VetCorps is now hiring! If interested, apply here and
email patrick@notforgottenoutreach.org for more information.
Overview
Position Type: Seasonal, Part-Time, Non-Exempt
Schedule: 22.5 hours per week
Stipend: $675.00 distributed in biweekly increments (before taxes—equates to $15/hour)
Reports to: NFO Staff
Location: Not Forgotten Outreach, Taos, NM
VetCorps offers veterans and their families a service opportunity to engage in a 2nd Mission: feeding the community. VetCorps members participate in agricultural projects at Not Forgotten Outreach and engage in therapeutic activities to strengthen the ability of veterans to transition successfully into civilian life. This position will be demanding both physically and mentally as you learn and engage in agricultural projects. Agricultural projects will include hydroponics, traditional row crops, and animal husbandry. All VetCorps members will receive both personal and professional development training in topics such as hydroponics, USDA food safety, beekeeping, seed saving, row crops, permaculture, acequias, land revitalization, farm business tactics, marketing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills, and “whole health” lifestyle skills.
NFO VetCorps Crew Member is an apprenticeship position and requires a commitment to the full term.
Responsibilities Include:
- Communicate effectively with VetCorps Crew Leaders and other Supervisors
- Effectively serve with all team members to complete projects
- Engage and learn from all educational training sessions
- Ensure a safe environment both physically and mentally
- Comply with standards set forth in the VetCorps handbook
- Maintain a positive and respectful attitude
- Support Not Forgotten Outreach community events that may occur during weekends and evenings
- Serve with community volunteers and other organizations
- Establish and develop relationships with community members including youth
- Rotating weekend duties to ensure that plants and animals are taken care of
Qualifications
- Armed Forces Veteran; or immediate family member related by blood, marriage, or adoption of an Armed Forces Veteran
- Commitment to the entire season
- Lift or move up to 50 pounds occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds constantly
- Insurable driving record, the ability to operate a motor vehicle, and a valid driver’s license
- Work outdoors in all weather conditions
- High School Diploma, GED, or enrolled in a GED program
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions
To apply, please visit: notforgottenoutreach.org/vetcorps
For more information on the position contact patrick@notforgottenoureach.org, or call (575) 224-1503
Who are we?
Not Forgotten Outreach’s mission is to provide recreational, therapeutic, and farming activities for Military Veterans, their families, and Gold Star Families. NFO has seven years of experience working with Veterans and Military Families through farming and other programs. Our founder and president, Kym Sanchez, an Army Iraq Veteran, began the non-profit in 2013. Since 2017, NFO has served over 4,000 Veterans and Military Families, per year.
Where are we?
Not Forgotten Outreach is located in Taos, New Mexico. NFO owns La Finca Militar, 28 acres of land in the heart of Taos. NFO maintains 24 acres of irrigated pasture and orchard land with four acres of irrigated field crops. The remaining 4 acres include one 40’x18’ adobe wall classroom, indoor greenhouse, and 2,400 square ft office building. La Finca Militar is VetCorps’s main training site.
What do we do?
NFO’s flagship program, VetCorps, serves Military Veterans and their family members in Taos County. VetCorps members, during their six-month service term, participate in agriculture training, such as USDA and NMDA programming, and Military to civilian transitional training. The training aims to develop the members’ agricultural skills and knowledge, while simultaneously improving their whole health, empowering them to improve or start their own farm operations. Each member undergoes 360 hours of hands-on experiential agriculture and 90 hours of agricultural and military to civilian training during the six-month program term. During their training, members will participate in various agriculture projects, peer-to-peer connections, and community events. These events provide members with a low stress training opportunity to interact with the community.
What exactly does VetCorps train?
The VetCorps training curriculum is diverse, focusing on two main components—agriculture and whole health. For agriculture, members take a Farming and Ranching Class Series, with six classes focused on soil, water, planting, hoop houses, hydroponics, farm safety, animal husbandry, animal awareness, and farming techniques/tips. Members enroll in a Farm Business and Marketing Class Series, with classes on Land Acquisition and Revitalization, USDA Programs and Resources, Food Safety, marketing, and Farm Plans. Members also attend a beekeeping course series, along with daily experiential agriculture training on La Finca Militar.
Why should I serve?
Outside of all the reasons listed above, VetCorps gives Military Veterans and Military Family members a sense of community and family. Previous members have often used the word “family” to describe their fellow crew members. VetCorps is designed to have members working together often, striving towards a common goal—that central “2nd mission” of providing fresh, healthy food for the Taos community.