Galiano Conservancy Association on Galiano Island, British Columbia is seeking a Sustainable Food Systems Technician!
ABOUT Galiano Conservancy Association
We are located mid Galiano Island, a ferry ride away from any city center. The Food Forest and Nursery are surrounded by Douglas Fir forest and are a quick walk to the ocean. We use hand tools to manage our growing areas and the successful applicant would be working to maintain:
- Native plant and Edible perennials nursery: We grow our plants from seed and cuttings and have a 120 different plant varieties available for restoration work and for purchase for community members. Irrigation is done by hand.
- Food Forest: Harvests take place at least 2x a week and weeding, watering, and soil building activities take place throughout the season. Produce is sold to local restaurants, at our farm stand and occasionally at the Saturday market. Water is collected from our potting shed roof, pumped up to holding tanks by solar power, and irrigation is mostly done by an automatic drip irrigation system but there is some hand watering including in our greenhouse.
- Forest Garden Tea: Harvests take place on a regular basis for our tea company Forest Garden Tea. Herbs are harvested, dried, blended and packaged on site. Tea is sold in our office, at the Saturday market and and local Galiano venues.
The Sustainable Food Systems projects are a part of the Galiano Conservancy Association which started as a land trust and has grown to include ecological restoration, nature based learning and food security. Our Sustainable Food Systems encompass the environmental, social, and economic significance of sustainable agriculture. Our Food Forest is a multi-layered diverse garden in which every plant serves several interconnected purposes. The plants are chosen for food production, nitrogen-fixing, creating mulch for soil building, and feeding pollinators. In an effort to mimic a natural forest, the plants are grown in various layers, including: canopy, shrub, herbaceous layer, vining layer, root layer, and ground cover. The Nursery was started to support restoration work, but has expanded to help provide people with a source of native and hardy food bearing plants for growing at their homes as well.
DESIRED QUALITIES
Experience working with plants is really important. Comfort with living and working in a remote location. Great problem solving skills. Excellent communication skills.
This position will require physical, social, and intellectual work. The candidate must demonstrate a capacity for leadership, the ability to work effectively both as part of a team and independently, and a willingness to learn and engage themselves in hard work. Applicants must be prepared to live on Galiano for May through August, spend long hours outside doing physical labour, and be available periodically for work on weekends. The applicant must have current Standard First Aid, or be willing to obtain it before coming to Galiano. This position is partially wage subsidy funded, and to meet the funding criteria, applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 30 and be either Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or a person with refugee status eligible to work in Canada. A criminal record check may be required, and will be arranged before arrival. Because the Galiano Conservancy conducts activities at variety of locations throughout Galiano Island, a class-5 driver’s license is required and access to a reliable personal vehicle/transportation is strongly preferred.
POSITION TASKS
- Propagation and care for native and edible plants
- Soil building and soil care
- Caring for the forest garden and operation of a mechanical/computerized watering system
- Garden harvesting
- Harvesting, processing and blending herbs for tea
- Maintenance and operation of demonstration-scale compost systems
- Identification of native species and forest garden plants
- Removal of invasive plants from protected areas
- Native/edible plant and forest garden (including added value) sales at Saturday market
- Conducting tours for visiting groups
- Assisting with restoration activities and monitoring
POSITION DETAILS
Term: May 5, 2025 – August 29, 2025 (negotiable)
Hours per week: 35 hours / week (on average), typically Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm
Wage: $23.92 / hour ($23.00/hr + 4% Vacation Pay)
TO APPLY
Submit your cover letter and resume to jobs@galianoconservancy.ca by midnight on Monday, January 12, 2025 with the job title* in the email subject line. Please ensure cover letter and resume files are submitted in pdf format following these naming conventions:
SURNAME_FIRSTNAME-CoverLetter.pdf
SURNAME_FIRSTNAME-Resume.pdf
*If you are applying for more than one of the job opportunities currently available, please submit separate emails; you can choose to submit the same cover letter for all desired positions, or provide custom cover letters for individual positions.
Due to the volume of applications received, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Shortlisted candidates will be sent interview invitations by January 31st. Although we prefer to interview applicants in person, remote video conference (Zoom) interviews can take place as an alternative for candidates who are unable to be physically present.
Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to receiving your application.
Deadline to apply: Jan 12, 2025
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 Galiano Conservancy Association
Website: www.galianoconservancy.ca.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galianoconservancy
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