Assistant Grower

Salary:
**Assistant Grower**

The Assistant Grower position is a vital aspect to achieving above-average production and creating a strong and healthy work environment. The Assistant Grower is ultimately responsible for the daily activities relating to crop health, irrigation, climate, pest management, and labour planning. This role relies on effective delegation to their teammates, who include labour supervisor(s), and crop scout(s). As an Assistant Grower, you will need to develop a strong relationship with each teammate to provide ongoing direction, training, development, and encouragement that will result in each team member showing continuous improvement. The Assistant Grower is also responsible for preparing information for the Operations Manager in a way that can easily be presented to senior management.

**Reports to**:
Corporate Grower

**Reviews conducted by**:
Corporate Grower

Cedarline/Truly Green Farms is an equal opportunity If you require any accommodations, please contact us.

**Growing (70%)**

**Crop Health**:

- Daily crop walk to assess plant health by checking for nutrient and water levels as well as root quality
- Inspect the balance of the plant regularly and maintain for ultimate production output

**Irrigation**:

- Ensure irrigation is consistent at all times
- Adjust irrigation according to plant needs
- Ensure substrate moisture is sufficient
- Ensure sufficient fertilizer is mixed
- Order fertilizer according to recipe
- Maintain recirculation tank levels in a sustainable manner

**Climate**:

- Consistently walk through the crop to assess plant health pest presence and “real feel” of the climate
- Adjust the climate to ensure ideal settings are being maintained for ultimate crop health

**Pest Management**:

- Identify pest presence and move labour accordingly
- Receive regular update from scouting personnel
- Order necessary biological controls and chemicals to keep pest pressure low

Note: You will be required to actively participate in Priva alarm rotation schedule.

**Labour (20%)**

**Operational**:

- Proactively assess which tasks need to be completed weekly according to crop development
- Estimate task completion times to keep labour flowing effectively (i.e. plan switchovers for break/lunch times or beginning/end of the day when possible)
- Train supervisors on new tasks and methods as needed
- Enforce corrective actions as necessary in coordination with human resources

**Culture**:

- Create an environment of mutual respect between employees and managers
- Give regular feedback to supervisors on performance and concerns
- Conduct regular reviews with all required employees in coordination with applicable parties

**Miscellaneous (10%)**
- Inspect for structural damage or areas that need maintenance or repair; report any issues to maintenance team
- Discuss ways to mitigate production disturbances during maintenance procedures
- Labour reports: updates on year-to-date costs, labour needs planning
- Production reports: updates on year-to-date production, variety comparisons

**Food Safety**
- Ensure compliance of overall CanadaGAP food safety program by being a good example
- Ensure that all cleaning forms are submitted regularly
- Ensure employees have proper materials to comply with food safety rules (i.e. blank copies of proper forms or access to electronic forms)
- Keep food safety forms up to date throughout the year
- Ensure all paperwork/electronic forms pertaining to food safety is submitted monthly
- Notify designated employees of food safety infractions (i.e. knife sanitizing stations)
- Ensure to always wear gloves when handling the product
- Ensure to always wash and disinfect hands after each break

**Assistant Grower Qualifications**
- 3-5 year's experience
- Responsible for growing in a specific area within a site under the direction of the Grower/Senior Grower