FARM JOB: Vancouver, BC - Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society, Schoolyard Farm Field Lead

Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society in Vancouver, BC is seeking a Schoolyard Farm Field Lead!

ABOUT Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society

The Fresh Roots Good Food Farm Team cares for two ~½ acre farms on secondary school grounds in Vancouver. The farms produce annual vegetables, flowers, and herbs which are sold at our markets and through a CSA, are used by kids and youth in our programs, and contribute to food security programs. We strive to foster growing space that models sustainable ecosystems and acts as the living classroom for our education programs.

Our Vision is Good Food For All, which is realized when youth have the skills, capacity, and will to act as food citizens and land stewards, to grow and share healthy food for themselves, their families, and the planet! To make this vision a reality, we cultivate educational farms and programs where students dig into meaningful connections with the land, food, and each other, inspiring communities to build just food systems. Our schoolyard farms site in Vancouver and Coquitlam grow hyper-local produce and serve as outdoor classrooms for over 3000 kids and youth a year.

DESIRED QUALITIES

1-2 years experience in gardening, farming or landscaping preferred
Willingness to learn new skills and techniques
Enjoy working independently as well as in collaboration with a team
Strong communication skills
Interest or experience teaching is a plus
Able to give and receive feedback
Adaptable and flexible
Able to meet goals within a limited time frame (harvesting, weeding, etc)
Takes initiative to solve problems, while knowing when to ask for information or help
Able to carry out a variety of physical tasks that involve bending, squatting, lifting up to 50 lb, and repetitive motion
Equipped, willing, and able to work outdoors in all weather conditions
Type 5 Driver’s License preferred; experience driving large vehicles an asset
Must pass a criminal record check to be able to work with children and vulnerable populations
Must meet Canada Summer Jobs Requirements (http://freshroots.ca/blog/canada-summer-jobs-eligibility/)

JOB TASKS

If you love growing and sharing food with your community, being outside with a team, and working with youth, this might be the position for you. Our Field Lead positions empower new farmers to manage the ½ acre site they will cultivate through the season. Farm, site, and task specific training will be provided throughout the season. Together with the Farm Manager, the Field Leads will:

Prepare farm beds, plant (direct seed and transplant), tend, harvest, and prepare a wide variety of crops for sale based on an existing crop plan
Crops include greens, root vegetables, squashes, hot crops, peas and beans, herbs, and flowers
Grow crops using low-impact farming techniques
Monitor and seek out solutions for crop failures or other farm challenges
Safely use and maintain farming tools, including hand tools, gas-powered tools, seeders, flame weeders, etc.
Communicate and coordinate with the education teams to ensure the farms are both productive growing space and safe, engaging learning environments
Help maintain perennial herbs, flowers, berries, etc.
Keep field records

JOB DETAILS

Term: May 15 to September 1

Hours per week: Full time – 40 hours per week

Wage + perks:

Pay: $17-$19.50 per hour, plus 4% in lieu of vacation
Paid sick leave
On the job training and professional development workshops
Discount on produce and access to culls

TO APPLY

Fresh Roots is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.

Please directly apply through our hiring site: https://freshroots.bamboohr.com/careers/59

Submit a resume, a short cover letter OR video introduction, and names, phone number, and email address information for 3 references who are not friends or family members. At least one reference should be able to speak to your customer service or sales experience.

Your cover letter or video should:

Introduce yourself
Share why you want this position and what makes you uniquely qualified
share what you hope to gain from the position if hired
Videos should be no more than 3 minutes, and must be shared via a link in the “website, blog, or portfolio” line. Cover letters should be no more than 500 words and must be uploaded as a document. Please note that we are not judging videos based on your video editing skills, and neither videos nor cover letters are preferred. Choose the option that best lets you shine

We regret that due to the high volume of applicants only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Questions? Email info@freshroots.ca

Deadline to apply: February 21, 2023

When applying, please mention you saw this posting at youngagrarians.org