Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Assistant Market Gardener

The Free Company
Edinburgh, Scotland

Posted: 2 Dec 2024

Deadline: 12 Jan 2025

Compensation: From £29,484 pro rata

Living Wage employer

Paid Full-time Fixed term / contract

Job description

Time: Full-time, average 45 hours per week, 32 days holiday p.a.

Contract type: Fixed term, March - end of October 2025 (potential for full-time extension)

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a dedicated individual to join our organic, no-dig, five-acre market garden. Our garden supplies produce to our restaurant, various wholesale customers, including high-end restaurants, and a busy veg box scheme for domestic customers. This role is ideal for someone who is highly organised, enjoys working with a small team, and excels in efficiency and time management. A thorough understanding of operating a commercially viable market garden is essential, along with a proven track record in commercial market gardening. If you are ambitious, motivated, and eager to join a team striving to educate and drive change in the food system, we would love to hear from you.

Role Responsibilities

• Assisting with the overall operation of the market garden and orchard alongside our head market gardener
• Executing a growing plan based on the needs of our restaurant, wholesale, and domestic customers
• Liaising with the restaurant team and wholesale customers to plan and grow specific produce
• Ordering seeds and plants
• Planning, purchasing, installing, and maintaining market garden infrastructure and tools
• Training and co-managing a small team of market garden staff and volunteers
• Managing and packing domestic box schemes
• Assisting with overall market garden administration
• Conducting research and development of regenerative growing techniques

Work Schedule

This role typically follows a Monday to Friday, 08:00-17:00 schedule. However, due to the seasonal nature of farming, there will be varying time requirements throughout the year. Over the course of the year, we ensure that your hours average out to 45 hours per week, which includes a 1-hour paid lunch break with lunch provided each day.

Who you’ll work with

You’ll be working alongside 15 others who contribute to the farm's day-to-day operations, all of whom share a passion for creating a sustainable food system in an enjoyable and fulfilling work environment. You will collaborate directly with our farming team, butcher, delivery drivers, and directors.

Benefits

• Paid lunch break with meals provided when onsite
• Discount on meals in our restaurant
• Farm produce available at cost price
• NEST pension scheme enrollment

Application information

Send applications to enquiries@the-free-company.com

Please provide a CV, cover letter and at least two references with contact details. Applications without all of these will not be considered.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs