Ecological Pest Management Technical Assistance Technician

CAFF is a California-based membership organization that includes family farmers and other community members passionate about local food, farming, and the environment.  As a farmer-serving organization, we recognize the historic and lasting inequities in the California food and farming system. We believe farmers of color, and other historically oppressed people, should have the opportunity to create and participate in a food and agriculture system that aligns with their needs, values, identities, knowledge systems, and communities. We commit to advancing racial, gender, and environmental justice in our larger systems, as well as in our own workplace. Currently our programming is focused in four areas: Farm to Market, Policy & Advocacy, Farmer Services, and Ecological Farming.  To learn more about CAFF, our history, and our core values, visit .

CAFF seeks an Ecological Pest Management (EPM)  Technical Assistance (TA) Technician to support the implementation, evaluation, and synthesis of technical assistance for small-scale farmers as part of a CDFA OPCA funded project. The EPM TA technician will work with CAFF’s EPM Senior Manager and Ecological Farming team to support and lead building pest management plans (including feasible monitoring) and IPM practice implementation guidelines with small-scale growers in the region between Chico and Fresno (including Contra Costa Co. and central Sierra foothills). The technician will also interview growers about their experiences with IPM practice implementation and synthesize learnings about barriers and opportunities for IPM for small scale growers from interviews, forums, events, and surveys. These learnings will be summarized in a report for other technical assistance providers and policy makers that the technician will co-author. Additionally, this contractor will attend and support field days that CAFF’s Ecological Farming team hosts and share relevant content developed with grower and Pest Control Advisor (PCA) organizations. If ability permits, this contractor will provide support to Spanish-speaking growers in Spanish. This contractor may also assist with on the ground technical support for farmer-led on-farm trials and farmer organizing in stone fruit. Overall, this position will involve: providing one-on-one technical assistance with small scale growers, tracking technical assistance efforts, listening and compiling IPM challenges and needs, providing incentives and implementation assistance for IPM practices, and generally strengthening grower relationships. The field technician will ideally be based in the Greater Sacramento Area with regular travel through the San Joaquin Valley, Contra Costa Co., Central Sierra foothills, and some travel to the Sacramento Valley.

Description of Services

• Lead technical assistance with small-scale farmers, including but not limited to diagnosing pest issues, creating monitoring and implementation plans, helping with assessment of efficacy of practices, documenting, interviewing growers on practices, synthesizing learnings, and writing a report on learnings

• Support grower cohorts that are utilizing pest management practices together (promoting grower leadership and encouraging grower support networks)

• Assist in attending and/or planning field days and meetings with diverse grower groups. Work to expand CAFF’s grower and PCA networks.

• Collaborate and regularly communicate with PCAs, growers, researchers, and industry to share data, solve problems, and document challenges via phone, zoom, or farm visits as needed

• Identify points of potential project collaboration with other individuals involved in IPM

• Assist with developing and technical support for on-farm field trials in stone fruit

• Assist with cohort organizing for stone fruit growers implementing trials 

• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Education

Bachelor’s degree in entomology, agricultural science or related fields or relevant equivalent in work experience

Experience

• Current Pest Control Advisor license strongly preferred

• At least 1 year of professional experience in agriculture preferred

• Experience in IDing and monitoring insect pests in agricultural fields

• Familiarity with IPM practices, including but not limited to: biological control, mating disruption, and softer pesticide options

• Experience in interviewing agricultural practitioners, slightly preferred

• Documented ability to write reports on IPM, slightly preferred; otherwise, generally strong communication skills (both verbal and written)

• Experience working in diversified vegetable and/or stone fruit systems preferred

• Bilingual skills in another language preferred (preferably Spanish) 

• Demonstrated ability to enhance and effectively deliver programs to diverse audiences through your understanding of self, language, culture, and community

• Ability to connect with farmers. Comfortable with meeting farmers, listening to needs, collaborative problem-solving, and following up. Group facilitation experience with farmers would be highly desirable. 

• Experience in coordinating agricultural events preferred

• Familiarity with collaborating with diverse IPM practitioners, including but not limited to PCAs, researchers, UC Extension, RCDs, and NRCS (for example previous experience as a collaborator on research and/or extension projects)

• Interest in sustainable agriculture and family farms in California

• Experience in scientific data collection preferred

• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as collaborate with others in a team setting

• Event coordination

• Ability to work on occasional weekend and/or evening commitments

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; proficiency in Google Suite

• Ideal but not necessary: Proficiency in WordPress, Canva, and Action Network

• Applicants must have access to a vehicle to carry out field work at multiple demonstration and research sites. Must be able to provide valid driver’s license and valid auto insurance

Physical Abilities

• Ability to work for multiple hours in a field setting

• Ability to sit for long periods of time working at a computer

• Requires a full range of physical mobility, such as bending, stooping, lifting (up to 50 lbs), turning, carrying objects, and grasping

CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.

To apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of two references with the subject line “Ecological Pest Management Technical Assistance Technician Contractor” to View email address on thenonprofitnetwork.org by October 6, 2026