Good Food Jobs + A Few Local Opportunities

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Ojai Olive Oil: Your food job?

Thanks to Michael Pollan, the mainstreaming of farm-to-table activism, and co-ops, many college students graduate with the hope of working with food -- in the ever-expanding field if not a field itself. While ten years ago, they'd have been at the mercy of Craigslist and their meager connections, as food has gotten bigger and hipper, an array of job listing websites have popped up to help people find the dreamy food gigs they covet -- whether it's sifting flour at a Portland bakery, crafting pale ales in Colorado, or coordinating local foods outreach in North Carolina.

From My Food Recruiter to Careers in Food to Food and Drink Jobs, some of these imaginatively named sites target industry professionals, listing production plant manager positions and other jobs few young co-op buyers fantasize about. Some, like Good Food Jobs and Sustainable Food Jobs, aim for idealists of all ages, from a variety of backgrounds. We've skimmed through Good Food Jobs, the more comprehensive site (and the one that has received the most press), for a few local opportunities. According to a representative, job posters are "encouraged to mark their positions as filled if they are no longer available," but the site can't guarantee that every listed job is still up for the snatching. Turn the page for 3 that caught our eye.

1. Farmers' Market Manager, Ojai Olive Oil Company: Ojai Olive Oil, Inc. is looking for someone to manage its booths at the Beverly Hills, South Pasadena, and Santa Monica farmers' markets. The ideal candidate will be as charming and fluid as the golden, lively oil he or she hawks -- and be capable of speaking brightly to its qualities.

2. Brand Manager, Justin Vineyards & Winery: This Paso Robles family-run operation may turn out lovely Bordeaux varietals, but as far as names go, "Justin" doesn't evoke gnarled vines and Central Coast sunsets so much as a kid we knew in middle school. If you get this job, that will be your problem, as you'll be developing a marketing scheme to "drive... profitability objectives for [the company's] growing wine portfolio."

3. School Food Youth Organizer, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute: Posted over the weekend, this gig with UEPI, a community oriented research and advocacy organization based at Occidental College, will involve assisting school districts with meal plan changes, conducting trainings with youth, and, among many other tasks, organizing a wellness education program for LAUSD cafeteria staff. Applicants should have a background in health education and social marketing and a knowledge of public health, nutrition, and food access issues.