Denver Botanic Gardens Jobs (1)

Job Type Temporary Description

About Denver Botanic Gardens : Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions.

The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs.

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking a Seasonal CSA Grower at our Chatfield location! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you :

Under general direction of the Associate Director of Farm Programs and direct supervision from the Head CSA Grower, this position will assist in growing various mixed vegetable crops with organic management methods.

The seasonal CSA grower has two positions :

• One growing mixed vegetables with a team of 8 for production, and
• One growing flowers for production with a team of 2. The flower farmer seasonal role does the same tasks as any vegetable farmer but with the end goal is making something beautiful and artistic for our clients.

Duties include planting, harvesting and processing bouquets for a 60 person CSA and several events including dinners and weddings.

Both the vegetable or flower role would be perfect for someone wanting to learn the skill of small-scale farming with experienced, educational growers and a supportive environment while still getting paid.

The Chatfield CSA harvests approximately 350 vegetable / herb shares each week during the season, and distributes the produce in two weekly market-style pickups.

Seasonal staff will assist in all aspects of day-to-day farm activities.

HOURS ARE VARIABLE : Much of this position is full-time during peak season which is May-October. In October, the position ends for the season.

April and October are slower months with the potential of weather disruptions, so these are typically not quite full time.

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilitie s

• Performs assigned tasks including but not limited to harvesting, washing, and packing of vegetables.
• Performs weekly tasks including : small machine work, transplanting, mechanical and hand-weeding, harvest and post-harvest packing and processing.
• Assists in all aspects of day-to-day farm activities.
• Maintains freshness and quality of produce at all distributions and help with a pleasant display.
• Speaks with CSA shareholders and volunteers about growing practices, recipes, methods of farming, etc.
• Acts as a mutual partner in the learning process of farming and land stewardship.
• Employs creativity and kindness when working with the veterans, volunteers, and other staff in the fields.
• Assists in weed management including hand weeding, mowing, and weed whacking.
• Ensures quality, timeliness, and accuracy in all aspects of farm work specifically arriving on time and managing the schedule of tasks day to day.
• Assists in the donation of fresh vegetables into the community through our strategic partnerships including restaurants, caterers, and food procurers.
• Attends regular meetings with CSA staff and Chatfield staff.
• Assists with sales and delivery to wholesale or donation customers.
• Assists with staffing seasonal public events such as Lavender Festival or Pumpkin Festival as required by leadership.
• Maintains satisfactory working relationships with managers, co-workers, and others.
• Maintains a positive, helpful, and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving members and visitors.
• Regular attendance at the worksite may be required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work.

Remote work is at the discretion of management at all times.

All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications : Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must enjoy working outside, using hands and body all day and be physically able to do so. Having an interest or passion for farming, community engagement, education, food systems or growing plants in general is ideal for the position.
• The desire to learn new farming techniques with attention to detail and a strong work ethic is crucial for the position.
• Most of the time spent on the farm will be with a group of farmers and being a team player is very helpful to succeed in this role.
• Independent time does occur but does not make up most of the time spent.
• Must be adaptable to a fast-paced, schedule driven farm environment.
• Ability to write simple correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans, when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and / or holidays.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, specifically Word, Excel and Outlook and Teams.
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally at all times.
• Must work with respect and cooperation at all times with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to working safely at all times.

Experience / Education :

• One season working on a farm is a plus, however, previous farming experience is not needed to be a seasonal beginning farmer.
• On-the-job training Is provided.
• Position requires a valid drivers license.

Travel :

Up to 10% travel required. Requires the ability to travel to remote locations (or other Garden locations) where environment may vary significantly.

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!

Salary Description $18.75 Per Hour