Trent Vegetable Gardens,Garden Assistant Jobs in Canada

The Trent Vegetable 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 at Trent univeristy, 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, Peterborough community
organizations, garden staff, and volunteers.

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 Maintenance
• 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 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 – 30 hours per week for a maximum of 480 hours during
the growing season at $12.25 per hour

NOTE: This Position is dependent upon funding

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, however 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

Submission deadline: April 14th at noon