Head Grower, full or part-time, to commence now

Forbidden Fruit and Veg is a 1.7 acre Market Garden in Badminton, GL91DJ, which includes outdoor beds, an orchard, six polytunnels, and a small greenhouse in a walled garden with a packing shed nearby, and about 30 chickens. We sell wholesale to a local pub, shops in Bristol, an honesty-box kiosk, and via delivered and collected veg boxes.  We ask the head grower, who will be supported by the present experienced trainee, to commit to at least 5 months, with the option to renew if both parties agree.

The engagement will be to manage the market garden and provide leadership and support to the trainee and volunteers (woofers).

The candidate(s) must have at least two years’ experience of organic/agroecological growing, preferably in a commercial setting, with a strong theoretical and practical experience in edible horticulture. A full, current driving licence is required.

The freelance salary will be £90 per 7-hour day. Days worked will be 5 days ideally spread throughout the week.
We are willing to offer a full-time head grower a bonus of 75% of end of year profits made by the business.

For a full-time head grower we offer free accommodation (with a contribution to your share of utilities to be agreed) consisting of a bedroom and sole use of an office in a detached 5-bedroom house, shared with the trainee and woofers. Free Organic food for the grower, trainee and woofers will be prepared in a rota and served in my house 120 m across the quiet road.

Interviews: immediately
Job starting date: Immediately

The role will involve attending to all aspects of running the Market Garden, including (but not limited to) the following:

Annual planning:

• Rotation
• Cropping Plan
• Sowing Plan
• Infrastructure plan

Purchasing:

• Seed order
• Equipment & tools
• Consumables

Practical work

• Crop production
• Harvesting
• Sowing and plant raising
• Infrastructure, maintenance and repair

Routine admin

• Recruiting and managing Wwoofers
• Sales lists: collating and distributing by email, updating web lists, box planning
• Prepping pick lists
• Processing Ooooby sales (boxes & others)
• Enquiries
• Ordering bought-in veg

Promotion & publicity

• Social media
• Stalls

Packhouse work

• Packing
• Deliveries (organising drivers)

Human Resources

• Trainee mentoring

The Market Garden head grower will:

• Work with the trainee and woofers to attend to all aspects of care for the land and the production of crops, including soil preparation, sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, pest and disease management, compost production.
• Work with the trainee and woofers in packing and organising delivery of wholesale and individual orders around the local area.
• Be flexible in working hours to suit the needs of the garden where necessary, such as early starts on busy harvesting mornings, and helping cover routine duties for example on the weekend watering / tunnel-opening rota with irregular work will be prearranged according to need and availability;
• Work flexible hours throughout the year due to the seasonal nature of the work;
• Help promote and market the business such as helping run stalls at local events;

See more information via our Forbidden Fruit and Veg website

Application information:  To apply, email your CV and cover letter, or any queries to [email protected] and [email protected]

Mobile 078 909 717 21

About Forbidden Fruit & Veg: Forbidden Fruit and Veg was established in 2021 in a 1.7 acre walled garden, built by the Victorians to feed Badminton House and the wider estate. The market garden is run by the Head Grower, supported by ‘live-in’ project WWOOFers and volunteers. The garden has 6 large poly-tunnels and a small greenhouse and supplies veg to local markets, farm shops and businesses, as well as running a veg box scheme and honesty stall.