HI All!
Root Radical is at a crossroads and I am looking for someone to help me lead the farm in 2021.
This is a great opportunity for someone who would like to be a full time veggie farmer but who isn’t ready to (or doesn’t want to) start from scratch with their own farm.
More info below or head over to http://rootradicalrows.com/hiring/ for the full details.
Thanks!
Emily
Team Lead Role at Root Radical CSA
Root Radical CSA is seeking a passionate and hard-working leader to join our team working in our 2-acre organic vegetable gardens and greenhouse!
About us: Root Radical Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is a successful organic farm growing a diversity of vegetables. Entering our 15th season, we sell our vegetables through the CSA model to households in Kingston and on Howe Island. We are known for our high-quality and great-tasting vegetables, our friendly, organized, and accommodating customer service, and the environmental education opportunities offered to our community.
In the garden, most work is done by hand or with human-powered tools. We use tractors for moving compost and soil mix, preparing the gardens for planting, and for other heavy lifting. We use drip irrigation and season extension techniques in our fields. We also produce tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, and transplants in our 2300 sq. ft. greenhouse.
Twice per week we do harvesting, washing, and packing vegetables. The rest of the week we do seeding, greenhouse management, making soil mix, planting, hoeing, and hand weeding. In the shoulder seasons we work on infrastructure projects, garden preparation, and clean up.
Root Radical CSA is located on Howe Island between Kingston and Gananoque. The CSA garden is about 2 acres on Doublejay Farm, an organic grass-fed beef farm. Doublejay Farm is about 400 acres, including hayfields, permanent pastures, gardens, riverfront and wooded areas. Root Radical CSA is a woman-led farm and Emily Dowling is the main CSA farmer. For more information about Root Radical CSA, please browse our website: http://rootradicalrows.com/
The Team Leader Role: We are looking for someone to join our farm in the Team Lead role starting in March 2021. This role is for someone with 2+ growing seasons of experience working on organic or ecological vegetable farms and 1+ years of leadership experience in any relevant setting. We are seeking someone who is looking for a farm to commit to for several growing seasons.
The successful candidate will work collaboratively with Emily to manage the production of a diverse mix of vegetables for the CSA, while also working on the production crew and being a leader and role model for the rest of the crew.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
• Communicating and working with Emily and the rest of the CSA team to produce over 40 crops for our vegetable CSA.
• Being a team leader and helping with training, mentoring and motivating farm crew members to work together collaboratively and efficiently to meet time goals.
• Working safely and setting an example of safe work behaviour with respect to COVID-19.
• From mid-March to late April, working independently to set up the greenhouse, make soil blocks and seed all early season transplants.
• Starting in late April, helping to train and lead the vegetable production crew while working alongside the crew to:
o make soil mixes, seed and block up late season transplants from late April to September,
o spread soil amendments, prepare beds, direct seed and transplant in the gardens,
o set up crop productions aids (e.g. irrigation, row cover and ground cover),
o weed and hoe crops,
o set up trellises for various crops and prune tomatoes,
o cut grass and weeds near gardens, buildings and electric fences, and
o any other tasks required to support vegetable production.
• Harvesting, washing and packing vegetables as a member of the harvest crew 2 days per week.
• Staffing 1 out of every 3 CSA pick-ups between mid-June and end of October.
• Assisting with irrigation, tractor work, cleaning, maintenance and infrastructure projects as required.
• End of season clean up including:
o Planting cover crops
o Spreading soil amendments
o Putting away tools and crop production aides
o Taking soil samples
o Tidying and cleaning tools and buildings
Qualifications:
• Two or more growing seasons of vegetable farming experience.
• Ability to create and maintain good working relationships, communicate clearly, give quality feedback and be a motivating, positive role model for the rest of the farm crew.
• Be ready to dig in, get dirty and work hard. Applicants must be committed reliable people who will show up on time, always strive to do their best at work and be prepared and willing to work in all sorts of weather conditions.
• Physical strength, flexibility, dexterity and endurance are required. Must be able to lift and carry heavy bins.
• Having a G or G2 driver’s licence and having your own transportation to the farm is a must for this position.
Wage: $18 to $20 per hour, depending on experience. (That works out to approximately $24,000 to $27,000 for the whole season and the successful candidate may be eligible for E.I. in the off-season.)
Expected Schedule: See full job posting here… http://rootradicalrows.com/hiring/
Hours of Work: Typically, we start work at 6:45 or 7:30 AM and finish between 3:00 and 4:30 PM depending on the day. Lunch is unpaid and is usually a half hour in length. Whenever possible two 15 minute breaks are incorporated into our day.
Weather: On harvest days, we work rain or shine. However, our other work (planting, weeding, etc.) can be weather-dependent. There may be some days when we would not work because of heavy rain that day or the day before. In exceptional weather circumstances, during our busiest times in the season, staff may be asked to work weekends to make up for days missed during the week due to inclement weather.
Job Sharing: If you are interested in job sharing, please submit your application as a package with your co-applicant and please include in your cover letter a proposal for how you would share the responsibilities of the position.
Equity Hiring: We acknowledge that not everyone starts from the same place because of systemic advantages and barriers. We acknowledge this and encourage applications from people who typically face barriers to working in the agricultural sector.
Perks: Farming is hard work, but working at Root Radical CSA also has benefits including…
• Lots of high quality, organic vegetables to eat. Staff receive CSA shares and have access to seconds and leftovers.
• Benefits package. Access to a staff commuter car, ferry pass, some reimbursements for health and dental, specialty work clothing and strength training.
• Work-life balance. Weekend work is not required and farm staff finish between 3:30 and 4:30 PM most days. Additionally, we are a farm that structures breaks into our daily schedule and we are a team that co-ordinates and plans ahead so that days off for staff to recharge are an option.
• Diversity of work. Working on a small acreage with a diverse set of crops means less monotony and doing a lot of different kinds of tasks throughout the week and as the seasons shift.
• Teamwork. Being a part of a team of self-motivated, hardworking, caring people who are nice to be around. We have structured team building activities and make a point of celebrating together throughout the season.
• Responsibility. Building on your prior farm experience and keeping the work interesting and challenging by moving into a leadership role.
• Clear expectations. As part of the hiring process, an extensive document is provided explaining how to succeed at Root Radical. Throughout the season, we meet regularly as a team to share weekly work goals.
• Outdoor work. Being out in beautiful weather (most of the time), and not sitting or standing in one spot all day long.
• Pride in your work. Doing important work, raising great organic vegetables for local people who really appreciate good food and their farmers.
• Challenges. Becoming stronger both physically and mentally by challenging yourself.
• Building a better world. Contributing in a very real way to environmental and social justice. Helping a local family farm succeed.
• Ecological connection. Learning about ecology first hand and deepening your relationship with the land that feeds you.
To apply please email your resume and cover letter to: emily@rootradicalrows.com before Dec 15, 2020.
Or post your resume and cover letter to: Emily Dowling, 3 Lower Side Rd., RR#4, Gananoque, ON, K7G 2V6