Good Food & Community

Position: Organic, no-till veg, seeds and more
Farm: Persephone Market Garden

Location: Park Head, Ontario (between Owen Sound & Sauble Beach), Bruce-Grey, Ontario
Housing: 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. $575/month per bedroom.

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 market garden production is on 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, geese & ducks, 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. Our veg and seed production is certified organic. Produce is marketed through a very local, Community Shared Agriculture program, an online farmstand 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 (unpaid) and a 1/2 hour break (paid) in the morning. 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 2025 season. Consistent part-time arrangements are also possible.

Qualifications

• Awareness of and curiosity for what is happening around you.
• Ability to work physically, on repetitive tasks, with a passion for efficient processes 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 that these positions are usually funded through grants and that there are eligibility requirements, including the following:

• candidates must be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment,
• candidates must be 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, depending on qualifications and experience, + 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. $575/month per bedroom.

To Apply

Send an email with Subject "Employment 2025" to Kristine at kristine@persephonedays.ca . Please tell me 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 6, 10 and 13 year old?

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

We will ask for references and we can provide you with references from past staff.