Trent Vegetable Gardens ,Garden Assistant Jobs in Canada

Committee

About the Trent Gardens:

The Trent gardens employ organic, permaculture and heritage food
production methods. We seek to reconnect students and community
members with their food source by providing space for individuals to
learn about the food system, ecological agriculture, and to acquire
gardening skills. These learning opportunities take the form of
workshops, community based research and work bees as well as paid and
volunteer positions. The Trent Vegetable Gardens manages two campus
gardens, the rooftop garden which is on top of the environmental
science complex, and the field garden which is located north of the
DNA building. We also co-manage a campus community garden. The food is
grown for the Seasoned Spoon café, the Peterborough community
(primarily for Food Not Bombs), garden staff, and volunteers.

Purpose of the Garden Assistant Position:

The purpose of this part-time position is to provide a hands-on
opportunity for an interested and committed individual to gain
experience in ecological agriculture and community food programming.
The garden assistant will help the garden coordinator in all aspects
of the planting, maintenance, and harvesting of the Trent Vegetable
Gardens as well as distribution of produce to community organizations.
The assistant will work with the coordinator as a team in ensuring the
day-to-day healthy growth and prosperous future of the gardens. The
assistant may also be responsible for helping with volunteer
coordination, event and workshop delivery, promotion of the gardens
through social media and the operations of the on-site community
gardens.

Responsibilities:

Garden
• Assist in the creation of work plans based on past work logs and the
needs of the gardens
• Perform tasks as prioritized by the weekly garden plan and work
towards completing them in a timely fashion.
• Work in tandem with the Garden Coordinator to maintain the rooftop
and field gardens including soil preparation, seeding, transplanting,
weeding, pest control and harvesting
• Assist with the sourcing and purchasing of seeds, garden supplies,
tools and amendments
• Assist with taking care of tools and equipment
• Support the coordination of the campus community garden plots as needed
• Keep a work-log of all work completed
• Help create a positive and safe working environment.

Outreach and Education
• Assist with volunteer recruitment, engagement and supervision
• Assist with the planning and delivery of workshops, events and garden tours
• Assist with the distribution of produce to community organizations
• Assist with communications, publicity and event promotions as needed
• Help respond to phone and email inquiries when needed
• Help liaise with: The Trent Vegetable Gardens Committee, Seasoned
Spoon Café General Manager and staff, Indigenous Environmental Studies
Gardens, Food-not-Bombs Volunteers, the PCGN, and both the Trent and
greater Peterborough community
• Communicate promptly and effectively via phone and email with the
Coordinator, Supervisor and Garden Committee

Qualifications:
• Strong interest in ecological agricultural methods and techniques
• Experience working in small to mid-scale and urban garden settings
• Knowledge and interest in the politics of food security/sovereignty
and sustainable agriculture
• Leadership experience
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience working with volunteers
• Experience with event planning, promotions and community outreach
• Good organizational skills, self-direction, punctual, and skilled at
paying attention to detail
• Access to a vehicle and a valid driver’s licence considered an asset

Supplementary Notes:
• This position is physically demanding and is best suited to someone
who is physically fit and able to lift objects weighing up to 60lbs.
• This position involves a lot of outdoor work. The garden assistant
must possess the ability and disposition to work outside in adverse
weather conditions when necessary.
• The garden assistant may be required to work outside of normal work
hours such as evenings, early mornings, and/or weekends.

Job Details:

Flexible hours based around the needs of the garden and garden
programming. A log of hours will be required, with a lieu hour system
to be implemented. If additional hours are required in one week it is
advised to adjust the following week if possible, if lieu hours are
going to be accumulated beyond a single pay period, this must be
approved by the supervisor.
• May thru end of August – 10 hours per week for a maximum of 170
hours during the growing at $12.00 per hour

NOTE: Depending on funding there is a possibility for the extension of
this position to 30 hours/week May –August

To be eligible applicants must be:
• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
• have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic
year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next
academic year;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee
protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act; and,
• be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant
provincial/territorial legislation and regulations;
• all are encouraged to apply, priority may be given to students of
aboriginal background depending on qualifications.

Submission Package:
• Current Resume
• Letter of Introduction (max one page) describing specifically how
your education, skills and experience meet the qualifications and
duties above.
• All submissions must be emailed in PDF form to:

Trent Garden Committee
trentvegetablegardens@gmail.com