Women-led, Organic farming

Position: Production Lead
Farm: Cropthorne Farm
Location: Delta, Greater Vancouver BC
Type: Full-Time, Year Round Position

Do you love the finer details of growing plants? Geeking out over new pests and seeding rates? Learning about which biological insect to apply? Strategizing optimal irrigation set-ups?

If you love working with the support of a team who is as enthusiastic about growing plants as you are, come join our team of passionate growers.

Why We’re Hiring

At Cropthorne we're all about the details and improving our systems year-on-year. Our production team is constantly putting our heads together to troubleshoot problems and find new solutions to test out. Now as the farm grows and matures we have created this new role to help us dial in some of our production goals.

We are looking for someone with previous growing experience who is keyed in to plant growth and needs. The Production Lead’s main responsibilities are the day-to-day management of the field and high tunnel crops. (Think IPM, irrigation, nutrient amending, seeding etc).

While the focus is on growing and more technical aspects, the Production Lead is an active part of our farm crew who is involved in all aspects of the farm, whether planting, cultivating, harvesting, washing and packing and much more whether inside the high tunnels, out in the fields or inside the packhouse. This position, depending on the season, could also spend one day a week as part of our farmstand or market crew, setting up our stand and serving customers at our on farm stand and/or at the farmers market.

About Us

We are a certified organic, women led diverse vegetable farm located on Westham Island outside of Ladner, BC. In our 17th year, our focus is on growing a wide diversity of annual field crops, using greenhouses for both summer and winter growing. We harvest every week of the year and sell our produce at 2 weekly farmers markets in Vancouver, at our farmstand, our 2 seasonal CSA programs serving 200+ members and to top Vancouver restaurants.

At 24 acres we are a “big” small farm that focuses on innovative production methods to grow high quality vegetables for our community while centering crop health, personal sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Our team is made up of dedicated farmers who love what we do. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge of agriculture as we build strong community ties with staff, other growers and customers in our region.

Our team is made up of 7 year round employees plus an additional seasonal team of 5-6. We are committed to building long-term employees and have a supportive and dedicated management team that focuses on growing our staff. Most of our crew are entering their 4th+ year with us, with many folks on our team having moved up into more senior roles, whether Crew Supervisor, Post-Harvest Lead or Propagation Lead. We are also proud to be a training ground for future farmers, with many ‘alumni’ having started their own farms.

We believe farm work is skilled work and should be valued for the diversity of experience it requires. Our farm supports staff in their development not only as growers, but as dynamic and thoughtful leaders and teammates. Teamwork, diversity and open communication are central to our farm culture. Through regular check-ins with staff, we are committed to building trust in our team and supporting staff to reach their goals on the farm. There is a lot to learn on the farm and we strive to create an environment where we can problem solve, trouble shoot and give and receive feedback together as a team.

Ecology and biodiversity are also key components of the farm. We are proud to dedicate time and space to barn owl boxes, to planting hedgerows and flowering plants for beneficial insects and wildlife, alike. At the core, we believe healthy, nutrient rich soils create healthy, nutrient dense food.

About You

Farm Crew members are hard-working, committed, positive and passionate individuals who participate in many daily farm operations, including production, harvest, post-harvest handling and also spending one day a week as part of our farmstand or market crew, setting up our stand and serving customers at our on farm stand and/or at the farmers market.

We are looking for folks who enjoy being part of a team, are positive teammates and can communicate easily and effectively with the rest of the crew. You would be flexible and adaptable to changing priorities and are dynamic in a fast-paced environment and thrive in process oriented systems. You take care of yourself both physically and mentally: you get enough rest, stay hydrated throughout the day and can communicate your limits.

You have an eagerness to learn and grow alongside us. We expect our crew members to approach tasks thoughtfully, embracing a team effort to achieve the farms’ goals for quality and efficient work, along with their own goals of developing their farming career through professional work experience.

The Production Lead position would have additional responsibilities as noted below and would fit with someone who already has some proven leadership skills and farm work experience.

The Job

Key Responsibilities

• Provides daily feedback to Farm Manager and Assistant Farm Manager on the field and high tunnel aspect of the farm operation.
• Work closely with Assistant Manager, Farm Supervisor and other farm leads to complete the daily task list, whether harvest, field activities, wash or pack-outs on schedule.
• Assist in direct seeding.
• Assist in grafting pot-ups, and propagation management.
• Assist with fertility monitoring, soil sampling and nutrient application.
• Assist with IPM program; spraying, scouting for pests and disease both in field and in high tunnels.
• Assist with irrigation scheduling, moving pipe or reel irrigation, drip installation, and repairs.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 2 seasons of production based, vegetable farming experience
• Knowledge of vegetable agronomics and organic farming practices
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• High attention to detail and well organized
• Open-minded, inclusive, and respectful of others.
• Ability to work well in both a team environment and independently.
• Attention to detail, quality and consistency
• Ability to work in a dynamic workplace and flexible for changing needs
• Proficiency in basic veggie math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
• Proficient in spoken and written English
• Physically capable of carrying out tasks which require the ability to stand, kneel and bend for long periods of time, repeated lifting up to 20Kg.
• A positive attitude with the ability to work efficiently in all weather conditions.
• Ability to commit to a flexible work schedule with some extended hours and weekend work.
• Class 5 driver’s license
• Must have reliable access to a vehicle (nearest bus route is 8km. There may be opportunities for some carpooling depending on scheduling and location).
• Must be able to legally work in Canada
• Basic or proficient in Spanish is an asset.
• Tractor experience is an asset
• Technical agronomic skills either through formal education or work experience are an asset.

If you don’t check all the boxes but have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, we encourage you to apply.

For additional information on responsibilities and qualifications please view the full Production Lead Job Description on our website

Position Details

• This is a full-time year-round position, ideal start date of: September 2nd, 2025
• Work schedule – Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Saturday, 36 to 45 hours/week depending on the season.
• Compensation – Based on experience, in the range of $22 - $25 per hour plus 4% vacation plus access to farm produce and flowers.
• Health & Wellness Benefits after 6 months of employment.
• Gear Stipend after 3 months of employment.
• Education Stipend after 3 months of employment.
• 2 weeks of annual vacation and 5 paid sick days after 3 months of employment.

To Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume to lydia@cropthornefarm.com by August 15th.

Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so we encourage folks to apply as soon as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, if you have any questions send us an email!