Santropol Roulant uses food as a vehicle to break social isolation between generations. Creatively and collaboratively, we strengthen and nourish our local community with our novel approaches to active community engagement, youth leadership, food security and social inclusion.

The Roulant's staff is young and dynamic with job descriptions and responsibilities that sometimes exceed their experience. As such, opportunities to learn and grow are key benefits of working at Santropol Roulant. Our working culture supports staff members in developing the skills required to ensure that our collective impact matches organizational and personal aspirations.

About the Urban Agriculture Program

We aim to build a food system that is healthy, just, and sustainable. Our urban agricultural program offers accessible opportunities for urban-dwelling Montrealers to learn about and connect with the source of their food. Our food security projects strive to make local and organic produce accessible to community members regardless of socio-economic status, level of mobility, or degree of autonomy.

Santropol Roulant has two urban agriculture sites: one located on the McGill campus and the other on the rooftop of our building on Roy street. These gardens provide fresh, local and organic vegetables for our meals-on-wheels service and weekly organic basket project for people living with a loss of autonomy, mainly seniors.

About the Apprenticeship

This 6-month position offers a unique learning opportunity to manage every element of a small-scale production garden in an urban setting, located on the McGill downtown campus. The gardens include approximately 3,000 sqft of land that is cultivated by the Roulant, and an additional 1,000sqft that are cultivated as Community Plots. As a core member of the Agriculture team, the selected candidate will be supported by Carlo, the Urban Agriculture Program Manager, and will also contribute to the training of the two Summer Interns who work with the Urban Agriculture team.

This apprenticeship is an ideal position for a candidate with previous experience in taking leadership in an agricultural setting who is ready for the responsibility of ensuring production targets, sharing their technical skills with others and building community and food security through urban agriculture.

As the person responsible for the McGill urban agriculture site the apprentice will take leadership in the following areas:

• Assure that production targets are met and that the garden is vibrant and healthy, troubleshooting as necessary (care for seedlings, transplantations and direct seeding, weeding, pest control, staking, pruning, thinning, harvesting, etc.)
• Provide technical training and a supportive learning environment for volunteers and interns so that they can meaningfully contribute to production and garden maintenance.
• Manage the Client Basket project, including harvesting and preparing 20 baskets per week and communicating with basket recipients.
• Provide administrative and technical support for the Community Plots on the McGill campus, including managing registration and facilitating an introductory workshop for participants.
• Manage the compost site on the McGill campus.
• Lead garden workshops and tours as necessary.
• As a member of the Agriculture team, provide support to the other team members including leading shifts on the rooftop garden and providing support for Santropol Roulant's Peri-Urban Farm in Senneville as needed.

We are looking for candidates with the following interests, skills and experience:

• Leadership experience in an agricultural setting (rural farm, collective garden, community garden, etc.)
• Hands-on experience with the full range of tasks that compose an agricultural season (from seedling care and bed preparation to green manure and garden closure)
• Experience leading groups of volunteers or other teams
• Ability to work independently and take initiative
• Strong oral communication skills in French and English
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Comfort with physical labour

Addionally, please indicate in your application if you have graduated in the last three calendar years from an agriculture-related program in a university, college or CEGEP or a provincial program focusing on biological, agricultural and veterinary science or applied technology. Please not this is not a requirement for this position.

Contract Details

The apprenticeship is offered from early April until the end of September, 4 days per week including some Saturdays, with a schedule to be determined in collaboration with the Urban Agriculture Manager and the Director of Human Resources. It is a paid position with a wage of $13.83/hour for 32 hours/week.

As an organization that works to break social and economic isolation and bring people together across social barriers, Santropol Roulant recognizes that people who experience structural oppression and marginalization have a lot to offer our community. People of colour, those recently arrived from other countries, people with disabilities, women, two-spirited and queer people, trans people, and other candidates who experience marginalization are strongly encouraged to apply and to self-identify in their cover letter. Our primary office space is step-free and has an accessible washroom, but our second floor, rooftop garden and basement are not wheelchair accessible. The McGill garden site poses some challenges for those with limited mobility. Please contact Stephanie if you have any questions about how the accessibility of our work area may affect your participation.

To apply, please submit your CV and Cover Letter by email or in person to the Urban Agriculture Apprentice Hiring Committee at 111 Roy East or rh(at)santropolroulant.org by Monday, February 15th at 9am. Candidates will be contacted only if they are chosen for an interview. For more information, contact Stephanie at 514.284.9335, write to stephanie at santropolroulant.org, visit our website or come and meet us at the office.

SOURCE: Santropol Roulant