Farm Manager - Food for Change Hydroponic Program (New York)

Farm Manager — Food for Change

Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity

Bronx, New York | Full-time | $50,000 annual salary

Help grow a school-based farming program that connects fresh food, student learning and community health.

About the Center

The Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity is an independent, New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to translating rigorous research about food, nutrition and healthy aging into practical knowledge and community action. We accept no commercial funding.

Founded and led by Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH, the Center brings together research, education, and community programming to help people understand how food can support health—and use that knowledge in everyday life.

Food for Change puts that mission into practice by bringing fresh food production directly into Bronx public schools.

About Food for Change

Food for Change is building a coordinated network of professionally managed indoor hydroponic farms in Bronx public schools. Using vertical tower gardens, we grow vegetables and herbs indoors, creating a source of fresh produce and a hands-on learning environment.

Students participate in the growing process alongside faculty and our farm team. They can help choose crops, plant seedlings, monitor growth, harvest produce, and share it with others. Through that work, they explore plant science, nutrition, environmental systems and the connection between food and health. They also build practical skills in teamwork, responsibility, measurement and problem-solving.

The produce is intended for students, families, and surrounding communities at no cost . Crop planning can reflect the foods, herbs and cooking traditions that matter to each school community.

Our work currently spans six Bronx school sites at different stages of operation, setup and restart, with plans to expand to 25–30 locations. Reliable farm management is essential to making that growth possible.

The opportunity

We are seeking a capable, dependable Farm Manager who can grow healthy crops, keep hydroponic systems functioning, and help make each farm a productive part of its school community.

You will manage the growing operation across multiple locations: plan crops, maintain systems, identify problems, organize harvests, and keep accurate records. You will also work with teachers and student groups, helping them participate meaningfully while ensuring that essential farm care remains consistent.

This role combines technical growing work with teaching, coordination, and practical problem-solving. A successful day might include adjusting nutrients at one school, troubleshooting a pump at another, guiding students through a harvest and recording how much produce was distributed.

You will work independently in the schools and coordinate directly with the Center’s team. We need someone who notices what needs attention, takes action, and clearly communicates progress, problems, and needed support.

What you will do

Manage healthy, productive farms

• Oversee crop production from seedling through harvest across participating school sites.
• Monitor and adjust nutrient levels, pH, water, lighting, and growing conditions.
• Identify and address pests, disease, nutrient deficiencies, and other plant-health problems.
• Maintain pumps, irrigation components, timers, and other growing equipment; troubleshoot routine failures and coordinate additional repairs when needed.
• Establish consistent cleaning, sanitation, and food-safety practices.
• Develop crop plans and planting schedules that support dependable harvests.

Work with students and school partners

• Train and guide student groups and faculty leads in planting, routine observations, harvesting and safe handling of produce.
• Explain growing practices in clear, engaging language appropriate for students with different levels of experience.
• Help students understand how their work connects to food, nutrition, science and community needs.
• Coordinate visits, activities, and building access with school staff.
• Serve as the Center’s day-to-day farm contact for teachers, principals and facilities personnel.
• Retain responsibility for the technical care and continuity of the farms as students learn and participate.

Organize harvests, supplies, and records

• Coordinate harvesting and produce distribution with school partners.
• Record every planting, harvest, and distribution in our mobile tracking app on the day it occurs, including harvest weights and plant counts.
• Complete required timestamped video documentation of site visits and farm conditions.
• Maintain accurate supply inventories and move materials between sites.
• Provide reliable records to support program evaluation and grant reporting.
• Communicate equipment issues, crop losses, supply needs, and scheduling concerns promptly.

Help build the program

• Support installation, setup, planting, and launch of new farms.
• Help establish practical routines and operating procedures that can be used across the network.
• Coordinate plans for ongoing plant care during weekends and school breaks.
• Contribute ideas that improve crop production, student participation, and the consistency of the program.

Required qualifications

• At least two years of hands-on growing experience in hydroponics, urban farming, horticulture or a closely related field.
• Direct responsibility for maintaining crops through a growing cycle, including identifying and resolving plant-health problems.
• Working knowledge of hydroponic systems, such as tower gardens, nutrient film technique, deep water culture, or comparable systems.
• Ability to monitor and adjust pH and nutrients and troubleshoot routine growing-system problems.
• Strong organization, reliability, and follow-through across multiple locations.
• Comfort working with students and communicating professionally with teachers, administrators and facilities staff.
• Willingness to use mobile apps consistently and maintain complete, accurate daily records.
• Ability to travel independently among Bronx school sites and transport supplies.
• Ability to lift and move supplies weighing up to 50 pounds and perform the physical duties of the position, with reasonable accommodation.
• Weekday availability during school hours.
• Residence in the NYC area and a reliable commute to Bronx locations. We especially encourage Bronx-based applicants to apply. Relocation assistance is not available.

Applicants should be ready to manage routine growing and maintenance tasks independently. Please clearly describe your growing responsibilities, including the systems you have maintained and the problems you have solved.

Smartphone and documentation requirements

You must have your own smartphone with reliable service and at least 2 GB of available storage. You must use our farm tracking app and timestamped video app daily. A device is not provided.

Accurate documentation is part of the growing work: it helps us monitor conditions across locations, track food production, respond to problems, and demonstrate the program’s results.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience working in schools, community agriculture, or nonprofit programs.
• Experience teaching or supervising young people.
• Ability to communicate in English and Spanish.
• Food-safety training or ServSafe certification.
• Experience managing growing operations across multiple sites.
• A degree in agriculture, horticulture, environmental science, public health or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Location and schedule

This is an in-person position across Bronx public school sites. Current locations include Arthur Avenue, Bathgate Avenue, Mapes Avenue, East 180th Street, East 172nd Street, and the Boynton Avenue campus.

Most school visits take place on weekdays during school hours. The farms are designed for year-round growing, and you must plan continuity of care during school breaks with the Center and school partners.

Why join Food for Change?

You will put your growing skills to work in a program with a direct community purpose: producing fresh food, helping students develop practical knowledge and strengthening the connection between schools and the communities they serve.

You will have meaningful responsibility, a direct working relationship with the Center’s leadership, and the opportunity to shape the growing practices and systems of an expanding program.

As the network develops, your work will help determine how consistently the farms produce, how effectively students participate, and how well new sites get started.

How to apply

Submit your résumé and a brief statement explaining:

• The hydroponic or other growing systems you have personally managed.
• The crops you have grown and your responsibilities from planting through harvest.
• A plant-health or equipment problem you diagnosed and resolved.
• Any experience working with students or community groups.
• Your NYC neighborhood, weekday availability, and earliest possible start date.
• We welcome applicants whose strongest qualifications come from practical growing experience. Please show us what you have grown, maintained, and helped make work.