Seasonal Garden Assistant

WellPower provides you with the support you need to help you develop a career in helping others succeed. We innovate, adapt, and leverage the diverse perspectives of the people on our team and the people we serve in everything we do.

WellPower is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, transfer, or promotion opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

Position Summary:

Under supervision of the Market Farm Manager and the Garden Wellness Coordinator, the Garden Assistant maintains the interior landscaping and garden space at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being. This position will work with the farm team in the farm’s outreach, and community support programs including volunteer days, garden wellness program, and workshops. This job assists in all ongoing tasks associated with the alcove garden and surrounding areas.

This role works approximately 40 hours/week from mid-April through October This position will work primarily Monday-Friday with evening hours once a week on either Tuesdays or Wednesdays and Saturday mornings once a month.

Schedule: M-F, 8a-5p, varies by season and days based on services and farm operations; occasional on call, weekend and evening hours.

Location: 3401 Eudora St

 

Learn more about WellPower:

Salary Range:

 $25/hour 

WellPower is committed to fair and equitable hiring with salaries based on relevant factors, such as work experience, education, and certification/licensure (rather than wage history). Toward the principle of equal pay for equal work, we post and hire within defined hiring salary ranges.  We ask all applicants to carefully review the hiring salary range for each posted job opportunity, as we will not hire outside the predetermined range.

All full-time, benefits eligible employees will be eligible for WellPower’s benefits plan. For a full description of benefit offerings, please visit: https://wellpower.org/workplace-of-choice/.

 

Responsibilities & Duties:

 

Garden Maintenance (65%)

1. Assist in plant start production including seeding, transplanting, harvesting and general maintenance in the greenhouse.

2. Prep soil in the garden area using low till practices.

3. Plant and maintain annual and perennial plants, including food crops and landscape plants.

4. Maintain a regular weeding schedule for Alcove Gardens and accessible pathways, ensuring easy passage throughout the garden.

5. Maintain and repair the drip irrigation system.

6. Maintain the u-pick garden area, including placing relevant signs and information, trellising crops for easy harvest, and assisting community members as needed.

7. Assist the farm manager with projects on the 1-acre market farm and in the therapy garden as needed.

 

Community Engagement (25%)

1. Participate in either Farmers Market on Tuesday evenings or Pantry on Wednesday evenings.

2. Work with volunteer groups of up to 15 people and of all different ages to assist with garden maintenance.

3. Collaborate with the Garden Wellness Coordinator to host field trips, classes, etc. in the garden area.

4. Assist in planning field trips, farm tours, volunteer days, cooking demonstrations/classes, and various social events throughout the year, as needed.

5. Facilitate communication and understanding of site programs, services, goals and values through tours and talks.

6. Assist in building relationships and collaborations with other food and farm organizations to strengthen our local food system by helping to facilitate tours for local farmers.

7. Help facilitate farm volunteer days up to once a month on the first Saturday of the month.

 

Farms and Gardens Team Duties (10%)

1. Attend weekly farm team meetings.

2. Collaborate with the Farm team and others in planning for Farm-related events at the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being and occasionally off-site.

3. Help us to carry out a Farms and Gardens vision and mission that are in line with the voices of the community of Northeast Park Hill neighborhood.

4. Regularly respond to emails and chats

5. Complete required WellPower trainings on a regular basis.

6. Contribute to a positive and welcoming environment at the Dahlia Campus

 

 

TO APPLY

To apply, include a resume and a cover letter that addresses these three questions the following questions:  

1) Tell us about your experience and knowledge of plants and gardening.

2) Tell us about an experience you have had engaging community members, volunteers, and youth in meaningful work.

3) What does food justice mean to you?

 

 

Requirements:

Education:

Highschool/ GED

Experience:

● Minimum of 2 seasons of experience in landscaping, agriculture, or gardening including weed management and pest management

● Experience with leading groups, volunteers, and public speaking

● Experience with record keeping

 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

● Passion for urban agriculture and food systems, production, and food justice

● Knowledge of or willingness to learn about systemic oppression within the food system and agriculture

● Experience working with volunteers, children (pre-k through 12), people with disabilities, and diverse communities and individuals

● Bilingual Spanish and/or ASL strongly preferred

● Passion for getting youth involved in gardens a must

● Knowledge or ability to learn and practice trauma informed principles and practices.

● Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to communicate respectfully, orally and in writing, with diverse persons

● Ability to be sensitive to community members and respond to community needs

● Knowledgeable about sensory plants, perennials, food crops, house plants, and plant biology

● Experience facilitating groups

● Extremely strong attention to detail and thorough follow-through

● Basic understanding of biology, chemistry, and/or soil sciences

● Ability to give, receive, and analyze information, and respond quickly to situations

 

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

● Lift 50 lbs. and carry awkward, heavy items.

● Repeated bending over and extended reaching

● Stand for 5+ hours at a time.

● Withstand substantial temperature variation (40-95 degrees F)

● Manage a fast-paced working environment.

● Handle a wide variety of farm elements including fish waste, decomposing plant material, bacteria, fungus, dead fish, and plant pests.

● Requires occasional on-call and weekend hours, and potential coverage on traditional holidays.

 

MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT TO BE USED:

· Hand tools including rakes, shovels, and broadforks

· BCS walk behind tractor

· Willingness to use own cell phone to perform work-related tasks as needed

 

Tuberculosis (TB) screening, testing - TB screening and testing, is required and must be completed prior to hire (i.e., preplacement), and maintained during employment.