Tatlo Road Farm in Crofton, BC is seeking a Farm worker!
ABOUT Tatlo Road Farm
Our farm is located on Vancouver Island, near the village of Crofton (population ~2000). We’re also about 20 minutes from Duncan and there’s public transportation that stops right at the farm. We currently grow on 3 of our 7 acres, producing a wide range of vegetable crops. We use our 40hp tractor for primary tillage and many other jobs (laying mulch, turning compost, etc), as well as a 7hp BCS for mowing and bed prep in tight spaces, plus a lot of human power. Our main marketing outlets are to a food hub, a local grocer, and through a home delivery program.
This will be our 10th growing season here on the farm; in some ways we have done a lot these past years, building a workshop and greenhouses, installing field drainage and a pond, but in other ways there is still a lot going on! We’ve just finished building a new propagation house for all our seedlings, and we’re about to start construction on a new (larger) greenhouse. Even though we have gained a lot of experience these past 9 years (not to mention the 8 years of working on other farms prior to starting our own), we still feel like we’re learning sometimes! That said, we also have lots of knowledge to share. If you are interested in a career in farming yourselves (which we hope you are!), this is a great opportunity to be involved in the continued development of a viable family farm- learn first-hand what it takes to run a sustainable farm for a living!
Our farm is Certified Organic with the Island Organic Producers Association (IOPA). We worked on various certified organic farms prior to starting our own and have great appreciation for the farmers that came before us and developed the certification process. In addition, we feel strongly about selling high quality, beautiful and delicious produce. In general, our overall goal is to run a farm that is efficient, financially successful (i.e. able to support our family), and beautiful- an ethical farm business that’s built on ecology, integrity, and quality.
DESIRED QUALITIES
Our ideal candidates would:
- care about the quality of their work and pay special attention to detail
- have the ability to follow instruction well, but not be afraid to stop and ask for clarification
- show initiative and the ability to think ahead as a way to improve overall efficiency of tasks
- work fast, and be thinking about ways to work even faster
- have the ability to maintain focus throughout long stretches of repetitive tasks (think harvesting hundreds of carrot bunches, without losing count or letting quality slip)
- be receptive to feedback and adjustments for work processes
- be neat, tidy, and organized
- have a general love of food, working outdoors, and being physical
- be interested in agriculture and learning from us about the type of farming we practice
- be a team player and generally want to do good work
- be up for working outdoors in all conditions (heat, cold, rain, etc)
- previous farm experience not required, but can be an asset as well as general experience working outdoors and with plants
JOB TASKS
In the spring workers help with propagation, bed prep, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and infrastructure set up (e.g. irrigation, greenhouses, etc.). As the season progresses more time is spent on harvesting, washing and packing; although we continue to have planting and weeding jobs until the end of August. Regular harvest work continues into the fall with the addition of bigger harvests of storage crops, plus general clean up and prep for winter. There is also opportunity to take on more responsibility depending on interest and experience.
JOB DETAILS
Term: The start date is flexible and could be any time in April (and preferably by early May), and we are looking for a commitment until the end of October. Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Hours per week: Monday-Friday, on average 40 hours/week (maybe slightly less in spring and more in summer).
*We may be open to discussion about a slightly different work schedule than outlined above (e.g. if you’re really only able to work 4 days/ week). If this describes you just let us know if your cover letter.
Wage: Starting wage (no prior experience) is $16.00/hour, or negotiable based on experience and responsibilities.
Perks include free veg, coffee or tea at lunch, occasional baked treats, and the semi -regular post-work beer and chips!
Bonus of $0.50/hour (for total hours worked during the season) if worker fulfills their commitment of staying until the end of the season.
TO APPLY
To apply for a position email us with please include:
- Your contact information
- A cover-letter/ letter of interest highlighting your qualifications for this role
- Your resume
- The name, relationship, and contact information for two references
- The dates you are available to start and an end date, if any
Send to tatloroadfarm@gmail.com
When applying, please mention you saw this posting at youngagrarians.org
LEARN MORE ABOUT Tatlo Road Farm
Website: https://tatloroadfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tatloroadfarm
Instagram: @tatloroadfarm
