Grower Windy City Harvest

Title: Windy City Harvest Grower, South Side

Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Department: Windy City Harvest

Reports to: Senior Manager of Farm Operations

Seasonal, Full-time: Anticipated to start February 18, 2025, and end in November 2025

Supervises: Lead tasks for crews of interns, apprenticeship students, corps and youth farm crew members, volunteers

Seasonal Full-time employees with a six or more month assignment and scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week are eligible for the following Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account (HSA), Life & AD&D insurance, Legal Shield, Commuter Reimbursement, Wellness initiative benefit, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Retirement plan
• Personal days, Holidays, Holiday Thank you pay
• Garden membership - free to employees at Household Plus level
• Discounts to Garden Shop, Cafe, Garden-sponsored educational classes
• Employee events such as Orchid show, Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns, Lightscape employee & friends preview night

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets. Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

Windy City Harvest is dedicated to providing a continuous pathway for job training, emphasizing an innovative, entrepreneurial, and hands-on approach to sustainable agriculture and education. We uphold high standards for both staff and participants to promote personal and professional growth.

This is a hands-on farming role that provides critical production support across all Windy City Harvest (WCH) farm sites, while also guiding program participants in agricultural practices. The position is divided into 60% production-focused responsibilities, including managing irrigation schedules, and 40% programming-focused duties, including workforce development training and assisting participants in building job skills through farming. Timely submission of all paperwork is also an essential part of this role.

The individual in this position will be responsible for managing all outdoor production activities at the WCH Legends farm site, including developing and implementing a crop plan, overseeing ornamental areas, maintaining landscape upkeep, and ensuring farm records are accurate and well organized. Additionally, this role includes supporting the WCH Washington Park Youth Farm and assisting the urban agriculture educator with production tasks and supervisory duties when needed. As part of their responsibilities, this person will also work with the apprenticeship instructor to lead apprenticeship lab days at any WCH site upon request.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

Implement a crop plan for sustainable vegetable production to meet sales goals, using succession planting, integrated pest management, and season extension according to standard operating procedures.

• Create and manage farm, greenhouse, and landscaping production schedules, ensuring timely completion of farm tasks. Forecast weekly labor, tool, and supply needs, and request support from supervisor as needed.
• Train program participants on following the crop plan, greenhouse seeding, and harvest schedule.
• Manage irrigation and system maintenance, ensuring the system functions properly. Report issues to the supervisor.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm while working with program participants, including youth, adult learners, apprentices, and formerly justice-involved trainees in an agriculture-focused job development setting.
• Support the production team in overseeing and training on-site staff, interns, volunteers, and program participants. Provide and document productive feedback, setting an example for staff standards.
• Assist with the lab field day portion of the WCH Apprenticeship certificate program and complete lab feedback forms in a timely manner.
• Lead weekly farm walks with the field supervisor and program participants.
• Forecast weekly harvest availability, including edible ornamentals, and ensure accountability for harvests. Coordinate harvests, inventory, and restocking, while submitting post-harvest paperwork on time and updating the sales team on any changes.
• Harvest and process vegetables according to GAPs and FSMA standards, training participants on proper procedures. Maintain accurate, timely logs and records for production, safety, food safety, and sales, ensuring compliance with GAPs protocols.
• Support a production schedule across all Windy City Harvest sites and programs as assigned, including Saturdays and holidays when needed. Foster a collaborative environment with team members.
• Maintain site aesthetics and upkeep according to the site-maintenance guidelines, following the weekly landscaping schedule to meet monthly evaluation standards.
• Attend bi-weekly staff meetings and other scheduled meetings, providing updates on farm production and participant highlights. Stay reachable by phone and email, responding to messages in a timely manner.
• Safely operate Chicago Botanic Garden vehicles and equipment, report any issues to the supervisor, and assist with truck logs as needed.
• Safely transport supplies (tools, plants, amendments) and ensure program participant crews have access to drinking water on-site, transporting water as necessary.
• Ensure safe use and proper maintenance of tools and machinery, with clear guidelines for program participants. Keep inventory and safety logs up to date and report any issues or broken equipment to the supervisor.
• Open the farm site and prepare for participants, then close the site by tidying up, turning off irrigation, securing the area, and reporting any security issues. Lead and log weekly safety talks with staff and participants.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to maintain high standards of sustainable vegetable production, fostering collaboration with team members
• Strong communication skills that build trust and support at all levels
• Self-awareness and openness to feedback for personal growth
• Problem-solving skills and accountability for decisions and reporting issues to supervisors
• Composure under pressure, able to handle stress and unexpected situations
• Commitment to safety guidelines and promoting a safe work environment
• Proactive in maintaining cleanliness, including picking up litter
• Minimum of two seasons of experience in sustainable vegetable production on a 1/4-acre site or larger
• A valid driver's license and a clean driving record are required
• Ability to plan workdays effectively, including labor planning and task management
• Physical capability to perform demanding tasks in all weather conditions in an urban farm setting
• Familiarity with organic food production, integrated pest management (IPM), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
• Experience managing tools, supplies, and inventories
• Ability to create and follow crop plans and seasonal production schedules
• Experience in harvest planning, adhering to food safety standards
• Experience training and supervising individuals from diverse backgrounds and skill levels
• Preference given to Windy City Harvest Apprenticeship graduates
• Produce Safety Alliance Grower Food Safety certification preferred

Physical Demands:

This is an urban farm environment where staff must be able to work on their feet all day, in all weather conditions, performing physical tasks. The role involves frequent lifting, standing, walking, bending, using farm tools, operating machinery, and interacting with the public, staff, and program participants. Daily tasks include using small farm machinery and post-harvest handling of equipment. Staff are required to lift, push, and pull items up to 50 pounds.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.