Location: 535 Durham Regional Road 13, Sunderland, ON, Canada
Do you love the feeling of getting your hands in the soil, working with a team, feeding your community and contributing to a sustainable way of life? Do you want to take your love of gardening to the next level? Wheelbarrow Farm is looking to hire for two positions this coming growing season.
Wheelbarrow Farm is located an hour north of Toronto, nestled amongst the rolling hills and forests of Durham region. Entering our 18th year of production, we grow five acres of mixed vegetables and flowers using organic and sustainable methods. Our methods are a mix of small scale intensive market gardening techniques and tractor based production methods.
Our produce is sold through a CSA program (300+ members) and two farmers markets in Toronto. We also run a seedling sale in the spring, a short winter CSA and manage an online store for our CSA members. Wheelbarrow Farm has a great reputation with our CSA members and farmers market community and we are known for our high quality vegetables, environmental initiatives and friendly staff.
Wheelbarrow Farm has a team-focused structure as it’s owned by three friends, each with their unique skill set (Field manager/operations, CSA manager/marketing, Accounting/HR). Our field team is typically 4-5, full-time staff. We value a good attitude, a sense of humor and healthy work/life balance (as well as delicious food, the occasional game of vegetable baseball and positive vibes!).
As a member of the Wheelbarrow Farm team, you will participate in all aspects of organic vegetable and flower production, from seed to market.
Main areas of work will include:
We are looking for candidates who have some experience and are looking to develop their knowledge of commercial production systems.
Farm staff are expected to work 5 days a week for the duration of their employment. On-farm work days are 8 hours long, while farmers’ market or CSA delivery days are approximately 12 hours long. A typical work week is between 40 and 45 hours of work.
The organic farm worker position starts April 1st and ends October 31st, 2025, however we may be flexible to change the end date, if requested.
Wage to be determined based on experience. A starting wage is $17/hr for first year employees and $19-20/hr for field managers and market/csa leads. We also provide one paid vacation day per month which translates to approximately an extra dollar/hour of compensation.
Returning staff receive annual raises and are considered for extra training opportunities. Wheelbarrow Farm is structured in such a way as to allow for long term staff to become part owners of the business and the land. We are looking for long term staff that we can partner with!
We provide on-farm accommodation to staff at a below-market rate of $500/month. Accommodations are private rooms in a shared farm-house and include utilities, laundry, internet and free access to farm produce. Wheelbarrow Farm is home to a forest with trails, a bonfire pit, a sauna, open green space and a pond for swimming.
Over the years, many staff have returned to work with us in subsequent seasons. We provide the opportunity for returning staff to deepen their knowledge base into new areas, take on management positions, and increase their wages.
Many have stayed with us for several years and have gone on to manage other farms, manage farmers’ markets, attain jobs in related fields as well as starting their own farm businesses.
There are also many non-monetary benefits to working at Wheelbarrow Farm including:
Learn more about Wheelbarrow Farm here:
Website: https://wheelbarrowfarm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelbarrowfarm/
We offer volunteer opportunities through the WWOOF Canada program. We also offer volunteer opportunities without participating in the WWOOF program.
Volunteering at Wheelbarrow Farm typically involves committing to a minimum 2 week stay at the farm. During your stay, you will live and work alongside the farmers, managers and apprentices. We offer a private room or cabin and food is provided. You are expected to work 6 hours/day, 5 days a week.
Day volunteering is also an option during the summer months. While we encourage a longer commitment (as some training will be required in advance) we can arrange for you to come up for the day only, throughout the season. We also have public volunteer days during the growing season. Please contact us with your availability and interest, we appreciate all helping hands.
Join our lively crew of young farmers excited about creating a sustainable and restorative agriculture!