After a successful trial year delivering a small number of boxes, we’re scaling up next year and will be taking on lots of new customers (stay posted for information about this, coming soon). As such we need to expand our grower team and are looking for an assistant grower to start work in 2025. All details are below. If this is you, please get in touch. And if you know anyone who might be interested, please forward this post to them.

Job description: Assistant Grower, Tyninghame Community Farm

About us

Tyninghame Community Farm (TCF) is a not-for-profit Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme providing organically grown vegetables and herbs to the Dunbar and East Linton area. As with other CSAs our aims are to: grow high-quality, tasty food sustainably; engage consumers in how and where their food is grown; create a partnership with consumers to share risks and rewards; create more resilient, shorter food chains; provide secure livelihoods for growers; and promote ecological growing techniques through volunteer involvement and training.

Founded in 2023, we operate on a two acre site with one part-time Head Grower. We raised grant-funding to install two 30 metre polytunnels, a propagation tunnel and build a large packing shed. In our first year (2024) we served 19 veg box customers, worked with 40 volunteers, and built a mailing list of 250 supporters. Next year, we plan to expand to 60 veg box customers, with a long-term goal of 120 dependent on accessing more land.

Key activities include growing vegetables, hosting volunteer sessions, and sharing our practices with the community. We focus on financial sustainability without compromising our ecological values.

We engage our community primarily through our website, email newsletters, and events.

Tyninghame Organic Orchard, adjoining TCF, was established in 2015. The one acre site has approximately 110 trees trained in bush form, roughly two-thirds apples, one-third plums, plus some pears. We prioritise tasty fruit for eating rather than juicing/cider, with three main wholesale outlets.

Job Purpose

To support the Head Grower in the horticultural work of TCF during the growing season, working three days a week. The Assistant Grower will be responsible for assisting in all aspects of vegetable production in the field, polytunnels, propagation, and packing shed, working alongside the Head Grower and volunteers.

If it suited the grower, they could also work pro rata one day a week on Tyninghame Organic Orchard, although this work would be concentrated around seasonal tasks, especially pruning. This additional work is optional.

Conditions

Dates: From April to November (exact dates by mutual agreement).

Hours: Three days a week, at 8 hours a day, on TCF. This would involve some weekend work, e.g. watering and volunteer session support, to be mutually agreed in advance with the Head Grower. There is an opportunity to work an additional day per week on Tyninghame Organic Orchard, concentrated around seasonal tasks in negotiation with Daniel Wight, but this is not essential.

Wage: The real living wage, currently £12.60/hour.

Holidays: 28 days (including bank holidays) pro-rata

This position is a short term 8 month contract which we intend to extend subject to income generation. It will be subject to a 3 month trial period.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from minority groups.

We will support the successful applicant to develop their skills as a grower, being committed to knowledge sharing and making this a learning experience. We are also committed to regular check-ins and to open means of communication so we can work with our assistant grower to develop the job role to ensure it is as satisfying and rewarding as possible.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Perform the following activities in conjunction with the Head Grower and subject to the TCF Directors’ strategic direction:

● Grow vegetables using organic, agro-ecological methods, including, but not limited to: bed preparation, propagation, crop care, weeding, record keeping

● Harvest, process and pack vegetables

● Help distribute veg boxes and veg to wholesale outlets

● Help identify and resolve significant and critical issues affecting the growth of crops.

● Soil maintenance and composting

● Ensure health and safety guidelines are followed

● Help support volunteering opportunities so that volunteers are as productive, and have as rewarding a time, as possible

● Work with and report to the Head Grower.

These key tasks are not intended to be exhaustive but simply highlight a number of major tasks which the staff member may be reasonably expected to perform.

Person specification

Essential Knowledge:

Knowledge of organic horticultural practices.

Desirable Knowledge:

Understanding of soil biology and how to enhance it.
Knowledge of organic orchard management, especially pruning.

Essential skills:

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
Ability to use initiative to solve problems.
Ability to maintain accurate records and pay attention to detail

Desirable skills:

Mechanical skills, e.g. to maintain BCS 2-wheeled tractor, mechanical tools, etc.
Seed saving
Valid driving license.

Essential experience:

Experience of growing vegetables commercially through at least one growing season.
Experience of both outdoor and polytunnel growing.
Desirable experience:
Experience managing volunteers.
Experience of crop planning.
Experience using BCS 2-wheeled tractor.
Experience in orchard management, especially winter and summer pruning.

Essential attributes:

Enthusiastic, friendly and sociable
Self-motivated with passion for agro-ecological growing.
Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of CSAs
Willing to use machinery, e.g. BCS 2-wheeled tractor, hedge trimmers, mowers.
Able to work outdoors in all weathers.
Willing to lead small groups of volunteers in farm tasks
Keen to learn more about agro-ecological growing
Keen to learn more about tree fruit production
Willing to put energy into clear and honest communication, and working well as part of a team.

Desirable attributes:

Precise in their work, with a keen eye for detail and an awareness of good quality.
Lives within easy access of TCF.

How to apply

Application deadline: Wednesday 8th Jan. 2025.

Please send two page (max) written response, or five minute (max) audio / video, to

community@tyninghame.farm answering the following questions:

● What skills and experiences do you think qualify you for this role?

● Which part of this role do you think you would find the most challenging?

● Can you give us an example of your experience of job satisfaction in a previous role?

Please also attach a short CV: this can be written (max two pages) or in the form of an audio or video file (max five minutes). Please also provide the contact details of two people we can approach for references.

Initial interviews to be held on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd Jan 2025, either in person or online.

We’re hiring!