Senior Field Crew – Shuswap Organics

ABOUT Shuswap Organics

Shuswap Organics grows six acres of certified organic mixed vegetables on a sixteen acre farm on the banks of the Shuswap River in Grindrod, BC. Grindrod is about 15 minutes away from the town of Enderby, 20min from Salmon Arm, and 40min from Vernon. You can find a shady spot by the river to eat your lunch or have a quick dip to cool off at the end of the day. We grow and sell fresh crops (like greens, herbs, beets, carrots, cucumbers, etc) from May to October, and storage crops (potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc) from October through March.

We use a combination of tractors and person powered tools; our goal is to work lightly on the land and reduce tillage, and reduce the impact on our bodies. For example, we’ll use basket weeders on a tractor to prepare and manage early weeds in the carrots, but we will also be in there with a wheel hoe and hand weeding at least once in the season.

We have a mix of sales channels, and sell most of our produce to chefs, independent grocery stores, and to our home delivery business – Nature Delivered.

We are certified organic, and believe in growing healthy fresh food for our community that also supports the health of our animals and the environment.

We strive to make every work day as efficient as possible. We’d rather work a full and effective 8 hour day with the afternoon/evenings off, versus a scattered day working 10+ hours. We expect our employees to show up on time and be ready to go. We foster a work environment that thrives on building leadership – we want our employees to learn, and build confidence and independence in the skills and tasks at hand.

Emily is the Farm Manager, she has over 10 years experience as a farmer/market gardener and 20+ year dabbling in growing food for community organizations and in home gardens. She has lots of knowledge to share with workers that show an interest in learning more! 

 

DESIRED QUALITIES

The Senior Field Crew position will work closely with our Farm Manager to implement the crop plan and lead the whole team. They will lead field crew members through field tasks and harvest – this may require assessing new skills and providing constructive feedback on technique or pace. Based on experience, they may operate tractors, transplanters, or harvesting equipment. The most important things that we’re looking for is a self-starter, a positive attitude, desire to learn/build experience, and an ability to observe and identify what needs to happen next. 

• Physical ability to carry out farm tasks and work in all weather conditions (rain, heat, smoke, mud, mosquitos).
• Strong attention to detail and ability to uphold quality standards.
• Ability to work effectively independently as well as in a team setting.
• Passion for organic, regenerative farming.

• Significant experience on vegetable farms – minimum 3 seasons.
• Loves a high pace and physically labour intensive work environment.
• Reliable, accountable, direct communication
• Takes initiative, having a strong internal drive to complete tasks efficiently.
• Able to adapt to challenges, make quick decisions and troubleshoot issues effectively to solve problems.
• You are organized, and can efficiently organize your day and time on the farm.

 

JOB TASKS

You’ll be working with our crops from seeding all the way to preparing to sell them; it’s hard to create a list that encompasses all of the moving pieces that come together to make this happen.

• Maintain the farm’s high standards of quality and cleanliness.
• Seedlings – filling trays, seeding trays, tending to seedlings, hardening off, preparing for planting or selling
• Planting preparation in the field, cultivation, seeding, transplanting (by hand and tractor)
• Weeding – by hand, or with experience in a cultivating tractor or PowerOx
• Harvesting – by hand, greens harvester, undercutting, and tractor-based root harvester
• Post harvest – washing and packing vegetables, preparing for deliveries (organizing order lists, pack lists, delivery lists)
• Cleaning Up from our daily tasks

 

JOB DETAILS

Term: Early to mid May start date, and finish at the end of October. 

If you’re interested in year round work, please let us know as we have winter employment available in the pack house. The nature of winter work is less varied, but it is still a vital part of strengthening the small scale food system!

Hours per week: 40 hours per week, 5 days a week, Monday to Friday. There is the option to work additional hours during peak season July-September, but it is not an expectation. Workdays start at 5:30-7AM depending on time of season and weather (ex. early spring and late fall we start later in the morning, during a heat wave we start as early as possible).

Wage: We offer $22-23/hour based on your experience.

On Farm, rustic accommodation may be available in a camper trailer. It has electricity, a cook stove, a small fridge, running water, a toilet and shower, no leaks, and is in good shape. The hot water heater and the furnace do not work. 

 

TO APPLY

Please submit your resume (maximum 2 pages), at least 2 professional references, and a 1 page (MAXIMUM) letter of interest answering the following questions:

• Why do you want to farm?
• Explain how you know that you can/like to work in all weather conditions and physically demanding work environments.
• What do you need to thrive in your work environment?
• Describe what leadership roles you’ve held during previous farm experience.
• What would you bring to our team?

Email to emily.jubenvill@gmail.com as soon as possible (we will continue to accept applications until positions are filled) 

While we thank all those who apply, only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. ONLY applications from Canadian residents (or people with a valid work visa will be considered).

Deadline to apply: April 1, 2025