Senior Grower at Borde Hill, Haywards Heath

Organic Growers Alliance; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a passionate team at an iconic English Heritage Garden, managing a new biodynamic market garden. This role involves transforming a 4-acre site to produce seasonal fruits and vegetables, working closely with culinary experts to promote a farm-to-fork philosophy. Your expertise in organic growing and team management will be pivotal in fostering a sustainable food vision. Embrace the opportunity to lead a dedicated team and cultivate a thriving garden that supports a new restaurant and café, all while enjoying the beauty of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you are driven by a passion for biodynamic practices and community engagement, this is the perfect role for you.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of organic/biodynamic propagation and crop rotations.
• Experience with machinery and managing volunteers is essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage a small team and oversee all aspects of crop care and harvesting.
• Develop cropping plans and ensure effective communication with the Chef.

Skills

Organic/Biodynamic Propagation

Crop Rotations

Non-chemical Pest Management

Communication Skills

Machinery Handling

Record Keeping

Health and Safety Procedures

Computer Literacy (MS Office)

Tools

Rotavator

Tractor

Hand-held Machinery

Job description

Salary:
£26,000 – 28,000
(Dependent on
experience)

To apply:
email your CV & covering
letter to:
[e-mail]

If you are in
employment, please
include your current
notice period.

Borde Hill (BH) is a Grade II* listed English Heritage Garden set within 383 acres of
Parkland and Woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with wider
farmland beyond.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Borde Hill team to manage our
new 4 acre biodynamic market garden – The Growers Project – located at Sugworth
Farm. We are looking for a passionate grower to establish and transform the
site to produce seasonal fruit and vegetables which will supply the new restaurant,
café and farm shop planned to open at The Stables at Borde Hill.

You will work closely with the Senior Kitchen Gardener and restaurant Chef to bring
the new food vision to life, creating a strong brand message of farm to fork,
seasonal produce, showcasing the best of biodynamic growing. It is key that you have knowledge of growing produce on a large scale, along with strong organizational and communication skills to enable effective planning regarding crop selection, cultivation, sowing and harvest.
As the operation grows, you will manage seasonal growers and build upon the current
volunteer pool to support the growing operation.

Knowledge, skills and experience needed:

(Please provide evidence in your Covering Letter and CV)

You will have the following responsibilities:
• Line manage a small team including staff, volunteers and students.
• Be responsible for all aspects of care for the land, the growing and harvesting of crops including:
effective rotations, composting, fertility building, weed control, pest and disease
management and mechanisation.
• Adhere to and develop the cropping plan and sowing/planting schedule, to ensure produce is
varied and sustained throughout the year.
• Work within the standards of Demeter and attend annual inspections, preparing all of the
paperwork and keeping records of BD spraying activities across Sugworth Farm.
• Communicate and plan ahead with the Chef and Senior Walled Gardener on crops to be grown as
well as determining supply and demand.
• Manage annual budgets for growing.
• Manage the sale of crops, ensuring efficient use of receipts and working with the Accounts team
for invoicing.

Essential Selection Criteria:

Skills required:
• A strong understanding of organic/biodynamic propagation, seed sowing, crop rotations, non-
chemical pest and disease management, and other plant husbandry techniques needed in a productive biodynamic market garden.
• A passion for biodynamic growing and experience of growing fruits, vegetables, and salad crops
in a recognised establishment.
• A flexible approach to working out of
regular hours as required.
• A strong understanding of growing crops undercover and knowledge of cultivation under
polytunnels.
• Excellent communication to work collaboratively and effectively with the Chef and
Senior Walled Gardener.
• Experience in managing volunteers / junior roles.
• Strong organization, forward planning and record keeping for seed sowing, crop rotation, harvest operations.
• Experience with handling a wide range of machinery, including rotavator, tractor and
hand held machinery.
• Understanding of health and safety procedures including COSHH and risk
assessment procedures.
• Computer literate with experience of MS Office software, and able to use databases accurately.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons
regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation.