FARM JOB: Squamish, British Columbia - Downtown Squamish School Farm , School Farm Manager

Downtown Squamish School Farm in Squamish, British Columbia is seeking a School Farm Manager!

ABOUT Downtown Squamish School Farm

The School Farm is a 12,000sqft/1/4 acre year-round producation market farm that grows a wide variety of vegetables using organic practices. It is located in Downtown Squamish on shared fields between Squamish Elementary and Howe Sound Secondary (HSS) with amazing 360 views of the surrounding mountains.

The farm was established in Spring of 2022 by SquamishCAN in partnership with the School District. Student education is a major component of the farm, and students are engaged in a variety of ways, from accredited courses at the High School level, to farm clubs, to hands on classes for elementary students.

Labour is done by hand and using hand tools including precision seeders and quick cut greens harvester. Throughout the school year, much of the produce is sold to HSS culinary programs and for use in the cafeteria at HSS. In the summer months produce is sold through a CSA, farm stand, and wholesale.

About Squamish CAN

Our mission is to empower our community with just and actionable solutions to the climate crisis through education, policy development and systems change. We were established in 2009 and focus on sustainable food systems, zero waste and energy and active transportation. We are a friendly group of staff and board members who care deeply about climate action in Squamish. We look forward to welcoming a new farm manager to join our team.

DESIRED QUALITIES

If you love being outside, working with youth and community members, and are a self-starting leader who doesn’t mind being responsible for many moving parts, then this is the perfect job for you. This position will involve overseeing all farm operations from production to harvest and sales. It also includes engaging students of all ages in the farm, delivering class to Squamish Elementary students and working alongside teachers and students at Howe Sound Secondary. With the support of a farm-hand and many volunteers, we are looking to hire someone who can do it all: community and volunteer engagement, growing and selling food, and anything else in between.

Our ideal candidate is an enthusiastic, self-driven and collaborative individual who is passionate and skilled in growing food organically, outdoor education and has first-hand knowledge, skills and abilities to establish and maintain the first school farm in the Sea-to-Sky.

Applicant must:

Have a minimum of 2+ seasons of experience in diversified organic vegetable production
Thrive working within a team as well as independently
Be passionate about regenerative farming, good food, and being a steward to the land
Be a fast, organized, efficient, and tidy worker
Be committed to certified organic principles
Have excellent time management and organization skills, as well as a proven ability to work in fast-paced environments, make quick decisions, and prioritize tasks on the fly
Be highly resourceful, creative and self-directed
Have a high level of personal and professional integrity
Be able to see the whole picture while being extremely detail-oriented
Be conversant (or able to learn quickly) in general computer skills including MS Office and Google Drive
Have a clean criminal record check for working with vulnerable populations (children/youth)
Be legally eligible to work in Canada

JOB TASKS

Responsibilities:

Management of day to day operations of seeding, potting up, transplanting, weeding, irrigation, prepping beds, harvesting, washing and packing produce for sale
Selling and promoting every week (Good Food Box program, farm stand and other)
Close communication with Squamish CAN and Howe Sound Secondary staff and leadership
Management and possible training of farm hand, public and student volunteers
Delivering classes to Squamish Elementary students
Supporting Farm and other classes at Howe Sound Secondary
Providing informal education to Farm Club members
Contributing to the establishment of some education with surrounding schools
Overseeing irrigation schedule and repairs
Estimating harvest amounts ahead of harvest
Record keeping of seeding dates, nutrient application, and manure management
Planning for seed crop production and harvesting
Tracking and ordering/picking up supplies as needed
Maintaining long term farm fertility and attentiveness to the big picture for the farm
Integrating new methods with tried and true old ones
Co-lead Squamish CAN’s annual plant sale fundraiser

JOB DETAILS

Term: Term: Onboarding will start mid January 2023 until November 2023. This is a single season position, with possible extension of staying year-round or continuing on seasonal. Additional opportunities are often available with Squamish CAN to work more hours throughout the year.

Hours per week: Hour per week: 25-35 hours per week. Somewhat flexible, but will need to be there on the majority of school hours (Mon-Fri) 9-3:30 pm. Summer hours are more flexible.

Wage: $24-$26 per hour, based on experience.

TO APPLY

Email a resume and cover letter or questions to Krystle tenBrink, Executive Director (krystle@squamishcan.net). Include in the subject “ School Farm Manager Application”.

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FARM JOB: Squamish, British Columbia – Downtown Squamish School Farm , School Farm Manager