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

We are looking for a practical, organised, and enthusiastic grower to help lead the day-to-day running of the Earthsong Seeds nursery and growing areas. Working closely with the rest of the team, the Head Grower plays a central role in ensuring that all growing, maintenance, harvesting, and post-harvest processing are carried out to a high standard throughout the season.

This is a varied and hands-on role involving work both in the garden and in the seed shed – from seed sowing through to drying, cleaning, storage, record-keeping, and live plant production. The role requires strong practical growing skills, good organisation, and the ability to balance seasonal priorities within a small and collaborative team environment.

As a small and seasonal enterprise, adaptability and collaboration are essential, with all staff supporting each other across different areas of work when needed.

Primary Responsibilities

Growing and Production

•    Implementing annual sowing and growing plans to ensure seed and plant growing needs are met efficiently.

•    Seed sowing and propagation, and delegating tasks where appropriate.

•    Garden record-keeping and mapping.

•    Weeding and general crop care throughout the season.

•    Pest monitoring and control using organic methods.

•    Compost management and application.

•    Seed harvesting, drying, cleaning and storage.

•    Maintaining nursery tidiness, organisation, and general upkeep around the Seed Shed area and polytunnel.

•    Irrigation system management.

Live Plants and Bare Roots

•    Overseeing and managing the live plant and bare root projects 

•    Working alongside Seed Shed Coordinator to facilitate customer service of live plant and bare root customers.

Inventory and Stock Management

•    Maintaining and updating bare root and live plant stock inventories for the website.

•    Monitoring availability of plants for sale and communicating updates to the Head Seedsman and Seed Shed Coordinator.

Shared Responsibilities

•    Annual crop and sowing planning.

•    Seed harvest planning and monitoring.

•    Purchasing and managing garden supplies.

•    Preparation for annual Soil Association inspection.

Additional Responsibilities (occasional, when the primary lead is unavailable or as and when the opportunity and need arises)

•    Seed pack filling and order packing.

•    Stock management and purchasing support.

•    Printing seed packs and live plant labels.

•    Making seed collection boxes and filling seed collections.

•    Supporting sales events, including planning, setup, and packing down.

•    Participating in quarterly stocktakes and germination tests.

•    Providing photography or video content for social media.

Skills, Knowledge and Qualities

•    Qualification or practical experience in horticulture, particularly in propagation and seed production.

•    Qualification or practical experience of herbalism and herb growing.

•    Strong organisational and record-keeping skills

•    Ability to prioritise and manage multiple seasonal tasks.

•    Attention to detail and high standards of care in all aspects of the work.

•    Capacity to take initiative, delegate tasks, and communicate clearly with other team members.

•    Physically fit and comfortable working outdoors in varied weather conditions.

•    Collaborative, adaptable, and supportive in a small, close-knit team environment.

•     Basic IT skills and willingness to learn relevant software and systems (e.g. Ninox, Microsoft Office, WooCommerce, Affinity).

Working Times

3 days per week; days and hours may vary seasonally and can be adjusted to meet the needs of the business and individual circumstances.

Application information

To apply for the role please send an e-mail to info@earthsongseeds.com along with your CV.

The deadline for applications will close on the 31st May 2026.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs