ORGANIC FARMING

---

Housing: Shared accommodations are available if needed, in either a clean and attractive apartment or tiny house on the farm.

Join our oustanding farm crew! Do you like digging in the it, being a part of a team, working hard while having fun, eating high quality produce and joining a team of passionate growers? If this sounds like you, read the job description below and apply to join us this season!

(Have 3+ seasons of farming? If being a farm manager is interesting to you, see our Manager Posting Here)

Joyfully Organic Farm is a skilled, successful and dynamic Certified Local Organic vegetable farm in the Greater Toronto Area. We have a deep love of amazing food + strong farming practices. We have a large community of customers who share our love of eating well. We provide food for prominent Farmers Markets in Toronto, a large CSA, and wholesale relationships to local food purveyors.

STYLE OF FARMING

We practice an innovative model of farming that focuses on lean operation efficiencies, bio-intensive planting, high yields per acre, multi-succession planting and laughing a lot. The farm is in its 11th year of production, with 4 production vegetable fields, a nursery production green house, in-field caterpillar tunnels, and a cut flower garden. The farm maximizes the efficiencies of two unique and distinct farm production systems. Some crops are grown on a 30 inch bed system with the use of walking tractors and managed with hand tools. Most of our other crops are grown in a tractor based system designed by our farm, that retains the strengths and efficiencies of the smaller tool production system, but leverages the efficiency of farming with tractors.

See a video of our farm + practices on the hiring page of our website!

We are proud of the success we have had thus far and look forward to growing our team and our production.

LOCATION: Markham, Ontario (Near Markham/Stouffville/Pickering) 40 Minutes from Toronto, Ontario

ACCOMMODATIONS: Shared accommodations are available if needed, in either a clean and attractive apartment or tiny house on the farm.

EXTENSION OF SCHEDULE: Optional opportunity for work in winter months, after the main season is completed so that staff have access to year-round work if they would like.

THE POSITION

As a member of our farm staff team you'll work alongside a small team of enthusiastic young + highly trained farmers, who are passionate about feeding their local community. During the season you will be exposed to all aspects of organic farming and deepen your knowledge of our farming methods, produce and operations, season extension, cover cropping, soil quality, harvesting and packing, customer delivery, and selling. And eat wonderfully along the way!

DESCRIPTION
As a core member of our farm team, you will contribute to all aspects of our farm production. Training to our particular farming systems will be provided.

Main Areas of work will include:

• Planting Crops
• Harvesting Vegetables
• Weed and Pest Management
• Washing / Packing Vegetables
• Preparing for and Selling at Farmer’s Markets
• CSA Distribution
• Winter Farming Season Extension
• Building Projects
• Fertility and Land Management

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Positive attitude that contributes to an efficient and enjoyable work environment
• Keen to contribute ideas and demonstrate problem solving abilities
• Experience with physical labor or outdoor work
• Physically fit and capable of repetitive physical tasks and + repetitively lifting 50 lbs
• At least one season of farming / horticulture / outdoor work experience
• Knowledge of organic farming practices is an asset
• Self-motivated and hardworking
• Ability to work at a swift pace in groups or alone
• Ability to work in all types of weather (hot, rainy, and cold)
• Good sense of humour and desire to work in a team setting

A Farm Staff position at Joyfully Organic Farm is ideal for someone who has some related experience, and is looking to engage in a more production-focused type of growing. We seek motivated individuals who are focused and thrive in a production farm environment.

If volunteering would be a better fit you, please see our application on our website.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY : Staff that remain with the farm past the first season will have opportunity to have increased roles in management and planning with pay raises based on demonstrated ability. Past staff members have become farm managers, assistant farm managers, market managers and crew managers. Staff that have moved up into these roles have afterwards go on to to become high level managers of other farms or begin their own farm business.

SCHEDULE: Full time staff are expected to work 5 days per week, plus approximately 2 market shifts per month.
WAGES: $3000-$3400/ month. Wages will be determined in accordance with skills and experience, with the possibility of a seasonal bonus.

 Fill out our Farm Staff Applicant Form on our website + attach your resume. 

Housing: optional on-site housing, see below

Persephone Market Garden is at home on 100 acres of forest, swamp, and meadows, between Owen Sound and Sauble Beach, on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

We focus on regenerative principles, community nurturing, and human-scale, efficient systems.

Kristine is the primary farmer, supported by Thorsten and our children Oskar, Marilla and Frieda. We started market gardening in 2009. Our production has grown from 0.75 acres to 1.5 acres and we transitioned to organic, no-till methods in 2019, which we LOVE. The vegetables are complemented by a small flock of sheep and chickens, as well as some fruit production (home use for now). In 2023, we also started growing veg and flowers for seeds for small seed companies, which is why we are now certified organic. Produce is marketed through a local Community Shared Agriculture program, with a delivery season of 20 weeks (June – October), via Eat Local Grey Bruce, and direct to restaurants.

Staff are involved in all practical aspects of the farm, especially seeding, planting, trellising, mulching, weeding, harvesting (and more harvesting), washing and packing produce. Some animal husbandry is also involved.

Our work week: Generally Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm with 1 hour off for lunch and a 1/2 hour break in the morning (usually involves coffee & tea, pancakes and sitting around our dining table together). Weekends and statutory holidays are off. We adapt our work day to the weather, with earlier starts during the summer. This works out to 35 hours per week. More hours are available during peak times, based on performance and if desired by staff. We value work-life balance, for ourselves and our staff. We have the equivalent of two full-time positions available for the 2024 season. Consistent part-time arrangements are also possible.

• Awareness of and (reverent) curiosity for what is happening around you.
• Ability to work physically, on repetitive tasks, with a passion for efficient processes (think about how you are doing something, don’t just try to do it faster) and quality
• Attention to detail and awareness of the bigger picture.
• Self motivated, flexible, and respond well to feedback.
• Ability to work well in a team and independently.
• Passion for learning.
• A positive, solutions-seeking attitude

Please note these positions are funded through grants and there are eligibility requirements. Please DO NOT apply if you don't meet the requirements.

• Are between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment,
• Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or a status refugee

Job Details

Start/End Date: April/May to late October/November

Wage: $18 to 20/hour starting wage + lots of fresh vegetables

Accommodation is available on-farm, in our walk-out basement apartment. It includes a separate entrance, living/dining area, kitchen and washroom. Access to laundry facilities. $550/month per bedroom.

Transportation: Grey County now has a rural bus system, which is accessible via a 6 km bike ride.

Send an email to Kristine at kristine@persephonedays.ca wherein you tell us a bit about yourself and respond to the following questions:

• When are you available?
• Are you looking for on-farm accommodation?
• What do you do to stay mentally and physically fit?
• What type of experience do you have with manual labour?
• What are your primary goals for this position? Why are you interested in working in a market garden? Are you interested in a small scale operation that works primarily and intentionally with hand tools (no tractors!)?
• Are you interested in living and working on a farm that includes a 5, 9 and 12 year old?

 Date: March 2024
Department: Food Recovery and Partnerships
Reports to: Senior Manager, Retail and Foodservice
Status: Permanent Full-Time
Salary: $50,000.00 Per Annum Plus Benefits
Time Required on-site: 20% (approximate) 

Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue organization and is a global thought leader on perishable food redistribution. We operate at the intersection of hunger relief and environmental protection, tackling food loss and waste through food redistribution, research, awareness, and education while continually innovating, and collaborating to ensure a more sustainable planet. We work with thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain utilizing logistics and technology to reduce the amount of edible food going to waste, thereby diverting unnecessary greenhouse gases from entering the environment.

The Food Rescue Coordinator is responsible for supporting the continued expansion of food rescue activities by engaging, onboarding, and stewarding corporate donor partners at the national level to use the Second Harvest Food Rescue App. This role will focus primarily on our large retail partner, Loblaw Companies Limited, to ensure the effective support, integration, and engagement of their banner stores on the Second Harvest Food Rescue app across the country to optimize food donations.

We are looking for a collaborative and organized team player who can build and maintain strong relationships with our donors to increase engagement and variety of food rescued.

You Will

• Collaborate with stakeholders, including Loblaw's Sustainability and Retail Operations teams, to enhance retail engagement and ensure the program sustainability.
• Provide best in class customer service on daily basis, promptly responding to user requests in timely manner and assisting stores with posting food donations.
• Drive engagement and donation activity on the Food Rescue platform across Canada, aiming to exceed targets for store engagement and donation activity.
• Generate and deliver reports to donor partners, meeting Second Harvest’s data service standards.
• Liaise with Second Harvest National Operations team and other Second Harvest staff to ensure efficient program delivery.
• Meet with donors both digitally and in-person, providing demonstrations of the Food Rescue platform and helping establish donation best practices.
• Deliver presentations and participate in speaking engagements with the goal of increasing program engagement.
• Collect user feedback and conduct structured evaluations with registered donors to meet specific grant requirements or program needs.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve issues that may arise with program activities while working closely with Customer Support team.
• Perform other related duties as required or assigned to support the overall goals of the organization.

You Are

• Partnership-Minded: you are a people person who makes connections easily and can leverage existing relationships to build program success.
• Customer-Focused: you are slightly obsessive when it comes to the client/donor experience and strive to deliver an experience that is second-to-none.
• Communicator: you have exceptional communication and diplomacy skills coupled with experience in cross-functional collaboration, partnering, and managing interpersonal relationships across an organization.
• Analytical: data is your friend; you can translate numbers into action and pave the way for efficiency. You have an intermediate level on Excel (comfortable with using simple formulas and pivot tables).
• Versatile and Adaptable: constant change motivates you to adapt and grow. You can work independently as well as in a team.
• Experience working in a client-facing role within the food industry and/or retail an asset.
• Interest in sustainability, food rescue, and hunger relief.
• Have a Valid Class G driver’s license and able to travel for meetings (mileage compensated if using own vehicle).
• Bilingualism (French) an asset

For more information about Second Harvest, please visit our Careers page here.

Please submit your cover letter and resume using the online portal here. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Only electronic applications will be accepted.

We encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as belonging to equity-deserving groups such as (but not limited to): racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ persons.

Second Harvest is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment and selection process. Please let us know if you require any accommodations.