Farm Technician

Job Title: Farm Technician
Location: Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick
Employment type: 1-year contract with possibility of extension
Salary: $22.00/hr; 37.5 hours a week, paid vacation up to 3 weeks, medical coverage available after 6-month probationary period

Please note all applicants must align with the youth and employment skills program and be 30 years of age or younger.

Job Purpose and Organization Description:

Eastern Charlotte Waterways (ECW) is an environmental not-for-profit research organization based in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. The Farm Technician will work with the Project : Village Indoor Farm team and report directly to the Farm Manager with daily operations and relevant food-security initiatives. The successful candidate will support our initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable and accessible food sources within the community. This position is ideal for individuals seeking training and experience in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), or horticulture using hydroponic farming techniques in a laboratory setting.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities of the Position:

• Assistance with farm operations, including germination, planting, maintaining the growing environment, harvesting, packaging, sales, and product delivery.
• Hydroponic systems maintenance: Assist in system setup, nutrient solution maintenance, water quality monitoring, and cleaning. Assistance in the proper use, maintenance, and storage of farm equipment.
• Data collection including recording environmental and crop measurements and inputting in MS Excel.
• Customer relations and sales: Comfortable with sales and marketing of the product at our store location, farmers markets, and with businesses (restaurants, grocers, etc).
• Cleaning and Sanitation: Maintaining a clean working environment and adhering to food safety protocols.
• Community Engagement: Assisting with public engagement and programming initiatives including field trip activities, educational workshops, public engagement sessions, and attending farmer's markets.
• Other duties might include: taking photos and videos for social media, maintaining outdoor garden space, working with community gardens, and assisting in public surveys and report writing.

Qualifications:

• Valid driver's license (Class 5)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work weekends and holidays, answering emergency calls and shift work as part of a staff rotation is expected.
• Previous experience in hydroponics, farming, horticulture, plant science, and/or gardening is considered an asset.
• Business development skills are considered an asset.
• Able to lift 50+ lbs
• Previous experience in farm, produce, and/or food sales is considered an asset.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:

ECW is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees' differences in age, colour, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. ECW's diversity initiatives are applicable-but not limited-to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; social and recreational programs; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity that encourages and enforces:

• Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees.
• Teamwork and employee participation, permitting the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
• Work/life balance through flexible work schedules to accommodate employees' varying needs.
• Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for diversity.

To Apply:

Email your resume and cover letter addressed to Brian Goggin to info@ecw.ngo with the subject line Farm Technician 2024 Application.

The deadline for applying is August 30th, 2024. We thank all those who apply; only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Anticipated Start Date: September 3rd, 2024