Seasonal grower at Stroud Community Agriculture

Date Published: 17th January 2025

Stroud Community Agriculture (SCA) is looking for a seasonal grower to join their team. SCA is a mixed Organic and Biodynamic CSA in Stroud, Gloucestershire. They produce approx. 225 organic veg shares a week all year round, as well as rearing a small herd of Hereford cows whose meat they sell to their members.

SCA has been feeding the local community for 23 years, making it one of the longest standing CSAs in the country. They currently operate on three sites with a team made up of 3 growers (including this role), pack shed coordinator, livestock
steward and seasonal grower.

Each site has a lead grower who is responsible for the planning, managing the running and harvest of their area. The team is very collaborative and they all work together on harvesting, big planting days and weeding etc. It is largely a flat management structure, in that they don’t have a head grower, with the exception that the seasonal growers role is to assist the veg and livestock team.

This role is perfect for someone who wants to work in a collaborative, and caring team. The benefit of sharing the responsibility for the farm production is that each worker gets ownership over their areas but not the complete weight of a head grower role.

More information about the team and the farm can be found on their website

Job description

• Harvesting
• Propagation
• Planting (hand and on tractor planter)
• Weeding with tools and tractor
• Working in polytunnels; pruning, planting, weeding, irrigating etc
• Field scale irrigation set up
• Checking, moving and feeding/watering cows mostly with the livestock steward
• Working with volunteers on a group task
  
  Essential Skills
• Ideally 6 months experience/a season on a commercial veg growing operation, but
  open to other forms of experience gained that you might think are relevant to their
  operation.
• Good understanding of the need to be quick and efficient on various tasks from
  harvesting, weeding to planting etc.
• Working in a team but also independently.
• It is often hectic when the season gets going and being able to problem solve and
  think on your feet is essential!
• Full Clean driving license
• Willingness to work in all types of weather
  Preferred Skills
• small machinery experience, they use two-wheel tractor, mower, strimmer (not
  essential)
• Livestock experience (not essential)
• leading volunteers (not essential)
  
  What you need to know
• Length of contract: Mid March – end October 2024, 4 days (32 hours per week) we
  have some flexibility on start date for the right candidate.
• Hours: The farm team works Monday – Friday (8am – 4.30pm, with an hour for
  lunch) we have some flexibility on which 4 days you wish to work, although we need

Tuesdays and Fridays covered for harvest. It also includes approximately 2 weekend
days every month and half; (not the whole day but approx. 2 hours per day
(predominantly, topping up veg in our pack shed, opening and closing tunnels,
checking on animals, and watering propagation) these are taken as TOIL (time off in
leiu) at a later date.

• Salary is currently £12.60 an hour in line with the real living wage in 2025. The
  contract is temporary, but includes holiday and sick pay as well as pension
  contributions.
• We are able to offer a caravan with water and electric, the rent is payable to the land
  owner at £80 a month plus utilities on top.
• Application deadline is 2nd February 2025
• They are looking to schedule interviews and half a day trial on the farm between 10 th –
  14 th February 2025.

To apply for this position or to find out more please email a CV and covering letter to
alex@stroudcommunityagriculture.org