Position Location: Millside Centre, Coquitlam, BC

Application Deadline: Application Review will commence January 15th. 

The Position 

In partnership with School District 43 and the Indigenous Education Department, Fresh Roots (FR) has been developing and maintaining an outdoor education center that includes 7 acres of forest, a salmon bearing stream, an orchard, a native plant nursery, and a market garden. 

In this Coordinator role, the Millside Centre Farm Coordinator (MCFC) will work closely with the Director of Farming and Operations (DFO) and the Millside Centre Youth Program Coordinator (MCYPC) to oversee maintenance and production on the site, while connecting various youth programs to the land. Learning and sharing about Indigenous Food Sovereignty and ways of relationship with the land is also an important aspect.

We are looking for a skilled gardener with experience working with youth, however will train less experienced applicants who are motivated to learn.

Key Details 

• Location: Millside Centre in Coquitlam with occasional work in Vancouver.
• Dates: Mid-March to end of October. 
• Hours: Full-time (37.5 hrs/week on average). Expect more hours July-August and less in spring and fall.  
• Schedule: Monday - Friday. Hours typically fall between 8am-5:30 pm. Must be available to work until 7pm on Thursdays mid-June through August.
• Pay Rate: $21-24, DOE.
• Benefits: Benefits include supplemental medical, dental, and vision coverage (after 3 months), paid vacation and sick time, and ongoing professional development opportunities.
• Funding Note: Position is funding dependent. Start and end dates may change depending on funding.

Responsibilities

1. Operate the Millside Centre Schoolyard Farm, Orchard & Forest as a site for food production, youth learning, and native plant cultivation.
2. Lead & Record the Harvest: train youth in harvesting and processing vegetables and orchard fruit for CSA, Market, & School Food Programs
3. Communicate with CSA subscribers through the newsletter. Track what goes into the CSA and solicit feedback at the end of the season. Update market product inventory and tracking. 
4. With the MCYPC, train and Support SOYL Youth & Facilitators at the weekly, on-site market stand.
5. Work with and support youth on the farm from several programs (ie. Suwa’lkh’s leadership program, SOYL, and FR Camp).
6. Save seeds, propagate, and tend to native plants for replanting, sharing with the community, and sale at our Annual Native Plant Sale. 
7. With the MCYPC, lead youth in forest restoration work and maintenance of existing learning sites.
8. Maintain and harvest from the orchard trees (training will be provided).
9. Maintain infrastructure and farm tools.
10. Ensure the tidiness of the site so it is safe, accessible and welcoming.  

Qualifications

We recognize that applicants from oppressed groups, including folks who are Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) may be hesitant to apply for positions where they don’t perfectly meet the listed qualifications. If you are excited about the job description, believe you could learn to perform the essential responsibilities and can meet the essential qualifications, we encourage you to apply! 

Essential Qualifications

• Must pass a criminal record check for working with youth and vulnerable populations
• This position is funded in part through federal youth employment grants; in order to qualify for this funding the applicant must be less than 30 years old, and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident or have refugee status.
• Motivation to lead large teams of peers and youth (ie. 30 participants).
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions for up to 9 hours a day and lift and carry 40+ pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in market, retail or customer service settings
• 2+ years experience in outdoor program coordination (ie. outdoor summer camp, outdoor recreation, sports teams/training, etc) 
• 2+ seasons working on a farm, market garden, or in landscaping 
• Experience and/or training (formal or informal) to work with youth with diverse backgrounds and learning capacities/modalities
• Experience living in or working with Indigenous and BIPOC communities, especially the Kwikwetlem First Nation.
• Ability to speak additional languages. Languages spoken in the communities we serve include English, Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, French, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Iranian, Persian, Spanish, Tagalog, Russian, and Punjabi.

How to Apply 

Fresh Roots is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. 

Apply directly through this site with a resume/description of past experience and your choice of: a short cover letter (500 words max) uploaded as a document, OR an introduction video (3 minutes max) linked in the “website, blog, or portfolio” line.

Your cover letter or video should introduce yourself and share why you are a good fit for this position. Please let your passion and personality shine! 

Please note that we are not judging videos based on your video editing skills, and neither videos nor cover letters are preferred. Choose the option that is best for you.

We regret that due to the high volume of applicants only those selected for interviews will be contacted.