Jobs with Food Works

• Assist with all aspects of producing food sustainably, including:

  • Preparing the land for cultivation by assisting the farm manager in tilling soil, building rows of raised beds, applying soil amendments as needed, most of which will be done by hand or a small walk behind tractor.

  • Planting, watering, & harvesting crops by hand

  • Post-harvest handling, including washing, packing, storage

  • Implementing weed control, including utilizing an electric weed trimmer

  • Learning and practicing small-scale regenerative farming.

  • Comply with farm safety standards and operational guideline

  • Communicate regularly with the Sol Systems site team and Farm Manager

• Work at the Farm site in Eldorado growing specialty crops. The Farm Assistant is expected to be on site as often as necessary for successful production. This is anticipated to be 3-5 times per week beginning in March 2026.

• Experience or willingness to learn small-scale or sustainable farming systems

• Willingness to prioritize safety requirements and communicate with the solar site management team

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

• Commitment to local food systems and community-based agriculture

• Ability to work outdoors in all seasons, walk up to 1 mile on uneven terrain & lift up to 50lbs

• Ability to work independently, reliable transportation and ability to travel to the farm site

• Hours: 20 hours per week, March-October.

• Location: Eldorado, Illinois

• Compensation: Hourly, based on experience

• Benefits: Paid time off accrual

To apply, please send your resume, contact information for 3 references, and a short statement on why you’re interested in this role to morgan@fwsoil.org. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. This posting will be removed from the Food Works website ( https://fwsoil.org/jobs ) when the position is filled.

The Food Works Mobile Farmers Market is a farmer's market on wheels. The market vehicle is a 16-foot box truck mounted on a Ford F-350 chassis that transports food and provides a safe conduit for people to access healthy food. The vehicle includes storage for fresh foods, cold and refrigerated space, a sink, and displays. The purpose of the Mobile Market is twofold: to connect food-insecure families and individuals in underserved areas of the 23 southern counties of Illinois with fresh food, and to help local farms reach more customers in more locations across Southern Illinois. www.mobilefarmersmarket.us 

The Mobile Farmers Market is a program of Food Works. Food Works is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating a sustainable food economy in Southern Illinois. Through farmer training and consumer education, Food Works promotes long-term farming networks that build healthy soils, healthy food, and healthy communities across the 23 counties of Southern Illinois. 

• Assist the manager and truck coordinator at mobile farmers market locations throughout Southern Illinois with setup, teardown, inventory management, and display creation and stocking.
• Assist with Food Works Healthy Rx packing and delivery when necessary.
• Assist with LEAF Kitchen activities when requested.
• Assist with special events, including cooking demonstrations, food giveaways, and school visits.
• Ensure safe food storage, handling, and quality control. Help manage inventory and maintain accurate records.
• Help maintain checklists and procedures for market operations.
• Assist with keeping up-to-date records on market sales, vendors, customer attendance, etc. 
• Communicate with customers in a friendly manner.
• Be an ambassador for Food Works and the Mobile Farmers Market, emphasizing the importance of community access to healthy, fresh, locally sourced food. 
• Must be able to lift 40lbs and be able to repeat physical tasks, including lifting items into the trucks and moving items from storage to the vehicles

• Strong “people skills”, a passion for working in the community, and a commitment to improving access to healthy food in Southern Illinois. 
• Willingness to learn about farmers' markets, food safety, and local food marketing.
• Demonstrated excitement in local food and farming systems (farmers markets, food businesses, farming, food access, volunteering, etc.).
• Willingness to learn about types of farming practices (ie, Certified Organic, Certified Naturally Grown, sustainable, regenerative… ), as well as the strengths and challenges of sourcing from small-scale farmers. 
• Strong communication and listening skills. Ability to work with diverse audiences with a friendly, welcoming, and respectful attitude.
• Reliable transportation to Food Works’s facilities in Carbondale, IL, and areas throughout southern Illinois. 

Interested applicants can send a resume and a letter outlining their interest and qualifications to Elizabeth DeRuntz, Director of Operations and Food Access Programming, at elizabeth@fwsoil.org. This position will begin in late May and continue through August. Resumes will be reviewed immediately. 

Food Works programs include:

• Southern Illinois Farming Alliance (SIFA)
  • Sol Systems Agrivoltaics Farm Program
• Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings (SIFB)
• Food Works Mobile Farmers Market (MFM)
  • Rural Roots, Food is Medicine Rx Initiative
• Food Works Winter Farmers Market (WFM)
• Southern Illinois Link Hub (Link Hub)

Event Planning

• The Outreach Coordinator will work with the Farm Services Director to plan and execute public-facing events, including but not limited to: Field Days, the Annual SIFA conference, Annual Farm Crawl, Farm-to-Table fundraisers, etc.
• This position is responsible for helping to identify tabling opportunities and for attending and representing Food Works at community outreach events
• Reports directly to the Farm Services Director

Social Media: SIFA, Farm Beginnings, overall Food Works content

• Use brand kit and templates for social media posting
• Help program heads by distributing information, via posts and flyers for major program events and activities
  • Responsible for creating a social media calendar for the month ahead
  • Responsible for posting on all social media platforms about upcoming events and activities
  • Assists with the creation and distribution of the overall content plan for Food Works
• Share and distribute relative information from outside organizations
• Manage the inbox for social media for all questions and comments - expectation at least 2 times/week
• Forward all questions and comments to the department heads, etc.

Public Relations and Press Releases

• This position is responsible for writing and sending Food Works’ press releases out on time
• This position will work with department heads to obtain all relevant information.
• This position will manage Food Works’ media contact list and general public relations.
• They will participate in occasional community outreach meetings and speaking engagements

Team & Organizational Participation

• Participate in regular staff meetings and organization-wide events
• Look at all activity of the organization, such as how to we promote or talk about this with the public, our members, etc.

Ideal Candidate Will Bring

• Experience in event planning, promotion and public relations
• Strong skills in social media, graphic design and storytelling or marketing
  • Bonus if candidate has digital media skills such as website design, videography, photography or design experience; experience with Adobe Suite an added bonus
  • Experience with budget management and resource tracking
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Comfortable generating written content
• Ability to work independently, with flexibility to represent Food Works at community events
• Willingness to learn and use Canva, as well as G-mail and Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides) to communicate with other team members
• Commitment to local food systems and community-based agriculture. Ability to work outdoors in all seasons, walk up to 1 mile on uneven terrain & lift up to 50lbs
• Reliable transportation and willingness to travel within the region

• Hours: 33-40 hours per week, year-round.
• Location: Hybrid – includes in-office work in Carbondale as well as availability to facilitate Food Works events in-person, as well as represent Food Works at community events. Occasional overnight travel may be required.

• Wage: $18 -19 per hour. Full time status is considered 33-40 hours worked per week.
• Eight paid holidays are granted to regular, full-time employees during a calendar year( 8 hours paid leave per holiday). If the holiday falls on a weekend, employees may, with permission, take the preceding Friday or the following Monday instead, or a different day agreed upon by the employer and employee. These holidays are: New Year’s Day, January 1; Martin Luther King Day; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day, July 4th; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Thanksgiving, 4th Thursday in November; and Christmas, December 25 (or another holiday of the employee’s choice in keeping with their family and religious traditions).
• Phone stipend: $45/month
• Monthly Wellness Stipend of $350/month
• Standard Reimbursement at the federal rate for mileage according to the Food Works Personnel Handbook Policy.
• Access to Illinois Secure Choice, a state-facilitated retirement savings program that allows employees to contribute to a Roth IRA through automatic payroll deductions when an employer does not offer its own retirement plan. While Food Works does not contribute employer funds to retirement, staff may still choose to participate individually in IL Secure Choice if Food Works elects to provide access to the program.

To apply, please send your resume, contact information for 3 references, and a short statement on why you’re interested in this role to ellen@fwsoil.org. Applications will be reviewed starting January 15, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. This posting will be removed from the Food Works website (https://fwsoil.org/jobs) when the position is filled.