Vegetable Gardener — Canada Summer Jobs position
Contract Position: 8 week contract at 35 hours per week – Start date as soon as possible
Rate of Pay: $17.00/hour
Deadline of Application: May 10, 2024 at 4:30pm
United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes provides financial support for agencies and programming in City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County. Through our work we address our 3 Pillars: Poverty to Possibility, All that Kids Can Be and Healthy People, Strong Communities. We also run a food security and food literacy farm in partnership with Fleming College and Crayola Canada.
The Vegetable Gardener position is funded through Canada Summer Jobs – Service Canada. The successful candidate must sign and adhere to the United Way’s confidentiality agreement and act with best practices in regard to work ethics and procedures. They must exercise standard safety practices while on site and performing duties off-site for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. This position pays $17.00/hour.
General Responsibilities
The Vegetable Gardener will work with staff to:
- Plant, maintain and document yields from garden plots at the United Way office.
- Support improved health outcomes and food security for local residents through work at Edwin Binney’s Community Farm & Education Centre located on the property of Crayola Canada.
- Assist with the preparation of marketing materials to promote work in the community around agricultural and community gardens.
- Perform the day-to-day tasks of maintaining a small-scale farm including planting, watering, weeding, harvesting and distributing produce.
- Assist with the cleaning and maintenance of garden tools, storage sheds, irrigation systems, etc.
- Assist with preparing produce for distribution to community food security initiatives (ie. picking and washing produce)
- Help with set-up and supervision of weekly farm stand. Handling of sales, helping customers and restocking produce.
- Assist with recording and reporting produce yields and day-to-day activities at the farm.
- Assist with the promotion of United Way CKL’s programs and partnerships related to food security, food literacy and local food. This may include YouTube content creation and brainstorming.
Please Note: Due to the nature of the work, flexibility in scheduling will be required and some weekend work may be assigned. This position is physical, with tasks associated with lifting produce and tools, and gardening/harvesting.
Qualifications
Well-developed interpersonal skills
Communication skills both verbal and written (report writing)
Hands on experience in gardening, farming, or general labour
Experience in customer service and volunteer management
Time management and strong organizational capabilities
A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle are not necessary but are considered assets to this position.
Bilingualism is considered an asset.
Core Competencies
Analytical Thinking:
Use practical knowledge and experience to solve routine problems. Asks questions to determine the sources of the problem; discusses possible solutions. Think outside the box and find efficiencies in work flow.
Communication Skills:
Communicates clearly and confidently both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences. Demonstrates the ability to tailor information and delivery to suit the nature of the material, audience, and situation. Demonstrate skills in relationship development with people of all ages and abilities.
The candidate should be comfortable asking questions for clarification and distinctly communicating issues, ideas, needs, etc.
Leadership and Customer Service Skills:
Develops and leads educational workshops for a variety of audiences such as camps, daycares, seniors’ groups, etc. Strong focus on customer service and assisting clientele in a helpful and respectful manner. Regularly handles questions and provides friendly and courteous customer service.
Execution and Organizational Skills:
Organizes work duties and workspaces in an organized and structured manner to deliver on specific tasks and meet deadlines effectively and efficiently. Able to manage changing priorities and adjust accordingly to new and different tasks.
Teamwork Skills:
Demonstrates: an understanding of the overall work of the United Way, a positive attitude, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
Criteria as laid out by the Canada Summer Jobs Agreement, “Participant” means an individual who:
(a) is between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of employment;
(b) is a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act [S.C. 2001, c. 27]*; and
(c) is legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial / territorial legislation and regulations.
*International students are not eligible. Recent immigrants are eligible if they are Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.
Reports to:
The successful candidate will report to the Farm & Project Coordinator and Co-Executive Directors.
Resumes must be received no later than 4:30pm on Friday, May 10, 2024.
Applications must be sent to:
Via email: emily@ckl.unitedway.ca
Via post: Attention: Emily Beall, Co-Executive Director. 50 Mary St. W. Lindsay, ON
Cover letter should reference “Summer Job Applicant – Vegetable Gardener”.
Emailed applications should reference “Summer Job Application” in the subject line.
We thank all candidates in advance and please note United Way will contact directly those selected for interviews.
United Way CKL is committed to accessibility and inclusion. If you require accommodation, please let us know.
