Young Agricultural Entrepreneur Program – 4 positions
ClearWater Farm (CWF) is a social enterprise that uses sustainable and organic growing methodologies on a farm site on the shore of Lake Simcoe in a rural community one hour north of Toronto. CWF is the flagship project of the Ontario Water Centre, a not-for-profit that promotes understanding of, and connection to, the environment among adults and children.
These positions are designed to provide a graduate of a college or university program who has decided that they want to pursue gainful employment in sustainable agriculture with a hands-on transition-to-work experience in one of three key areas of sustainable food production. Completion of this multi-season internship will provide a broad range of skills as well as a track record essential for long-term success in the local, sustainably grown food industry in Ontario. Duties and Responsibilities
This paid internships will provide broad experience in setting up, managing and optimizing a farm-to-customer growing, marketing and logistics system covering a varied selection of produce (grown using sustainable practices in fields, in greenhouses, in forest, etc.), foods, and other third party-sourced product offerings.
• Reporting to the Farm Team Leads, interns will get specific experience in the following disciplines:
o Market and customer needs analysis
o Crop planning and rotation
o Soil analysis and remediation using sustainable practices
o Irrigation and water management
o Growing and harvesting in greenhouses and fields
o Branding, marketing and promotion
o Logistics planning/implementation
o Food/product sourcing
o Wash/pack operations management
o Storage practices for each crop
o Quality control and observing food safety protocols
o Inventory systems
• Intern will also learn to collaborate effectively with entire farm team
A successful first season in this program will position the intern to return for subsequent seasons during which their paid work for ClearWater Farm will be reduced and they will secure access to increasing amounts of farm land that they can cultivate and manage for their own account – thereby creating their own operational and financial track record. Throughout this process they will have access to mentoring resources, equipment, and support.
Knowledge and Skills
• Team player with strong interpersonal and communication abilities
• Customer service instincts and/or experience
• Basic computer skills
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Organizational skills with capabilities to multi-task
• Valid Driver’s license with access to a vehicle
• Prior experience with farming, harvesting/crop storage, food safety, shipping/ordering/logistics would be an asset
Requirement
Funding for these positions requires that candidates be under the age of 30 years old Contract from May 1, 2020 to November 15 2020
Opportunity to live at ClearWater Farm in “tiny houses”
Submit your resume with two references to hr@ontariowatercentre.ca, please note position you are applying for.
We will contact only those applicants in whom we have interest