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

Market Gardener- Full time position

Lauriston Farm, Goldhanger, Essex, CM9 8AH

We are a community owned, charitable co-operative which practices Social Farming on a certified biodynamic farm on the Blackwater Estuary, near Maldon in Essex. Launched in 2017 and building on thirteen years of development, we provide a wide range of educational opportunities through meaningful work experiences to many people, especially those with a learning disability and/or autism (LDA). We also undertake extensive conservation work through on the farm’s 210 acres which includes rare breed cattle and sheep, laying hens, vegetable growing, woolly crafts and a community kitchen processing produce and providing daily lunches.

Our biodynamic and organic produce is sold locally through markets, weekly deliveries, with local wholesalers and directly from the farm. We also have a volunteering program, host events and workshops, give talks to local interest groups, work closely with Essex County Council, local SEND schools and colleges and The Country Trust.

The site is a beautiful, tranquil setting bordered by the blackwater estuary and we are inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy. We are a small, person-centred team with a good track record of delivery. During term time, there are around fifty people on the farm each week with over 2,500 social farming day places being offered every year.

This role requires previous experience of a similar role in a busy vegetable growing setting and a keen desire to develop biodynamic growing practices, if not already trained in these methods. Within this role you would join a team of five land workers, covering horticulture and agriculture. The responsibilities of managing the Market Garden are split equally between three individuals, the successful applicant will be one of these three. We are developing collaborative working methods with the aim of enabling individual freedom combined with collective decision making.

We are ideally looking for someone to live on the farm in this role but we will also consider other options.

Lauriston Farm Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Applicants must be willing to undergo protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and an enhanced DBS disclosure. 

We take safeguarding of all vulnerable people on the farm very seriously and you will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check if successful.

Selected candidates will be required to attend an in person interview.

Please note this post is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you will be required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). The amendments to the Exceptions Order provide that certain ‘spent’ convictions and cautions are 'protected' and are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and Barring Service website.

Hours and salary

This is a salaried position based on 40 hours per week however, working hours vary seasonally. The garden is staffed 9am to 5pm, five days per week. Within the working day with a paid 30min tea break and an unpaid lunch break 1-2pm. Weekend work will be required in the garden, weekend markets on a rotated basis plus three weekend trustee meetings plus the AGM each year.

Location

The post will be based at Lauriston Farm, Lauriston Farm Chase, Maldon, Essex CM9 8AH.

What do we offer?

• The chance to join a community owned charitable co-operative with environmental and social justice at its core.
• Free onsite accommodation
• Competitive total package
• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays) per year, entitlement increases with length of employment
• Contributory stakeholder pension
• A supportive and collaborative working environment
• A beautiful and tranquil setting to work

Information

• Salary: £26,437 gross salary, plus accommodation on site (rent, council tax and utility bills are covered by the Society)
• Hours per week / Contract type: Variable seasonal hours from 30-50 per week / Permanent
• Team: Market Garden
• Reporting to: Farm Director
• Location: Lauriston Farm, Goldhanger, Essex, CM9 8AH

Requirements

• Work Location: In person
• Full driving licence, strong recommendation to have own vehicle due to remote location of farm.
• Ability to commute/relocate to, Lauriston Farm, Goldhanger, Essex, CM9 8AH

Purpose of role

To be part of the land working team at Lauriston Farm with specific responsibilities for growing, poly tunnels, some outdoor crops sown with Jang seeder, compost, and overseeing other land workers, volunteers or otherwise. Supporting the land team in other general farm activities such as livestock checks and general farm maintenance. Taking an active role in the development and holding of Lauriston’s anthroposophically inspired, social farming community, supporting people with a learning disability and/or autism. The ideal candidate will thrive in an ever-evolving environment, demonstrating flexibility, resilience, and adaptability.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Co-managing Demeter vegetable growing in the two-acre market garden including advising on and implementing cropping plans, rotations, groundwork, irrigation, weed management and harvesting
• We use Software Heirloom.ag to plan our planting calendar, and Ooooby to organise our veg bag scheme; some use of this will be required.
• Crop protection including insect, fungi, bird and mammal damage
• Understanding and creating a balanced, healthy environment for growing
• Use of Jang seeder, two-wheel and four-wheel tractors
• Supervising work of employees volunteers, students and WWOOFers, some of whom will have a disabilities and/or autism
• Inductions for volunteers, students and other groups
• Occasional other farm duties including maintenance animal care
• Developing the anthroposophically orientated social farming community
• Giving tours around the Market Garden to visiting individuals or groups
• To ensure that the garden environment and all equipment is kept safe and tidy. To comply with all Health and Safety and Risk Assessments.
• Support office staff with comms and marketing goals and documenting
• Represent the farm at events and markets
• Being involved in Biodynamic field preparations, compost preparations and following the Biodynamic planting calendar

Duties & Responsibilities for all posts

• Demonstrate and promote the values of Lauriston Farm Limited.
• Work in accordance with all Lauriston Farm policies including financial, equality & diversity and safeguarding
• Commit to continual professional development
• Play an active part within the wider Lauriston Farm team
• Perform other duties occasionally assigned to you to ensure the smooth running of the farm

Key Working Relationships

• All farm staff
• Garden volunteers
• College students
• Visitors

PERSON SPECIFICATION (Essential = E, Desirable = D)

Experience, knowledge & skills

• Experience of working in chemical free vegetable gardening (E)
• Experience of working with machinery and tools, and doing basic repairs (E)
• Experience of weed management in an organic / biodynamic environment (E)
• Experience of pest prevention in an organic / biodynamic environment (E)
• Experience of soil preparation & management (E)
• Experience of composting (E)
• Knowledge of the biodynamic certification rules (D)*
• Knowledge of the biodynamic calendar and growing seasons (D)*
• Knowledge of biodynamic preparations and their appropriate application (D)*
• Experience of overseeing and training people to perform specific gardening tasks (E)
• Ability to perform physical labour outdoors in all weathers (E)
• Experience of health and safety in a farming / gardening environment (E)
• An innovative, flexible and enthusiastic work ethic (E)
• Commitment to the Lauriston Farm values of social farming, conservation and chemical free, biodynamic farming and the ability to communicate these values to others (E)
• Experience of working with people with learning difficulties and disabilities such as autism (D)
• Experience of some form of animal care (D)
• A keen interest in anthroposophy (D)

*If the successful applicant does not have this knowledge it is essential that they have a keen interest in and are willing to be trained in these methods

Application information

To apply, please send your current CV, along with a letter of application detailing how you match the person specification, by midnight 22/02/2026 to Hattie White (Operations Manager) hattie@lauristonfarm.co.uk with the title Market Gardener Application.

Interviews will start in week commencing 2nd March 2026 with a start date in April. For further information please contact Hattie White (Operations Manager) hattie@lauristonfarm.co.u or 01621 788348. 

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