ORGANIC FARMING

Position: Field Supervisor
Farm: Cropthorne Farm
Location: Delta, Greater Vancouver BC
Type: Full-Time, Year Round Position

Why We’re Hiring

We are hiring for a Field Supervisor. Someone who is as comfortable on a tractor as they are supervising and working alongside the field crew during a busy harvest day. This is a great opporunity to learn more about year-round certified organic vegetable farming, both out in the field and in the high tunnels.

About Us

Cropthorne Farm is a 24 acre, certified organic market vegetable farm located on Westham Island near Ladner, BC. We harvest every week of the year and sell our produce at 2 weekly farmers markets in Vancouver, at our farmstand, through our 3 seasonal CSA programs serving 300+ members and to top Vancouver restaurants.

We focus on annual field crops, in addition we have 4 greenhouses for summer crops as well as winter growing. We are passionate farmers who love what we do and are excited to share our knowledge with others as well as creating a strong sense of community both within our farm team and beyond into the greater community.

We believe in building healthy soil through cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced compaction and compost. We believe healthy, nutrient rich soils create healthy, nutrient dense food.

Ecology and biodiversity are key. We are proud to dedicate time and space to barn owl boxes, to planting hedgerows and flowering plants for beneficial insects and wildlife, alike.

We believe that our crew health is just as important as crop health and we are proud to be a training ground for future farmers, with many ‘alumni’ having started their own farms.

With the help of crew, family and the fertile farmland of the Fraser Delta, we are able to produce some of the best Certified Organic produce in our region.

About You

You have some previous supervisory, farm and tractor experience. You can lead by example; you can hustle; you are passionate about great quality, local food; you thrive in a process orientated, fast paced environment. You have strong organisational skills and have the ability to multitask and switch priorities. You like to work hard and get the job done, but you also recognize the need for balance in life. You are a progressive leader willing to learn and take on new challenges and ideas. You are tuned into the small stuff: quality, detail and efficiency. You enjoy being part of a team and can communicate easily and effectively with team members.

The Job

Key Responsibilities

• Provides daily feedback to Farm Manager and Assistant Farm Manager on the field and hoophouse aspect of the farm operation.
• Work closely with Assistant Manager and Post Harvest Supervisor to complete daily harvest, field activities, wash and pack-out on schedule.
• Leads the Field Crew in the field and hoophouses, ensuring quality and productivity targets are met.
• Assist with tractor work, including everything from field preparation, seeding, transplanting, spraying to cultivating and material handling.
• Managing the maintenance of all farm equipment, facilities, and supervision of repair and maintenance work.
• Ensures that all farm operations are conducted in compliance with crew safety and food safety standards.
• Training, supervising and recordkeeping for field related activities.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 1 year work experience in a supervisory role
• A minimum of 1 year of farm experience, (ideally 2-3) particularly with tractors or other similar equipment. (You don’t need to know how to operate every piece of equipment, there is training but a familiarity with tractors is important)
• Strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills
• High attention to detail
• Open-minded, inclusive, and respectful.
• Ability to give and take constructive feedback in supervisory role
• Ability to work independently with various levels of supervision
• Class 5 driver’s license
• Physically capable of carrying out tasks which require the ability to bend for long periods of time, lift up to 20Kg.
• Ability to commit to a flexible work schedule with some extended hours and weekend work.
• Must be able to work outdoors in all seasons and in all weather conditions.

For additional information on responsibilities and qualifications please view the full Field Supervisor Ad HERE and Job Description HERE

Position Details

• This is a full-time year-round position, start date May 2022.
• Work schedule – Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Saturday, 40 to 48 hours/week.
• Compensation – Based on experience, in the range of $20.50 – $24 per hour plus 4% vacation plus access to farm produce and flowers.
• Health & Wellness Benefits and Gear Stipend after 6 months of continuous employment.
• 5 paid sick days
• Please note there is no on-farm housing available.

To Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume to lydia@cropthornefarm.com before May 20th, 2022

We look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, if you have any questions send us an email!

Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.ca.