Santropol Roulant seeks a collaboratively-minded farmer to grow food and community at our peri-urban farm in Senneville, Quebec!
About Santropol Roulant
Santropol Roulant uses food as a vehicle to break social isolation between generations. Creatively and collaboratively, we strengthen and nourish our local community with our novel approaches to active community engagement, youth leadership, food security and social inclusion. The Roulant’s staff is young and dynamic with job descriptions and responsibilities that sometimes exceed their experience. As such, opportunities to learn and grow are key benefits of working at Santropol Roulant. Our working culture supports staff members in developing the skills required to ensure that our collective impact matches organizational and personal aspirations.
About our farm
As part of our mission of building a food system that is healthy, just, and sustainable, Santropol Roulant farms a 3-acre plot of agriculturally zoned and organically certified land in Senneville. This land supports the production of fresh produce for our kitchen programs, our organic baskets and our weekly farmer’s markets. Initiatives such as our solidarity baskets, subsidized markets and meals-on-wheels contribute to making organic produce accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status, level of mobility, or degree of autonomy.
About the position
After 5 years of rapid growth at the farm, the farm team is looking forward to using the 2018 farming season as an opportunity to invest in planning, infrastructre and the development of healthy processes for the long term sustainability of the project. The farm team will work extensively with the Santropol Roulant management team through the 2018 season to consolidate our growth and build a stable foundation for the future of the farm, exploring the role it will play in building community engagement, accessibility, youth leadership, food security and social inclusion.
Key Responsibilities:
- Production management (from crop planning and seedling production to harvest, as well as long term planning to build soil fertility)
- Grounds and equipment maintenance (greenhouse, irrigation system, rototiller, etc)
- Administration (budgeting, expenses and record-keeping)
- Distribution (supplying the Roulant kitchen, market days, organic baskets)
- Managing the farm team of volunteers and interns
- Bring the perspective of the daily farm reality to longer-term farm development planning processes
- As a member of the staff team, participate in collective responsibilities such as staff meetings, hiring committees, event planning, and other collaborative projects, as seasonal work load permits.
In order to apply for this position, you must meet the following requirements:
- Passionate about bringing to life Santropol Roulant’s mission and values at the farm
- 2 – 3 years experience in diversified organic vegetable production
- Experience leading teams with diverse levels of experience
- Experience with seeing a project through from beginning to end (in an agricultural or non-agricultural setting)
- Driver’s license
- Oral bilingualism (French & English)
Please include in your application which of the following interests, skills and experiences that you have which would be an asset to this position. Experience may be acquired through educational, lived experience, volunteer experiences or paid employment.
- Understanding of the basics of organic vegetable production management (crop planning, fertilization, field prep, irrigation, etc)
- Experience with agricultural production on an area greater than 1-acre. Previous experience at the Santropol Roulant farm a strong asset.
- Experience operating and maintaining farm machinery and equipment (tractors, rototillers, seeders, vehicles)
- Experience within the community sector or with consensus-based decision making
- Experience with administrative elements of farm management, including budgeting.
- Experience with volunteer coordination in an agricultural setting
- Well-developed understanding of food politics, food sovereignty and how they relate to small-scale agriculture.
- Ability to leverage opportunities, innovate and hold a global vision of the farm.
- Attention to details and workplace safety.
- Willingness to lead by example while engaging in physical labour and working outdoors in all types of weather.
- Understanding of Quebec’s agricultural community, with specific focus on the west-Montreal area an asset.
- At ease with working under pressure while maintaining a supportive atmosphere for volunteers and colleagues.
Contract Details
This is a full-time, permanent position starting with the 2018 agricultural season but including training starting in November and/or December 2017. It is a paid position at $17.17/hr, 40 hours/week in accordance with Santropol Roulant’s Salary Policy which also includes health and professional development benefits and annual salary augmentations. We ask for a minimum commitment of 2 years, and candidates who are interested in a longer-term commitment (3 – 4 years) will be preferred. Please note that commuting to the farm daily (from February to November) may be time consuming for those who do not live near Senneville.
As an organization that works to break social and economic isolation and bring people together across social barriers, Santropol Roulant recognizes that people who experience structural oppression and marginalization have a lot to offer our community. People of colour, people from racialized communities, people with disabilities, two-spirited and queer people, trans people, and other candidates who experience marginalization are strongly encouraged to apply and to self-identify in their cover letter. Our primary office space is step-free and has an accessible washroom, but our second floor and basement are not wheelchair accessible. Please contact Stephanie if you have any questions about the accessibility of our work area or your participation in an interview process. For more information about how to apply for a job at Santropol Roulant, click here. For more about our hiring policies, click here.
To Apply
Please send a CV and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in the position to Stephanie Childs at rh(at)santropolroulant.org or 111 Roy East, Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1M1. The deadline to apply is Monday, October 2nd at 9am. Only candidates chosen for an interview will be contacted. You can reach us at 514-284-9335 or by
email to stephanie(at)santropolroulant.org with any questions or clarifications.