Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

Founded in 2011 by Mary Berry, The Berry Center is a nonprofit organization based in New Castle, Kentucky, dedicated to putting the writings and ideas of renowned author, farmer, and cultural critic Wendell Berry into action. Guided by the belief that healthy farms, healthy land, and healthy communities are fundamentally interconnected, the Center works to advance a vision of prosperous small‑ and mid‑sized farms, vibrant rural communities, and healthy regional economies by developing practical, place‑based solutions that strengthen the cultural, economic, and ecological foundations of rural life.

The Center is located in downtown New Castle's historic Oldham House and serves as both a steward of the Berry family's agricultural and cultural legacy and an active laboratory for addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing rural America. Through education, cooperative enterprise, archival preservation, and community engagement, the organization seeks to answer a central question that has guided its work since inception: “What will it take for farmers to be able to farm well and how do we become a culture that will support good land use in this country?”

Launched in 2017, Our Home Place Meat is a farmer‑owned cooperative designed to strengthen local food economies and create viable markets for small‑ and mid‑sized livestock producers. The initiative helps farmers capture greater value for their products while promoting environmentally responsible livestock production. By connecting regional producers to local markets and reviving cooperative economic models that once sustained Kentucky agriculture, the initiative demonstrates how rural communities can build resilient, place‑based food systems.

Established in 2012, the Institute provides farmers, landowners, and community leaders with education in agrarian thought and practice. Through workshops, field days, short courses, and hands‑on learning experiences, participants explore topics such as livestock production on grass, low‑impact forestry, cooperative economics, rural leadership, and land stewardship. Grounded in the writings of Wendell Berry and other agrarian thinkers, the Institute equips current and future generations of farmers with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustain productive farms and thriving rural communities.

The Archive preserves and makes accessible the papers, correspondence, writings, and public records of John M. Berry Sr., and his sons Wendell Berry and John M. Berry Jr., alongside a growing collection of materials focused on agriculture, conservation, and rural culture. Complementing the archive, the Tanya Amyx Berry Agrarian Library provides resources for scholars, students, farmers, and community members interested in the agrarian tradition.

The Center fosters cultural vitality in rural communities through literature, public programs, storytelling, and community gatherings. Located in a historic cabin in downtown New Castle, the bookstore welcomes visitors from across the country while serving as a gathering place for local residents. The Center’s signature Agrarian Literary League has distributed thousands of books and facilitated dozens of community reading groups, helping preserve local history, strengthen connections to place, and celebrate the rich cultural traditions that sustain local communities.

Additional programming includes author events, festivals, and Kentucky Arts and Letters Day.

The Berry Center seeks a seasoned and strategic nonprofit professional to lead and support a long‑tenured, high‑performing team with an unflagging commitment to building equitable and ecological farming futures. This is an exciting opportunity to join an organization that is recognized as a national thought leader in building healthier agrarian economies.

The Chief of Staff will play an essential role in building on this moment, supporting the Executive Director and establishing the internal systems and processes necessary to operate efficiently and effectively. The role…