Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society in Vancouver, BC is seeking a Schoolyard Farm Market Lead!
ABOUT Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society
Fresh Roots’ two Vancouver Schoolyard Farm sites are in East and South Vancouver and total approximately 1.1 acres of growing space. Our cooler is located at a third site and our office space is at yet another location. We also do some deliveries to neighborhood houses and restaurants. This translates to a lot of driving around with vegetables stuffed in every crevice of the Fresh Roots’ truck.
The Fresh Roots Farm Team operates our educational farms towards our production, sales and educational goals. In Vancouver, FR operates a 20-week onsite Market and Veggie CSA (60 boxes) and an 8-week flower CSA. We also get our food into our in-house programming (day camp, Community Eats, and LunchLab) and supply restaurants and events.
In this key role under the direction of the Director of Farm Operations, the Market Lead will operate our Vancouver produce markets and CSA program, often with youth from Fresh Roots’ SOYL program. We are looking for a skilled salesperson, however will train less experienced applicants who are motivated to learn.
FR aims to contribute to thriving, biodiverse ecologies and treats our sites as holistic systems that include youth and education. Farming practices are organic but not certified.
DESIRED QUALITIES
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 Canada Summer Jobs Requirements (ie. under the age of 30 and Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Refugee Status)
- BC Driver’s License Type 5 and able to drive a large pickup truck.
- Able to lift and carry 50+ pounds (ie. a tote of carrots)
- Access to reliable transportation for travel to and between FR sites
- Confidence leading teams of peers and youth
- Experience working at a market, cash register, or in a retail setting
- Ability to describe and effectively sell vegetables
- FOODSAFE certification or commitment to obtain
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working on an urban farm or market garden
- Experience and/or training for working with vulnerable, underrepresented, BIPOC youth and youth with diverse learning capacities
- Skillful in welcoming customer service
- Attention to detail and able set quality standards
- Able to work independently and as part of a small, diverse team.
- Able to multitask, prioritize duties, problem-solve and remain flexible within a fast-paced and changing environment
- Motivated to learn new skills and evolve the market
- Effective communication in English across various mediums including social media and newsletters
POSITION TASKS
Duties & Responsibilities
- Lead Fresh Roots’ Markets. This includes driving produce to and from markets in a truck with a trailer.
- Lead CSA: weekly communications with the DFO and Production Lead, writing newsletters, and overseeing pickup at markets
- Work with SOYL Facilitators to Lead Youth at market: establish a supportive atmosphere for skills acquisition, guided by values in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, food security and accessibility
- With the Production Lead, lead harvest and set quality standards
- Maintain market tents, tables, scales, cash box, float and iPad
- Oversee the cooler, dry storage, produce inventory & cull rotation
- Track and report market sales, and contribute to the year-end Market Report
POSITION DETAILS
Term: Seasonal Position, May 5 to August 31. *Some flexibility on start date and possibility of extension into October
Hours per week: Full-time, Average 37.5 hrs/week. Expect more hours during peak season (July – Aug) and less in the shoulders.
Schedule: Market shifts operate 12-8pm on Wednesday evenings and potentially 730-330pm on Saturdays. Otherwise, farm hours generally fall between 730am and 5pm on weekdays.
Wage: Compensation: $22-25, depends on experience, plus 4% vacation pay and 5 paid sick days
Note: Position availability is dependent on Canada Summer Jobs funding. Start and end dates may change.
TO APPLY
Fresh Roots is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
Please apply through our posting linked below, on BambooHR. Submit a resume/description of past experience and your choice of: a short cover letter (500 words max) uploaded as a document, OR an introduction video (3 minutes max) linked in the “website, blog, or portfolio” line of the application form.
Your cover letter or video should introduce yourself and share why you are a good fit for this position. Please let your passion and personality shine!
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 is best for you.
We regret that due to the high volume of applicants only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
Deadline to apply: January 15, 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 Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society
Website: https://freshroots.bamboohr.com/careers/82
Facebook: facebook.com/freshrootsfarms
Instagram: @freshrootsfarms