Gardener

Job Number: 10001

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POSITION

GARDENER, full time contract April to November/December (weather dependent)

 

LOCATION

Downtown Toronto and client locations throughout the City

 

ABOUT THE BACKYARD URBAN FARM COMPANY

The Backyard Urban Farm Company (BUFCO) is an award winning, family-run, organic vegetable landscaping company that designs, installs, plants and maintains edible gardens for residential and commercial clients throughout Toronto. Our mission is to ignite people’s passion for growing their own food and to help them reconnect with nature. 

We are looking for inspired, skilled, committed and self-motivated nature-lovers to join us on our quest to make the world a better place, one beautiful vegetable garden at a time. If our mission excites you, and you are driven to provide excellence in every endeavor, then BUFCO is the home for you.

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Your primary responsibility as a BUFCO Gardener is to work with and support the Lead Gardener, planting and maintaining beautiful, bountiful, incredible, edible gardens and some ornamental gardens. You will increase your already existing knowledge of organic growing methodologies and sustainable practices, and will assist the Lead Gardener to guide and coach our clients on basic vegetable garden care.

Vegetable gardening is new to many of our clients who will look to the Gardening Team for information and inspiration. You will provide the highest quality work with great attention to detail, and participate in bringing a strong, unique aesthetic vision to their garden.

The Gardener will report directly to the Lead Gardener as well as Company Owners. You will assist the head gardener in daily routines, taking detailed notes of work accomplished and materials used during every client visit, help to maintain and organize client folders, and assist in other garden care, administrative, and organizational tasks as requested.

• You must have a valid G-class license and clean driving record in order to apply for this position. You will be required to produce an up-to-date driver’s abstract.
• As you will be working with children, those with disabilities, and the elderly, a police check will be required. You must have a clean criminal record with no convictions or pending charges.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Some gardening experience, horticulture training
• Some experience working with edible plants
• Some knowledge of organic gardening methodologies
• First Aid and Health and Safety training is highly beneficial

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plant, maintain, and harvest gardens
• Help maintain client planting plans and folders
• Load and prepare the truck for daily activities
• Drive and/or help navigate from location to location
• Some client coaching and instruction of both adults and children
• Maintain good working condition of all gardening tools, supplies, storage facilities,
• Keep the gardening vehicle clean, organized, and presentable
• Assist in the care and maintenance of seedlings in our greenhouse as needed
• Assist in maintaining seed, seedlings, and gardening input inventories
• Some participation in trade shows and Farmer’s Markets may be required
• All BUFCO employees may be required to participate in larger garden installations
• You may be required to complete up to five hours of on line health and safety training before employment commences

 

SKILLS and ASSETS

• Passionate about growing food, urban agriculture and the good food movement
• Love of the outdoors, rain or shine
• Physically fit, able to repeatedly lift and move loads of up to 50 pounds
• Reliable and punctual
• Confident behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles, including small trucks/vans
• Good knowledge of Toronto, able to get yourself to a variety of locations on your own
• An excellent listener, able to take and follow through on direction from the Lead Gardener
• Able to work both cooperatively in a team, and independently
• Able to recognize opportunities for taking initiative and pursuing self-directed tasks
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Tech and smart phone savvy
• Photography skills are an asset

To apply please send your resume and cover letter to info@bufco.ca. Attached documents must be in .pdf, .doc, .docx, or .pages formats. We will not look at .zip files.

We appreciate the interest of all those who apply, however only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

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Job summary

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