Vegetable Gardener, Technician

**Company Profile**

The Backyard Urban Farm Company (BUFCO) is an award winning, family-run, organic vegetable landscaping company that designs, installs, plants and maintains edible and native pollinator flower gardens for residential and commercial clients throughout the Toronto area. Our mission is to inspire, educate and empower urbanites to grow their own food and to help them reconnect with nature.

We develop and elevate committed, self-motivated nature-lovers who want to build a career in the organic land care profession. We provide exciting opportunities for all team members to enhance their skills, develop their interests, and test their limits in an encouraging, supportive, equitable and fun environment.

We strongly value and believe in diversity, and encourage all to apply. If the opportunity to join our team excites you, and you are driven to provide excellence in every endeavor, then BUFCO is the home for you.

**Position Summary**:
As a BUFCO Gardener Technician, you are responsible for working alone or in a team of two gardeners led by the Garden Supervisor, planting and maintaining beautiful, bountiful, incredible, edible gardens, as well as some pollinator and ornamental gardens. You have professional vegetable gardening experience and are familiar with organic vegetable gardening methods. You will increase your already existing knowledge of organic growing methodologies and sustainable practices, and will help guide and coach our clients in basic vegetable, flower, and ornamental 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.

**Responsibilities**:

- Plant, maintain, and harvest in multiple client gardens according to their Garden Plans.
- Create and implement garden plans according a client’s unique growing conditions and lifestyle.
- Load and prepare the truck for daily activities.
- Drive and/or navigate from location to location.
- Maintain seed, seedlings, and gardening input inventories.
- Assemble and install critter barriers, row cover, trellises and plant supports
- Take care of plant, tools and gardening supplies inventory.
- Communicate with clients (i.e. delays regarding visit, irrigation needs)
- Some client coaching and instruction of both adults and children.
- Maintain quality service by exhibiting and fulfilling BUFCO’s standards.
- Ensure detailed notes of work accomplished and materials used during every client visit are completed.
- Communicate on-site changes that have scheduling implications to head office, such as weather, unexpected garden conditions that change the job requirements, etc.
- Maintain good working condition of all gardening tools, supplies, storage facilities including maintaining a clean, organized, safe and presentable work vehicle.
- Assist in the care and maintenance of seedlings in our greenhouse as needed.
- Maintain and organize physical and digital client folders.
- Attend to administrative and other organizational tasks as requested.
- Participate in larger garden infrastructure and landscaping installations as required.

**Experience**:

- At least 2-years’ experience working with organic vegetable gardens, which can include your own home-based gardens
- At least 1-year experience working with vegetable gardens in a professional setting.
- Some horticultural training is required.
- Existing professional field work experience.
- Knowledge of organic gardening practices including plant identification, pest and disease recognition and remediation; keeps up to date with evolving literature
- Customer service experience is required.

**Skills and Qualifications**:

- A valid G-class license and clean driving record is required.
- Comfortable using hand tools.
- An excellent listener with strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Reliable and punctual.
- Good knowledge of the Toronto area with the ability to attend a variety of locations on your own.
- Able to take direction, and follow through accurately.
- Able to work cooperatively in a team environment and as well independently.
- Able to take initiative and pursue self-directed tasks.
- Intermediate knowledge of technology and smart phone savvy.
- Experience with Google Suite (Drive, Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Maps) is required.
- Able to operate a variety of vehicles with confidence, including small trucks/vans.

**Assets**:

- First Aid and Health and Safety training is beneficial.
- Passionate about growing food and urban agriculture.
- A love of being outdoors, rain or shine.
- An excellent listener with strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Able to be adaptable and flexible with changing weather and daily schedules, accepting that some days may be longer than other days.
- Some weekend work may be required.
- Photography skill