Organic Farm Assistant

Do you like working outdoors and being physically active?
Do you want to make a positive, meaningful contribution for the planet?
Do you thrive in a supportive team and with experienced leadership?
Are you excited to learn to grow food and connect to community and the land?

We are hiring one youth (15 to 30 y.o.) to help us with a new phase of business growth for our organic vegetable gardens and greenhouse in 2025.

Working at Root Radical is a nature lover's dream job and a great way to get practical hands-on experience growing food for the local community.

According to our staff, some of the best things about working at Root Radical CSA are:

1. The people and the veggies!
2. Seeing progress throughout the season, both with the plants and your own skills and knowledge
3. Being outside and connecting with plants and the Earth
4. Satisfying work that aligns with your interests and ethics
5. Setting goals and learning new things in a supportive, positive team environment with experienced leadership
6. Knowing we are feeding the community and knowing people are grateful for our work
7. Getting to use both the body and brain
8. The diversity of crops and variety of work
9. A mix of team and solo work
10. Kind, respectful, and inclusive work environment
11. Building your physical strength
12. Fair wages and benefits

Remuneration Package:
• Wage: Starting at $17.20 per hour. Increases incrementally every 160 hours and will be $21.65 after 480 hours or approximately 60 workdays.
• On-Farm Housing: Housing is available on the farm at a cost of $70 per week deducted from payroll. We have renovated the original farmhouse to create a 3-bedroom apartment for up to three farm employees. The apartment includes shared brand-new kitchen, full bath, sitting room, hydro, heat/AC, washer, dryer, and dishwasher. Winter 2025/2026 housing can be negotiated for staff returning to work on the farm for the 2026 season.
• Perks: Farming is hard work, but working at Root Radical CSA also has benefits including…

1. Lots of high-quality, organic vegetables to eat. Staff receive CSA shares and have access to seconds and leftovers.
2. Benefits package. Ferry passes, end-of-season bonuses, some reimbursements for health and dental, specialty work clothing, and pre-season strength training.
3. Work-life balance. Weekend work is not required, and farm staff finish between 3:00 and 4:30 PM most days. Additionally, we are a farm that structures short breaks into our daily schedule, and we are a team that plans so that days off for staff to recharge are an option.
4. Diversity of work. Working on a small acreage with a diverse set of crops means less monotony and doing a lot of different kinds of tasks throughout the week and as the seasons shift.
5. Teamwork. Being a part of a team of self-motivated, hardworking, caring people who are nice to be around. We have structured team-building activities and make a point of celebrating together throughout the season.
6. Learning. Developing your farming skills and keeping the work interesting and challenging by taking on new responsibilities as you are ready.
7. Clear expectations. As part of the hiring process, an extensive document is provided explaining how to succeed at Root Radical. Throughout the season, we meet regularly as a team to share weekly work goals.
8. Outdoor work. Being out in beautiful weather, most of the time, and not sitting or standing in one spot all day long.
9. Pride in your work. Doing important work, raising great organic vegetables for local people who really appreciate good food and their farmers.
10. Challenges. Becoming stronger both physically and mentally by challenging yourself.
11. Building a better world. Contributing in a very real way to environmental and social justice. Helping a local family woman-led farm succeed.
12. Ecological connection. Learning about ecology firsthand and deepening your relationship with the land that feeds you.

About us: Root Radical Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is a successful organic farm which has grown a wide variety of vegetables since 2007. We sell vegetables through the CSA model to about 150 Kingston and Howe Island households. We are known for our high-quality great-tasting vegetables, extensive educational resources, and organized and accommodating customer service.

We are a team of about five people. The main tasks for this role are planting, hoeing, hand weeding, pruning and trellising, harvesting, washing, and packing vegetables.

Farm Assistants primarily use hand tools. We have a pickup truck, and most Farm Assistants drive the truck and back up trailers (with training if needed). We use a tractor and equipment for moving compost and soil mix, soil preparation, mechanical cultivation and transplanting as well as for other heavy lifting. We use drip irrigation and season-extension techniques in our fields. We also produce tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, greens, and seedling transplants in our greenhouse and caterpillar tunnel.

We are currently in a transition from a three-season operation and moving towards year-round production and sales. Continuing to improve farm infrastructure, labour efficiency, and soil health will be a central focus in 2025. We are looking for people with passion, energy and a growth mindset who would like to engage with these goals and help the farm succeed.

Root Radical CSA is located on Howe Island between Kingston and Gananoque. The vegetable operation is located on 3 of our 84-acre farm which also includes hayfields, permanent pastures, and wooded areas. Root Radical CSA is a woman-led farm, and Emily Dowling is the main CSA farmer. For more information on Root Radical CSA, please browse our website: http://rootradical.ca/

Schedule: Typically, we start work at 6:45 or 7:30 AM and finish between 3:00 and 4:30 PM depending on the day. Lunch is unpaid and is usually a half hour in length. There are also two 15-minute paid breaks.

Duration of Employment: We are currently hiring for one full-time seasonal position starting in late April to early May. We require a minimum commitment to work with us through the summer until August 29. An openness to staying for the fall of 2025 and/or coming back to work again in 2026 is a plus.

Hours of Work: Applicants for full-time roles must be available to work about 8 hours a day, 4 or 5 days per week during our busy season (early May to mid/late September). Please see below re: weather-dependent work.

Weather: On harvest days, we work rain or shine. However, our other work (planting, weeding, etc.) can be weather-dependent. There may be some days when we would not work because of heavy rain that day or the day before. In exceptional weather circumstances, during our busiest times in the season, staff may be asked to work weekends to make up for days missed during the week due to inclement weather.

Equity Hiring: We acknowledge that not everyone starts from the same place because of systemic advantages and barriers. We understand this and encourage and welcome applications from people who typically face barriers to working in the alternative agricultural sector.

Job Requirements

This position is partially funded by Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) and the successful candidate will meet all of the following criteria to be eligible:

1. The employee is between the ages of 15 and 30 (inclusive) at the project start date
2. The employee is unemployed or underemployed
3. The employee is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or a status refugee under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
4. The employee does not receive Employment Insurance (EI) during the project period

Requirements:
• Be ready to dig in, get dirty, and work hard. Applicants must be committed, reliable people who will show up on time, who will work to understand and help us meet our business goals, and who are able to work in all sorts of weather conditions.
• The successful candidate will be trained in most aspects of operating the CSA. Physical strength, flexibility, dexterity, and endurance are required. Must be able to lift and carry heavy bins. Tasks are generally varied but staff are often assigned to specialized areas where they excel.
• Valid Ontario drivers license and experience with driving truck with a trailer and ag tractors is a strong asset.
• Training provided. Experience in agriculture, work on organic farms, or in a related field is plus but not required. Special consideration will be given to those applicants who can demonstrate their commitment to working in local organic agriculture.

How to apply

Read the entire job posting document and then email your resume and cover letter to: rootradicalcsa@gmail.com. Please send your application as soon as possible. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.