Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

The Project

Goodery is an online Organic veg box scheme based in Norwich. We connect local farmers, ethical businesses and conscious consumers. We are redesigning the local food value chains here in East Anglia to account for the societal and environmental costs that result from our current food system. We are regen, min-til and strive to build our soil's complexity every day. We deliver with zero emissions and as little waste as possible. 

We’ve started the Goodery Market Garden because we want to back the next generation of organic farmers. When we started Goodery, we came to realise that access to capital and land was a major blocker for many new growers. That’s why we’ve taken the step to cultivate some previously unused land on the lovely Organic Ash Farm in Bintree.

Working together, we’re increasing access and demand for local, organically grown food. We’re  strengthening the local food ecosystem, giving local growers market confidence, and encouraging connections between consumers and producers

The Role

We are looking for an assistant grower to join our team for our fourth growing season. We farm Organically to Soil Association standards on 2 acres, practise minimal tillage and are influenced by Agroecological practises.  There are four poly tunnels, a propagation glasshouse and three outdoor growing areas. We grow a wide variety of veg, salads, herbs and edible flowers for our veg box scheme and local restaurants. 

We are a welcoming farm and the role is open to all regardless of background and identity. This year we are also experimenting with cut flowers and hoping to expand our harvests into the coming years. We recognise the inequity of job access and therefore exercise inclusivity in our search for a new colleague. We must note that the role is a physically demanding one, so the ability to work 7 hours, oftentimes in demanding weather, is crucial.

We have ambitious plans to build on the successes of our first two growing seasons and seek someone who is passionate about helping us to achieve that vision. The ideal candidate will be able to take on responsibilities for production and harvest of produce. The role may also involve work to improve the functioning of the site, including improving irrigation, putting up polytunnels, managing fence lines etc. We are also building strong links between the wider Norfolk and Goodery community through volunteer and open days in 2024. 

This role is suitable for someone wishing to work as a market gardener or who wishes to work in small scale food/crop production. This is a fixed term role but could extend, depending on the success and demands of the summer season.

Dates

• Application deadline: 9th December 2024 - 5pm
• Interviews: weeks 2 and 3 of December 2024
• Start Date: February 2025

Details of the role

• Hours -  2-3 days per week
• Salary: £12.30 per hour
• Days: Day to be decided based on experience and availability. There is scope to fine tune this role suited to your interests. 
• Responsible to: Goodery Lead Grower 
• Overall Purpose: To assist Goodery in the sustainable production of vegetables for a certified Organic box scheme and local restaurants.

Assistant Grower Job Description 

The assistant grower will demonstrate the skills required to assist in the production, distribution and volunteer/community building programme at the Goodery Garden. Specifically;

Production

• Raising plants from seed and all areas of propagation
• Irrigation, ensuring systems are managed and maintained
• Planting and maintaining glasshouse and polytunnel crops, field vegetables, salad leaves, green manures and companion plants
• Work with the site and crop plans
• Work to Soil Association Organic standards and to assist with detailed recording keeping
• Organic weed, pest and disease management
• Compost management
• Cultivating soils using hand tools and occasionally power machinery

Harvest and Distribution 

• Harvest to agreed techniques, ensuring quality control
• Weighing, grading and packing produce
• Loading and unloading van/walk in fridge
• Keeping harvest records

Additional Responsibilities

• Undertake other activities in support of Goodery, as appropriate
• Ensure work of the highest standard and inclusivity

Person Specification

Essential:

• A passion for sustainable food production, and a desire to pursue a livelihood in it
• Some experience of working on a food growing site through paid or voluntary work
• Happy to work on physically demanding tasks, outdoors, throughout the year and in all weathers
• Non-prejudicial, LGBTIQA+ friendly 
• Ability to carry out shared tasks and work within a team
• Ability to enjoy a tea, biscuit and chin wag with Amelia and James
• Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise tasks and work to deadlines
• Good people skills, friendly, welcoming temperament 
• Ability to supervise and explain tasks to volunteers if need be
• Ability to contribute to good record keeping
• Commitment to, and understanding of, the aims of the Goodery Garden

Desirable: 

• At least 1 years experience working in a market garden or similar
• Knowledge of land management
• Clean UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Experience with basic market gardening tools
• Experience of working to Soil Association Organic certification or equivalent
• Ability to construct and ‘fix stuff’!

This position does not come with accomodation!

Application information

Please send a CV and a covering letter demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the role and the person specification to james@goodery.co.uk . A call to discuss any aspect of the job further would be welcomed (07591980666).

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs