FARM JOB: Vancouver, BC - Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society, Production Manager

Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society in Vancouver, BC is seeking a Production Manager!

ABOUT Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society

The Fresh Roots Farm Team operates our educational farms towards our production, sales and educational goals. Our farms are situated on schoolyards across Metro Vancouver, although for the scope of this position, the focus will be on our two East Vancouver sites (David Thompson and Vancouver Technical Secondaries), which cover just over an acre of production space. We have a small, heated prop house, a coolbot-powered cooler, and great irrigation systems on site.

Our Vancouver production consists mostly of mixed veggies with a small flower program. Our sales streams are diverse but rely heavily on CSA (about 60%) as well as an on-site market, community partnerships (ie. school programs like LunchLab), pop-up markets, and restaurants. Yearly, we produce about 9,000lb of food.

Learn more about the day-to-day of this position from our outgoing Production Manager in this blog post.

By partnering with schools and school districts, we take under-utilized land in heavily developed cities and transform it into thriving biodiverse agroecosystems using low-tech, organic practices. In doing so, we increase the availability of fresh local produce available to our neighbours. Our farms also serve as dynamic and inclusive learning spaces for people of all ages, but especially children and youth, to learn about food and the ecological and human systems that support the food we all depend on.

DESIRED QUALITIES

In this key role under the direction of the Director of Farm Operations, the Production Manager will be responsible for supervising the operation of Vancouver Schoolyard Farm sites and staff. This person should be able to “see the room” and identify what needs doing, when. We are looking for an ambitious, community-minded farmer who has strong vegetable production and leadership experience.

Qualifications

FR recognizes that applicants from oppressed groups, including folks who are Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) may be hesitant to apply for positions where they don’t perfectly meet the listed qualifications. If you are excited about the job description, believe you could learn to perform the responsibilities and can meet the essential qualifications, we encourage you to apply.

Essential Qualifications

Pass a criminal record check to be able to work with children and vulnerable populations
Meet Federal Wage Subsidy Requirements for Young Workers: ie. be between ages 15-30 and have Canadian Citizen, Permanent
Resident, or Refugee Status. If you are unsure of your eligibility, review these guidelines or contact us.
BC Driver’s License Type 5 and able to drive a large pickup truck in the city.
Able to lift and carry 50+ pounds (ie. a tote of carrots)
Equipped and able to work outdoors in all weather conditions
Access to reliable transportation for travel to and between FR sites
2 seasons in a leadership position on an urban farm or market garden and comfortable giving, soliciting and receiving feedback
Confidence leading large groups of peers and youth
FOODSAFE and Standard First Aid certification or commitment to obtain
Effective communication in English across various mediums

Preferred Qualifications

Post-secondary degree or equivalent experience in land and food systems, agriculture, ecology, or other related fields
Proficiency with digital tools and communication platforms, such as Google Suite, Slack, Keela, Canva, etc
Experience and/or training for working with vulnerable, underrepresented, BIPOC youth and youth with diverse abilities
Attention to detail and experienced in creating quality standards
Comfortable working independently and as part of a small team.
Proven ability to multitask, prioritize duties, problem-solve and remain flexible within a fast-paced and changing environment
Motivated to learn new skills and evolve the farm program

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the operation of Fresh Roots’ Vancouver Schoolyard Farms to meet our goals for low-impact practices, food production and youth learning.
Implement the established crop plan; log all plantings and challenges
Monitor and seek out solutions for crop failures or other farm obstacles
Write weekly work plans, delegate tasks, and supervise all hands on the farm (including youth), supported by the DFO
With the Market Lead, determine the harvest plan and monitor quality.
Oversee the tracking of all Harvest Activity (delegate as necessary).
Lead and delegate field work tasks.
Supervise the safe use and maintenance of infrastructure (ie. irrigation, truck, cooler) and farm tools (ie. hand tools, flame-weeder, weed eater).
Contribute to the year-end Farm Report, including relevant metrics to inform our fundraising strategies
Evolve and share FR protocols and manuals for farm operations
Punctually communicate across FR Departments using Slack and email
Steward good rapport with school workers (especially engineers)

POSITION DETAILS

Term: February 2, 2026 – March 12, 2027 with the possibility of extension for the right candidate.

Note: Position is dependent on funding. Start and end dates may change.

Hours per week: Average 37.5 hrs/week. Expect more hours during peak season (July – August) and less in the shoulder season.

Schedule: Hours generally fall between 7:30am and 5:00pm on weekdays. Attendance may be required at some market shifts which operate 12:00-8:00pm on Wednesday evenings as well as some weekend dates.

Wage: Compensation: $23-28 DOE, plus 10 days’ vacation and 12 sick days. Health Benefits available after 3 months. Access to farm produce.

TO APPLY

Please only apply through our hiring platform here. You will need to submit a cover letter, resume, and copy of your work (ie. Seed Log Spreadsheet).

Deadline to apply: January 21, 2026

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 Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society

Website: www.freshroots.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/freshrootsfarms
Instagram: @freshrootsfarms

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