and marketing. Weekly meetings will be scheduled to ensure the fellow’s knowledge and comfort with tasks. Opportunities may come up for workshops and conferences depending on the fellow’s interests.

Section IV: Project Plan

Please describe the proposed project goal(s) you expect the fellow to achieve. These should relate to your community need and reflect the long-term impact of the fellow’s project.

Fellow will apply for 5 grants, send out 4 mailings of newsletters/letters requesting support, establish/maintain relationships with individual donors, recruit 50 new volunteers, make contact with and schedule visits for 10 groups, coordinate meetings with neighborhood organizations, support the Board of Directors and staff in holding strategic planning retreat.

Section V: The Nitty Gritty

Will fellow be working at the same address listed above?

No. Alternate worksite:

The mailing address above is the office of the Urban Nutrition Initiative, a program of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at UPenn. We currently use their office as well as work from home. Our main worksite is the Mill Creek Farm, at 49th and Brown. We will need to make arrangements for a fellow to have office, desk, computer, etc.

Please describe the fellow's work environment.

Fellow will not be provided with thier own office.
Fellow will not be provided with their own desk.
Fellow will not be provided with their own computer.

Please list the name and title of the fellow's immediate supervisor.

Johanna Rosen and Jade Walker, Co-Directors

Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

Independently: 45%
As a team member in a group setting: 40%
As a team leader in a group setting: 15%

Travel:

Will the fellow be expected to travel as part of the position?

Will the fellow need the following to carry out the position?

A driver’s license: No
Their own car: No

Section VI: Supervision/Resources

Outline the goals and results you expect the fellow to achieve and the measures you will use to evaluate their performance and impact.

1. Please describe the proposed project goal(s) you expect the fellow to achieve.
Fellow will apply for 5 grants, send out 4 mailings of newsletters/letters requesting support, establish/maintain relationships with individual donors, recruit 150 volunteers, make contact with and schedule visits for 20 groups.

2. Please list significant milestones for this project and dates by which they will be accomplished:
Grant applications and reports will be completed by deadlines set by the foundations which are throughout the year. The annual appeal letter and annual benefit party will be completed in December. Newsletters will be sent out quarterly and web updates will happen monthly. On-farm programming takes place March – November and farmers’ markets take place June - November. By the end of the fellow’s service, the Mill Creek Farm should have the capacity, financially and organizationally, to hire a third staff member.

Encore: Application wasn’t long enough for you? Please include any additional information you feel would be useful in evaluating your application.

The Mill Creek Farm works for a more just world based in self-determination and equal distribution of resources and power. To these ends the Mill Creek Farm and its staff build relationships across differences and value accessibility and transparency in all areas of the organization. At the Mill Creek Farm we believe learning should be action-oriented, experiential, and allow for reflection. Because of our small size (2 full-time staff), we work closely on a regular base to discuss and problem solve all matters of the organization and develop its capacity. In upholding the integrity of our values we are accountable to one another, to our mission, to our board of directors, and to the community of Mill Creek.