Event & Market Assistant Position 2024

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The Sharing Farm (TSF) is a 4-acre not-for-profit community farm located on unceded, asserted Musqueam territory, within Richmond’s Terra Nova Park. For over 20 years, we have been providing sustainably-grown high-quality produce for donation to those facing food insecurity, and for sale to our local community via a CSA, Farmstand, and Farmers Markets. We are in the process of seeking our organic certification. TSF is deeply committed to food security and food justice, as well as to agriculture which supports biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem, from the soil to the pollinators. TSF serves as a community hub and as a daily up-close demonstration of local, sustainable farming. We host hundreds of volunteers annually; hold workshops, community events, and an annual Garlic Fest; and provide tours and education to students, corporate groups, and political leaders from all levels of government.

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We are looking for an enthusiastic, hard-working Event & Market Assistant to work on our urban community farm. 

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Position Summary

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You enjoy being part of a team and communicate well with other staff, volunteers, and the community at large. You like a fast-paced work site and can maintain a sense of humour and respect for others even when things get hectic. You’re good at seeing what needs doing and jumping in to get it done. You seek to be a part of a values-driven community farm, interacting with folks from a wide range of backgrounds. This is a varied role which will require skills in communications, administration, organization, and marketing, as well as the ability to work well with a wide range of people who will volunteer to participate in this event’s preparation and execution. The successful candidate will work closely with the Garlic Fest Director to plan, prepare, undertake and execute the Richmond Garlic Festival. There will also be some additional farm and market tasks.

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Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist with finding and communicating with vendors, musicians, exhibitors, workshop leaders, etc

• Marketing for the festival including social media, newsletters, updating festival webpage, updating online events calendars.

• Coordinating festival volunteers including advertising for volunteers, assigning roles, volunteer orientation, preparing thank you gift bags.

• Creating handmade signage for the festival site including deciding what signage is needed.

• Assisting with creating the site plan for the festival.

• Acquiring equipment and supplies for the festival including plates, cutlery, craft materials etc. Making sure these items are well-organized and ready for smooth implementation on the festival day. 

• Post-event: clean up and organizing, social media/newsletter reporting, putting together thank you gifts and gathering feedback from attendees/ volunteers / vendors. 

• This year the festival takes place on Aug 17th, 2024, 10am-3pm.

• For more information on the festival go to: https://www.sharingfarm.ca/garlicfest

This position will also be involved in other farm tasks, including:

• Assist running CSA distribution, Farmstand and the Online Store.

• Assist at Farmers Market booth.

• Harvest and post-harvest handling of produce for sale and donation.

• Occasionally joining field crew for field tasks such as garlic weeding, harvest, curing, and cleaning.

• Reports to the Garlic Fest Director.

 

Qualifications:

• Be self-motivated, flexible, willing to take initiative, work well independently and in a team environment, have a positive attitude. 


• Willingness to work hard, keep calm under pressure and go above and beyond during the week prior to the festival (11th-17th Aug).

• Strong communication skills. The candidate should be willing to communicate with a broad range of people via telephone, email or in person. 

• Open-minded, inclusive, and respectful.

• Be well-organized and not leave things to the last minute. The festival is too large to make last minute corrections. All the details need to be worked out well in advance of the day.

• Proven ability in working effectively with co-workers and/ or volunteers.

• Efficient, reliable, consistent, and punctual.

• (desirable) Valid driver’s license

• (desirable) Food Safe certification

 

ELIGIBILI TY REQUIREMENTS (MANDATORY)

• Be between 18 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment; and,

• Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

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Compensation and Work Hours

Wage: $20-$23 per hour, depending on experience and/or skills, plus access to Farm produce, and 4% vacation on top of pay. 

Schedule: 5 days per week: Mon-Fri OR Sun-Thurs, (TBC) with some Sundays required for Farmers Markets.

Hours: 35 hours/ week. 

(Longer hours will be required the week of 8/11-8/17, leading up to Richmond Garlic Fest on August 17.) 

Start date: May 14, 2024 (TBC, depending on Canada Summer Jobs grant funding.)

End date: Aug 31, 2024 (TBC, depending on Canada Summer Jobs grant funding.)

 

In your application, please confirm that you meet the 3 eligibility requirements, listed above.

 

Application deadline: February 21, 2024.

Please submit resume and a cover letter to:


Leslie Williams, Executive Director

admin@sharingfarm.ca

Lead Field Assistant Position 2024