ORGANIC VEGETABLE FARMING

Hiring: Market Garden Field Crew
Farm: Fertile Ground Farm
Location: Saint Agatha, Kitchener-Waterloo Region, Ontario

Our Farm

We are an organic vegetable farm operating on a beautiful 100 acre property near Waterloo. Since building relationships with the people we feed is really important to us, most of our produce is sold through our 300 member CSA (Community Shared Agriculture), supplemented by local restaurant & retail sales, online store, and a spring seedling sale. We have wonderfully supportive & committed CSA members, and are always looking for ways to create opportunities for community interaction and involvement. While our primary focus is our vegetable fields, we also raise pastured laying hens and our land supports 40 acres of hay and a similar acreage of woodlot, wetland and meadow habitat. Projects for the 2023 season include continued development of tillage reduction strategies, partnering with the Cambridge Food Bank through our Community Shares Program, hosting a Regional Seed Showcase Garden in partnership with the EFAO, and (possibly) Farmer-Led Research trials (you can meet Farm Manager Angie in the featured video).

We have a heated seedling greenhouse and 3 unheated tunnels for tomatoes and season extension. 3 tractors are used for primary and in-row cultivation, though we still do a lot of field work by hand. Our team consists of 4-5 full time seasonal workers including our Field Manager. Angie (Farm Manager) is an equal participant in harvest & field work activities as well as carrying out all the administrative tasks of the farm. Continuous learning & ongoing systems improvement are important here. Having facilitated new farmer training courses and workshops for a number of farmer training organizations and hosted interns for almost a decade, Angie is experienced at providing a solid educational experience alongside the day-to-day production work. Although the landscape is very rural, we are less than a 10 minute drive from the west edge of the city of Waterloo.

Skills & Assets to Thrive on Our Team

Diversified market gardening is highly skilled work. Applicants will ideally have experience on a vegetable farm. Whether experienced on not, the ability to absorb and integrate detailed instruction and feedback is key. We are looking to build a team with quick hands, positive & collaborative attitudes, strong observation skills and tenacity to see tasks through start to finish. Adaptability to roll with rapidly shifting task priorities, curiosity to drive your learning, a desire to contribute creatively to the ongoing improvement of our farm systems and a sense of humour are all highly valued.

Our work is physically and mentally demanding, with long hours outdoors in all weather. Great stamina, and in particular strong back and knees are essential.

Baseline Qualifications

• Legally able to work in Canada
• Preference given to those with prior vegetable farming experience
• Our work is physically and mentally demanding, with long hours outdoors in all weather. Great stamina, and in particular strong back and knees are essential.
• Ability to lift 50lb regularly

Our Daily Work

Most tasks require quality work at a quick pace, often under pressure:

• Planting, harvesting and washing/packing vegetables
• Pest control, weeding & irrigation
• Greenhouse and tunnel work
• Poultry chores
• Endless problem-solving
• Hosting CSA distributions weekly June-Oct

Key Assets

• Experience with farming or other outdoor, physical work
• Quick hands & commitment to improving task efficiency
• Ability to absorb and integrate detailed instruction and feedback
• Positive & collaborative attitude
• Strong observation skills
• Adaptability to roll with rapidly shifting task priorities

Hours & Remuneration

We are an Ontario Living Wage certified employer

• $20/hr starting wage, 4 months May-August

• 40-50 hr/wk Mon-Fri, typically 6am-4pm June-Aug. (Occasional weekend work for chores and special events)
• 3 days holidays paid at 75%
• 1 professional development day
• plenty of vegetables & eggs for personal consumption.

As our team is small and everyone is essential, commitment to a full season of work is required.

Special Assets

• Infrastructure & General Handy-skills: We are looking to round out our team with 1 more staff who has significant experience and skill with tools & equipment: power tool proficiency, basic construction & structural repairs, general fix-it and mechanical prowess. While this position would be primarily a field work position, it would also involve responsibility for repairs and maintenance of infrastructure including greenhouses, irrigation, cooler, tractor implements etc.
• Post-Harvest Handling: experience with vegetable washing/packing
• Tractor Experience: In-row cultivation & other tasks incl spreading compost & row marking with our Farmall 140. Implement adjustments & basic mechanical aptitude.

To Apply

Send resume and a letter outlining your relevant work and farming experiences, as well as your motivations for working with us to: info@fertilegroundcsa.com

Please indicate you saw this posting at FoodWork.

Applicants from members of BIPOC & LGBTQ+ communities are very welcome.

Housing/Transportation

Please note: While we don't provide on-farm housing, St. Agatha and West Waterloo are within reasonable biking distance, and we are only 10-20 mins drive from town.