Good Food For All

Everyone deserves access to healthy food, soil, and community.

We enact this vision by cultivating engaging gardens and programs that catalyze healthy eating, ecological stewardship, and community celebration. Fresh Roots stewards two large scale schoolyard market gardens on school grounds in the heart of East and South Vancouver. The food we grow is eaten in local school cafeterias, various Neighbourhood House food security initiatives, and by the community at large. Our fields are hands-on learning classrooms; engaging school communities and residents of Vancouver in addressing food sovereignty, community health, and vocational skills development. To learn more about Fresh Roots visit our website http://www.freshroots.ca

We’re looking for the right person to help us integrate Good Food into the fabric of schools and the surrounding community. This position is creative; you will design, build, and grow. You will see your dreams enacted. We are outside, engaging with neighbors, stakeholders, and friends to connect our communities to their food, their environment and one another. We hope that you join us.

The Position

The Farm Manager (FM) is responsible for all agricultural operations of Fresh Roots’ schoolyard farms, as well as facilitating community involvement on the land and maintaining an aesthetic of an educational farm. This job balances running a small production farm and incorporating various educational and empowerment objectives. The FM works closely with the Executive Director, Education Coordinator, Farm Staff and Interns to meet production and educational objectives. The FM should be deeply committed to sustainable agriculture and food justice and energized by personal interactions and social change. This position requires organization, vision, patience, energy, delegation abilities, and good humor! The ideal candidate will be ready to make a multi-year commitment to the organization.

Develops the farm plan utilizing intensive, small plot growing techniques.
Manages schoolyard farms for production and educational purposes, working closely with the Lead Education Coordinator.
Manages farm team staff/volunteers to carry out all farm operations including harvest processing and packaging.
Maintenance of accurate records of all farm activities
Engages and represents Fresh Roots to the school and community at large.
Ensures opportunities for integration of teaching and learning into all components of the schoolyard farms.
Manages and further develops summer internship program for university aged youth to develop food literacy and farming skills.

Required Qualifications

Minimum 3 years of sustainable farming experience, with at least 1 year in a leadership role.
Teaching experience required: formal or informal.
Demonstrated experience in farm record keeping and crop planning.
Experience managing staff, with particular experience supporting and engaging high school aged youth.
Ability to manage multiple projects with limited supervision, self-motivated.
Organized, team oriented, dedicated.
Excellent public relations and communications skills; interpersonal, written, and oral.
Valid driver’s licence and will pass a criminal record check.
Be in excellent physical condition and be able to lift 50 lbs and able to work in all weather conditions.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, strongly skilled in Excel.
Access to a computer and smartphone.
Begins February 1st
This is a year round position with an average of 37 hrs / week, must be available to work weekends and occasional evenings.
Salary is commensurate with experience.

Position Details

Begins February 1st
This is a year round position with an average of 37 hrs / week, must be available to work weekends and occasional evenings.
Salary is commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

E-mail a short cover letter and resume (in one document) to:
marc@freshroots.ca
with your name and the name of the job position in the subject.

Applications must be received no later than October 31. Interviews will begin mid-November. We regret that due to the high volume of applicants only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Fresh Roots hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply.