Trainee Grower - Leeds, United Kingdom - Meanwood Valley Urban Farm - Market Garden

Description

Job Overview:

We are an urban market garden in central Leeds, running a year-round CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or 'veg box' scheme, supplying chemical free and organic produce to more than 100 local households each week.

We host two weekly volunteer days and deliver a seasonal paid traineeship for new growers.

We are looking for a trainee to join our small team. The traineeship is an 8-month paid role designed to enable you to learn hands-on, intensive market gardening.

You will learn how a small-scale market garden uses organic and mínimal tillage practices to grow crops for a successful veg box scheme.

You will be expected to work under any weather conditions, as the role is mainly outdoors, and undertake a variety of physical and administrative tasks related to the day-to-day running of the project.

You will learn:

• Nursery propagation. Sowing of 40 different edible crops, recording and monitoring successful germination, potting on.
• Nursery to field transplantation. Bed preparation, row gridding and hole preparation according to the different crop densities, field planting seedlings, direct field seeding of salad crops. Trellis preparation for climbing plants.
• Field growing, harvesting and postharvest processing. Weekly maintenance of field crops including hoeing, hand weeding, pruning, training up wire and removal of dead or diseased crops. Harvesting leaves, flowers and fruits of over 40 different crops, includes weighing, recording, washing, drying, quality control and use and maintenance of appropriate tools such as harvesting knives, scales and crates.
• Crop planning. Learning about the different germination, pretransplant, field growth and harvesting times for each crop. It also includes an introduction to organic rotations and recording, and analysing and adjusting crop timings according to successes/failures
• Working with volunteers. This will include working alongside volunteers and adults with disabilities. You will be expected, over time, to offer guidance to new volunteers and to show basic market garden tools and techniques to new participants of the volunteer programme.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• To assist in the weekly maintenance and harvest of crops for the main 2024 growing season.
• To assist in processing and packing produce
• To learn how to use and maintain high quality, professional market garden tools responsibly and with due care to ensure no undue damage to them.
• To work alongside the Community Growers to oversee and implement the crop plan for 2024 growing season.
• To assist in the propagation and transplanting of crops
• To promote a positive and participatory atmosphere, and to relate positively with participants, supporting and encouraging them in learning new skills.
• To assist in discussion and carrying out of daytoday tasks. Assist in creating a weekly task list that is given to all participants.
• To undertake a skills assessment and feedback session at the beginning and end of the traineeship so that the Community Growers can improve future traineeships.
• To read and understand the relevant literature given to you on organic, ecological, intensive market gardening.
• To assist in organising and delivering the Summer Party and Apple and Pumpkin day events, that may be on a weekend.
• To assist with running promotional stalls at local events, by swapping a weekday for a weekend day of work

General Responsibilities

• To ensure all areas of the farm are kept tidy and litter free
• To lead by example and comply with all MVUF policies and procedures
• To follow our safeguarding policies and be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults
• To contribute occasional material for farm publications, social media and the MVUF website
• Any other duties as reasonably required.

Qualification
At the time of writing, there is £600 towards a qualification related to growing food. We can discuss your preferences in the interview.

There is also a small fund towards travel costs for the duration of the traineeship.


Job Types:
Part-time, Fixed term contract, Temp to perm

Contract length: 8 months


Salary:
£11.44 per hour

Expected hours: 24 per week


Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• Onsite parking
• Transport links

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location:
In person

Application deadline: 31/03/2024

Expected start date: 15/04/2024