Cropthorne Farm in Delta, BC is seeking a Field Crew!
WHY WE’RE HIRING
As we enter our 16th year of production, growing high quality vegetables for our local communities, we are hiring for our Farm Crew. We are looking for someone to join us from spring until early winter who will work closely with our growing team of young farmers. Our farm crew is involved in planting, cultivating, harvesting, washing and packing and much more whether inside the greenhouse, out in the fields or inside the packhouse. This position could also spend one day a week as part of our farmstand or market crew, setting up our stand and serving customers at our on farm stand and/or at the farmers market.
This position provides a detailed on-the job understanding of all aspects of vegetable production and also provides the space to develop as a farmer with a team of passionate and hard working teammates.
While the position is seasonal, we would love to have the right candidate overwinter and join our permanent full-time crew. With most of our crew are entering their 3rd+ year with us, we strive to grow with our team members. Many folks on our field team have moved up into more senior roles, whether Crew Lead, Post-Harvest Lead or Hoophouse Lead.
ABOUT Cropthorne Farm
Cropthorne Farm is a 24 acre, certified organic vegetable farm located on Westham Island near Ladner, BC. We harvest every week of the year and sell our produce at 2 weekly farmers markets in Vancouver, at our farmstand, through our 2 seasonal CSA programs serving 200+ members and to top Vancouver restaurants.
We focus on annual field crops, in addition to 4 greenhouses for summer crops as well as winter growing. We grow a huge variety of crops, from carrots and cauliflower to dry beans and sunchokes and of course, radicchio! We are passionate farmers who love what we do and are excited to share our knowledge with others as well as creating a strong sense of community both within our farm team and beyond into the greater community.
We believe in building healthy soil through cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced compaction and compost. We believe healthy, nutrient rich soils create healthy, nutrient dense food. Ecology and biodiversity are key. We are proud to dedicate time and space to barn owl boxes, to planting hedgerows and flowering plants for beneficial insects and wildlife, alike.
We believe that our crew health is just as important as crop health and put time and space towards tacking seasonal farmer burnout and navigating work-life balance. Growing year-round provides a unique opportunity for the growth of our team, both as individuals and as a whole, year after year. We have regular check-ins with staff and value open communication amongst our team.
With the help of crew, family and the fertile farmland of the Fraser Delta, we are able to produce some of the best Certified Organic produce in our region.
ABOUT YOU
Field Crew members are hard-working, committed, positive and passionate individuals who participate in many daily farm operations, including production, harvest and post-harvest handling.
Ideally, you have some previous vegetable farming or outdoor work experience and a keen interest in agriculture. More importantly, you can hustle and thrive in a process-orientated environment. You enjoy being part of a team, are a positive teammate and can communicate easily and effectively with the rest of the crew. You are flexible and adaptable to changing priorities. You take care of yourself both physically and mentally, you get enough rest, stay hydrated throughout the day, and can communicate your limits.
This position is just as great for someone with some farming background yet wants to hone their skills and learn more as it is for a farming newbie whose previous jobs required physical work. The hard skills are teachable, passion, hustle and a growth mentality are not.
We expect our Field Crew members to approach tasks thoughtfully, embracing a team effort to achieve the farms’ goals for quality and efficient work, along with their own goals of developing their farming career through professional work experience.
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
- A positive attitude with the ability to work efficiently in all weather conditions.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Open-minded, inclusive, and respectful of others.
- Ability to work well in both a team environment and independently.
- Attention to detail, quality and consistency
- Proficient in spoken and written English
- Physically capable of carrying out tasks which require the ability to stand, kneel and bend for long periods of time, repeated lifting up to 20K
- Must have reliable means of transport (nearest bus route is 8km) There are opportunities to commute with fellow staff members.
- Must be able to legally work in Canada
- Preferably one season of production based, vegetable farm experience
- Basic or proficient in Spanish is an asset.
- If you don’t check all the boxes but have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, we encourage you to apply. If you check more boxes than there are and are looking for a more senior role, we also encourage you to get in touch about a position that suits your skill set and interests.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Seeding and transplanting both in the fields and hoophouses.
- Cultivation and weeding with tools and hands.
- Tending to greenhouse crops, including winding, deleafing and harvest.
- Harvesting, cleaning, bunching and washing 50+ vegetables for cold storage.
- Accurately packing orders for farmers markets, CSA, restaurants and wholesale accounts.
- Working at the farmstand or farmers market, ringing customers in, setting up and restocking, as needed.
POSITION DETAILS
This is a full time, contract position.
Term: Start date is flexible; preference by late May until late December
Hours per week: 40 to 45 hours/week, Tuesday to Saturday or Monday to Friday depending on the season. Starting at 7am or 7:30am and typically ending at 4:15pm or 4:45pm, depending on the season, with a 45 minute lunch.
Wage: Based on experience, in the range of $19.00- $22.00 per hour plus 4% vacation plus access to lots of farm produce and flowers.
Other details:
- Gear stipend after 3 months of continuous employment.
- Please note there is no on-farm housing available.
TO APPLY
Email your cover letter and resume to Lydia at lydia@cropthornefarm.com by May 20th, 2024
Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so we encourage folks to apply as soon as possible. Position open until filled.
We look forward to hearing from you.In the meantime, if you have any questions send us an email!
When applying, please mention you saw this posting at youngagrarians.org
Please note that Young Agrarians does not have the capacity to pre-screen job opportunities. Please screen your potential employer to ensure that you are entering into a fair exchange that meets your needs and expectations. Try asking the farm for references of past workers, or ask people in the community if you are unsure.
LEARN MORE ABOUT Cropthorne Farm
Website: http://www.cropthornefarm.com
Facebook: cropthornefarm
Instagram: cropthornefarmstand
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