Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Network UK Development Worker Wales (DWW)

Thanks to funding from The Ashley Family Foundation, the CSA Network UK (CSAN) is looking for a new Wales-based part-time team-member to join the team to support CSA development in Wales. Together the staff members will work towards the network vision of a CSA in every UK neighbourhood. 

Hours: 8 hours per week for two years (funding secured) 

Salary: £31,858 pa (pro rata)

Location: Home-based within Wales

Supervised by: CSA Network Coordinator

This post is grant-funded for two years. Thereafter it is dependent on securing continued funding.

The DWW will work closely with the CSAN team to develop CSA in Wales, working with key stakeholders and partner organisations to establish beneficial relationships that extend and develop the CSA movement across Wales. We imagine that the role might be taken by an existing CSA farmer with the relevant skills who is looking for a small amount of work outside their farm. 

You will:

• Promote CSA in Wales to organisations and general public including generating interest in setting up new CSAs
• Make contact with and network amongst established and new / warm lead CSAs in Wales, providing bespoke support and helping them navigate challenges 
• Develop relationships with relevant organisations and individuals to help further CSA in Wales
• Support networking between CSAs and point them towards the support offer of the CSA Network UK
• Coordinate and deliver a Welsh CSA event
• Attend relevant external events to promote CSA across Wales
• Search for fundraising opportunities and support fundraising for continued activity in Wales
• Be the voice of Welsh CSA within the UK Network
• Work to influence Welsh Policy change to enhance support for CSA Farms

You will also:

• On occasion, attend and present at other events relevant to the CSAN.
• Work with the Network Coordinator and the board to ensure targets and milestones are met or exceeded within budget and in line with delivery schedules and the business plan.
• Support the Network Coordinator in ensuring all legal and regulatory requirements for the network are met and relevant policies and procedures are in place, up to date and effective.
• Support the Network Coordinator in managing relationships with funders and seeking funding for network activity.
• Where appropriate, provide support to members through mentoring, advice, resources etc.
• Develop and foster partnerships with other organisations and manage these relationships.
• Conditions of employment
• Home-based in Wales and have existing use of home office/IT and internet.
• Travel and subsistence at cost and using own car at £0.45 per mile or £0.18 per mile for bicycle. 
• Regular travel is required around the UK and sometimes overseas.
• Evening and weekend work may also be required occasionally. 
• Person Specification
• We are looking for someone with excellent skills and experience across project management and relationship building and with a strong commitment to CSA and agroecology.
• Essential Skills and Experience:

• Knowledge of community supported agriculture and agroecological farming
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain professional networks 
• Demonstrated knowledge of Welsh agriculture and business
• Demonstrated event management experience
• Project development and management experience
• Excellent communications skills
• Excellent ICT skills, including experience of websites and databases
• Monitoring and evaluation experience
• Well-organised and have good attention to detail
• Ability to work alone with minimal supervision
• Excellent teamwork skills

Desirable Skills and Experience:

●  An understanding of the challenges and opportunities of working remotely as part of a small team

●  Experience of running a CSA

●  Experience of fundraising

●  Experience of working with policy makers

●  Experience of working in policy

●  Communications experience 

●  Experience of working with volunteers.

How to Apply:

Please send us a CV (no more than 2 A4 Pages) and a supporting statement setting out why you would be the best person for the job and your relevant skills, knowledge and experience (no more than 2 A4 pages).

This should be sent to: csanetworkfunding@gmail.com

Closing date: 12 midnight on Sunday 19th October

Shortlisted candidates will be informed by Tuesday 21st October whether they’ve been selected for an interview. Interviews will take place on Thursday 23rd October between 9am and 3pm via zoom and will include a presentation.

We would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible. Please indicate in your application the earliest date you would be able to commence work.

Background Information

About Us:

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a radical approach to the production and supply of food that builds strong, close and mutually beneficial partnerships between communities and producers. CSA is defined as a partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared.

The CSA Network UK is the only organisation dedicated to promoting community supported agriculture (CSA) across the UK.

We support and promote CSA farms to flourish across the country, working towards a fair, sustainable and resilient food system by:

●  Providing a network to facilitate communication, co-operation, knowledge sharing and capacity building between UK CSAs.

●  Supporting new and existing CSAs with resources, training, events and mentoring.

●  Promoting and raising awareness and understanding of the CSA model.

●  Representing the interests of the UK CSA movement to policy makers.

●  Linking to the global CSA movement.

Our vision is a CSA in every UK neighbourhood.

Our history: Whilst CSA is a common concept in many other countries including the USA (over 12000 CSAs) and France (over 2000 CSAs), in the UK it has been slower to take off. There are currently around 130 UK CSA farms but the number is growing each year. From 2007- 2012 the Soil Association ran a project to encourage the growth of CSAs in the UK. This work brought together CSA farmers who decided when the Soil Association programme came to an end, that they needed an independent network. In 2013 the CSA Network UK was founded as an Industrial and Provident Society. Our current Chair is Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry lead at the Soil Association, a Director of the Organic Growers Association and Co-chair of the Defra Edibles Horticulture Roundtable.