Organic Food jobs in Kitchener, ON

Job Title: New Farmer Supports & Land Worker
Job Type: Contract - April 16th 2025 to November 30th 2025 (35-37.5 hours/week)
Application Deadline: ASAP
Wage: $17.65-$19.00/hour based on experience.

Submit resume and letter of interest to officecoordinator@ignatiusguelph.ca

Do you love working outdoors rain or shine? Working productively as a team? Creating big community benefits for ecosystems, local food, and farm access for everyone? Join the Ignatius Farm & Land team. Work immediately north of Guelph, Ontario in a place of peace and community impact.

Every year over 5000 individuals and families build better connections with the land through the Ignatius Jesuit Centre's (IJC)'s retreats, trainings, farm products, trails, and land-based initiatives. IJC's mission is to cultivate spiritual growth and ecological engagement. IJC's 640-acre property has tree main programs which include Loyola House, a world-class retreat centre, Ignatius Farms, a community organic training farm offering local access to land and food, and the Old-Growth Forest, a 94-acre conservation and education initiative.

The Ignatius land includes deciduous and mixed forest, meadows, urban fringe, naturalized and ornamental landscapes, including Class 3 provincially significant wetlands and a restored cold water stream. Ignatius Farm programs include community gardens, community orchard, Small Plot Agriculture rentals, New Farmer Training, volunteering and community events. We are fully committed to the ecological care of this land.

The New Farmer Supports & Land Worker works directly with permanent staff and volunteers in a team-oriented environment. They care for the land and support all Ignatius Farm projects. Their work enables the community programs in fields, greenhouses, gardens & community orchard - where aspiring new farmers gain real skills, launch businesses and create the farms serving up food, plants, medicines & agricultural services for the local community. These community programs foster resilient farms, household food growing & circular food economies, and reduce household carbon footprints, food miles & food waste.

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Coordinate volunteers including in a variety of grounds keeping tasks and agricultural projects.
• Grow seedlings and a range of 15 vegetable crops in greenhouses & fields for annual Seedling Sale and Loyola House kitchen garden.
• Manage fertility, IPM, irrigation, soil & soluble inputs.
• Maintain greenhouses, equipment and infrastructure.
• Provide custom equipment work for Small Plot Agriculture farm tenants.
• Support 3 acres of Community Gardens with field work preparation & layout, waterline supports, and seasonal clean-up.
• Support Community Orchard care, IPM & fertility care working with volunteers.
• Provide technical and equipment support for new farmer participants in all food growing and community programs.
• Mowing lawns around IJC building and trails.
• Gardening and landscaping around IJC building.
• Trail maintenance.
• Tree planting.
• Collaborate with other departments as needed.

EXPERIENCE

• Customer service, volunteer coordination, community building.
• Interest in agriculture, ecology, forestry, horticulture and/or natural resource management.
• Experience with motorized equipment (mowers, string trimmers, pickup trucks, etc.) an asset.
• Willing and able to do physically demanding work in varied weather conditions, including regularly lifting up to 20kgs repeatedly.
• Ability to work safely, with an interest in learning new skills.
• Ability to take initiative and work both independently and as a collaborative team member or leader.
• Valid G2 or G Class Driver's License.

FUNDING ELIGIBILITY
This position is funded through AAFC Youth Employment and Skills Program.
Candidates must meet some or all of the following:

• Have a valid SIN number.
• 30 years old or younger.
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or refugee status.
• Underemployed or unemployed.
• Youth at Risk, e.g. low income household ( <$28,863 individual after tax income)

The Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC) aspires to be an equitable and inclusive place where a diversity of life experiences, identities and perspectives work together. IJC encourages applicants from all walks of life. We apply an anti-oppression framework to our work and have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment.

We thank all applicants in advance; only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

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