MARKET GARDENING

Positions: Farm Crew
Organization: Farmship Growers Co-Op

Location: Ladysmith, near Nanaimo & Duncan BC / Vancouver Island
Housing: Limited accommodation on-site, please specify if you are interested in living at the farm on your application

Farmship Growers Co-Op is a 14 acre market garden farm located in beautiful Yellow Point, near Ladysmith BC. We grow approx 60 different crops pesticide free and naturally grown. We sell to local restaurants, weekly at the Cedar farmers' market and to our 100+ shares CSA food box program delivered every Thursday, from May to mid December. We also grow these nutrient dense crops to several local not-for-profit organizations, small food businesses, school food programs, and an online marketplace.

During the season we always have some beds cover cropped which makes our actual farming space approx. 8 acres. We have some permaculture beds such as herbs, blueberries, strawberries and asparagus and last fall we started our first hugelkultur bed. We have 4 greenhouses on the farm, 2 for starting seedlings and 2 for our heat loving crops.

We value inclusivity and diversity in our team and so we welcome individuals with diverse abilities or from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and from the LGBTQ+ community. Each year we are lucky to meet and work alongside a variety of people from all over the world thanks to the Wwoofers who make a great addition to our team throughout the season. All contribute to making this team a diverse group of people working towards a common goal: growing a lot of nutritious amazing food for our community.

We are seeking 4 full time workers to join our crew for the 2024 season. (Some positions subject to funding)

Start date April 23 to August 31 (starting and ending dates can be negotiated)

Wage is $18/hr and approx 30hrs per week

Plenty of free farmers food, yum!

Limited accommodation for seasonal crew, please specify if you are interested in living at the farm on your application

Experience on a farm or market garden knowledge is an asset but not necessary.

Farm crew members will participate in many aspects of vegetable growing under the supervision of the farm manager including:

• Seeding, transplanting, and preparing grounds for planting outside and within greenhouses
• Watering and managing seedlings and transplants
• Weeding field vegetable crops using a variety of tools and by hand
• Harvesting, quality checking and preparing vegetables for market
• Washing totes and harvesting crates for CSA farm box day and regular harvest days
• Pruning and trellising certain crops
• Assisting with field and greenhouse irrigation
• Assisting with CSA assembly and delivery orders
• Assisting occasionally at farmers market
• Applying organic fertilizer to crops when necessary
• Observing and communicating crop/pest issues
• Participate in weekly planning sessions

The work week runs from Tuesday to Friday usually 8am-4pm (7.5hrs) including 1/2 unpaid lunch break

A typical week in the main season at Farmship is as follows:

Tuesdays: full farm harvest and pick for restaurants

Wednesdays: further restaurant pick and CSA harvest and delivery to local restaurants

Thursdays: CSA box day - a busy but fun day! Many hands are needed to wash and fill up our reusable CSA totes with veggies which we then deliver to our customers' homes and/or to several drop off spots within the city.

Fridays: Market pick and prep day! We have over 40 different crops on the farm and this requires lots of preparing to fill out our double tent at the market

Farm chores (watering, seeding, transplanting, pruning, weeding, bed prep, fertilizing, pest management) are shared amongst the team at the beginning of each day.

Sundays: Market day. Market runs from 10-2 on Sundays (this is attended by the farm manager or team leader and at least one helper).

Want to join our crew?

You:

• love growing food and are passionate about local food
• like learning new things, challenging yourself or maybe sharing your growing knowledge
• work well independently or as part of a team and are punctual and responsible
• take direction well and effectively communicate with others
• can work in a variety of positions including squatting, kneeling, standing on uneven surfaces
• can work under a variety of outdoor conditions such as rain and hot, sunny days
• work safely when engaging in repetitive tasks such as using farm hand tools, weeding, packing veggies
• work in a timely manner to complete tasks in a fast paced environment

If this sounds like a farm you would like to work at, we would love to hear from you!

Please apply online to: farmshipcoop@gmail.com

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