Organic Market Garden / Vegetable Farming

Hiring: Market Garden Team Lead
Farm: Edwin County Farms
Also hiring: Field Hand/Intern

Location: Prince Edward County, Ontario
Accommodation: can be available depending on what is needed. We have a two bedroom trailer and a one bedroom apartment. 

• Type: 40-50 hours per week.
• Remuneration: $15.50-17.50/hr depending on experience
• Start date: as soon as possible

Do you love the feeling of growing beautiful and nutrious food, feeding your community and caring for the soil? Want to take your love of organic growing to the next level?  Edwin County farms is looking for a team lead with experience in organic vegetable production operations to join our team. Edwin County Farms is a bio-diverse farm located in beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario. Our 700 acre farm is home to a large, instensively planted organic market garden that procudes vegetables and cut flower for our local community.  We also produce organic maple syrup, grain, beef, and chicken.  We are committed to organic and regenerative cultivation practices and work to support local food security and ecological initiatives. Alongside our food and flower production we are engaged in cultivation and planting of native tree species. 

Edwin County Farms is affiliated with the newly restored Royal Hotel in Picton, Ontario, providing an array of organic produce, meat, etc for the Hotel's farm to table program. We also supply more than a dozen other local chefs and restaurants in one of Canada's premier wine regions. In addition we feed our community through local farmers’ markets, growing a diverse array of produce from April through to November.

Our mission is to produce the highest quality, naturally grown vegetables and flowers using organic and regenerative methods, to nourish our community as well as to provide a friendly and supportive environment and lifestyle for our employees. We have a work culture that strives to be inclusive, productive, efficient, organized, and fun!

Tasks:

Under the direction of the Market Garden Manager, the Team Lead will participate in all activities relating to the organic vegetable and potentially our cut flower production. Throughout the season daily tasks are diverse and may include a combination of but are not limited to:

• Seedling production work (making potting mix, seeding trays)
• Establishment & upkeep of crops (direct seeding, planting and weeding)
• Greenhouse pruning and maintenance
• Installation of field materials including caterpillar tunnels, geotextiles, row covers, irrigation
• Vegetable harvest (possibly some flower harvest as well)
• Post-harvest operations: washing, sorting, weighing, bagging
• Bed prep using the broadfork and BCS in the fields and greenhouses and tractor in the fields
• Field and Wash House clean up
• Regularly meeting with and updating the Market Garden Manager
• Keeping detailed field notes
• Participating in staffing of Farmer’s Market Stand

Base Qualifications:

• A strong work ethic
• Ability to motivate and lead a small team with a positive attitude
• Previous labour experience, i.e. market gardening, landscaping, tree planting
• Strong problem solving, organization and communication skills
• Strong observation skills and be detail oriented
• Ability to adapt to changing job priorities and conditions
• Ability to absorb, integrate and execute detailed instructions and feedback

Key Assets:

• Minimum 2 years experience working in an intensive market garden operation
• Familiarity with market garden tools and systems including irrigation, small tractors and implements, paperpot planters, greenhouses, etc
• Familiarity with organic production methods including fertilizer, weed control and integrated pest management

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs
• Ability to kneel, bend and squat repeatedly for long periods
• Ability to withstand and enjoy working in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, rain and mud

Prince Edward County is nestled into the Eastern end of Lake Ontario, along the shores of the Bay of Quinte. With over 30 wineries and cideries and its many restaurants, the County has become a top food and wine destination for culinary enthusiasts. Access the water through the beaches and parks including Sandbanks Provincial Park and many other hidden away destinations. The summer and fall play host to Classical, jazz, and country music festivals as well as theatre.

To apply

Please e-mail your resume and a brief cover letter to:
info@edwincountyfarms.ca
subject: Market Garden Team Lead

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