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Elk Root Conservation in Vallican, BC is seeking a Community Food Gardens – Lead Farm Worker!
ABOUT Elk Root Conservation
Elk Root Conservation (ERC) is a certified organic educational demonstration farm and not-for-profit located on the traditional unceded lands of the Sinixt (sn̓ʕay̓čkstx) Peoples, what has become known as Vallican, BC in the Slocan Valley.
The ERC Regenerative Educational Community Food Gardens apply cutting edge regenerative agricultural practices. We call our innovations ERC’S ORAA (Organic Regenerative Agriculture Advancements). We strive to not just meet organic standards, but to find creative ways to adapt to meet the challenges of the day, to support food security & sovereignty for generations to come. The results include groundbreaking food production design and practice standards that are applied to all of our growing endeavours.
The Regenerative Educational Community Food Gardens grow an abundance of produce primarily for our Community Food Box Program. A program which provides community members facing food insecurity with fresh produce, weekly, during our growing season. To fund this program we also operate a small, paid, CSA program.
Our vision is a thriving fish, wildlife and human population in the Little Slocan River watershed, the Slocan Valley and throughout British Columbia that is functioning and sustainable.
Our not-for-profit mission is to alleviate food insecurity and inspire ecological stewardship by offering inclusionary and empowering learning opportunities through research, innovation, and hands-on education at Elk Root Conservation’s Educational Demonstration Farm. We focus on ecological stewardship, wildlife conservation, regenerative organic agriculture, pollinator wellness and protection, sustainability, and local food security. We believe that environmental protection and food production should go hand-in-hand.
DESIRED QUALITIES
Education & Experience
- At least two years farm experience required
- Supervisory experience is an asset
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
- Ability to work independently and be self-motivated
- Highly organized, punctual with the ability to manage time effectively
- Strong verbal communication skills
- Problem-solving abilities
- Passion for environmental stewardship and feeding community
- Proven leadership skills
- Accepting/welcoming of positive constructive feedback
- Adaptable and thrives in a fast-paced workplace
- Technical knowledge of plant identification and insect identification
- Ability to forecast and time planting and harvesting
- Ability to perform strenuous physical work in all weather conditions for the entire season
- Can-do attitude, willing to support and pitch-in to assist team members as needed
- Basic understanding of Microsoft Excel
POSITION TASKS
The ERC Community Food Gardens Lead Farm Worker at Elk Root Conservation (ERC), will play an essential role in working in our certified organic Regenerative Educational Community Food Gardens (RECFG), a groundbreaking food production design that addresses hunger relief in an organic regenerative way. At Elk Root Conservation we believe that local food security and protecting the planet go hand-in-hand. ERC’s Organic Regenerative Agriculture Advancements, which we have named ‘ORAA’ are innovative techniques that include climate adaptive and chemical-free approaches to create biodiverse, productive, and environmentally regenerative food garden environments.
As part of the job, the candidate will be growing, harvesting, packing, and distributing fresh food for our Community Food Box Program (CFBP) in collaboration with Circle of Indigenous Nations (COINS), our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and other food related social enterprise activities. The job will involve a diverse array of tasks related to ERC’s food security and sovereignty-related activities.
Tasks & Responsibilities
Specific tasks and duties include:
- Directly assist with all tasks related to the i) RECFG; ii) the Community Food Box Program; iii) the CSA program; iv) market garden and apiary social enterprise revenue generation; and v) related planning, budgeting, administration, and record keeping. After spring training, be capable of keeping the RECFG, Community Food Box Program, and CSA Program operating on-farm without supervision during the summer and fall season.
- Working closely with the Community Food Gardens Farm Worker Assistants, and after training, supervising to ensure smooth operation and execution of day-to-day tasks.
- Planning and building various on-farm structures, such as wildlife protective fences, irrigation systems, greenhouses, and garden plots.
- Maintenance of farm infrastructure, systems, and equipment.
- Collaborating with and working alongside other ERC farm workers on diverse tasks including but not limited to invasive plant removal, planting trees, compost building, applying plant nutrition, mulching, mowing, weed whacking, and non-toxic organic pest management.
- Weeding (a lot), starting seeds, planting, and harvesting, veggies, flowers, bushes, shrubs and trees.
- Wheelbarrowing, compost building, irrigation, plant nutrition, and mulching.
- Assisting with ERC’s Inclusionary Education program delivery on-farm for members of the community, ranging from children to seniors.
- Preparing for and interacting with the public at Farmer’s Markets and other community events on and off-farm.
- Perform general farm tasks including but not limited to the production, storage, and distribution of farm produce.
You will engage in a dynamic blend of independent work, collaborative efforts in pairs and teams. At Elk Root Conservation, we all pitch in to maintain the order and cleanliness of the demonstration farm’s public spaces inside and out. As such, you will be required to supervise and participate in the cleaning and organization of personally designated tools, general tool and equipment maintenance, wash station clean-up, and washroom facility clean-up after your own personal use to ensure everyone’s safety. Organization and maintaining cleanliness of facilities including the Bee Barn, warehouse, shed spaces, wash station, washroom facility and public use spaces will also be a shared responsibility of the entire team.
POSITION DETAILS
Term: Late April- Late October
Hours per week: 35 hours/ week
Wage: $25/ hour
TO APPLY
Please submit Resume and Cover Letter here.
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 Elk Root Conservation
Website: https://www.elkrootconservation.org/
Facebook: Elk Root Conservation Farm Society
Instagram: @elkrootconservation