Job Postings 2024

Positions:

(Wages are negotiable if applicant has enough relevant experience)

  1. Full season Full-time Farm Worker – Mid-April through September, with the possibility for extension through October. Unlike the other two positions, this one will start at $18.50/hr.
  2. Full season Part-Time Farm Worker – Mid-April through September at $17.50/hr.
  3. Peak season Full-Time Farm Worker – Mid-May through August at $17.50/hr.

 

  1. LOCATION:

At our farm, Fair Fields, near Neustadt, Grey County. We run a small-scale fruit and vegetable operation specializing in u-pick, retail and wholesale of asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and sweet corn.

Vacation and time-off:

One week of vacation will be provided during this time (unpaid). It can be taken all at once or as individual days, anytime during the duration of the position, with the exception of the three weeks of peak strawberry production.

Eligibility: Applicants must:
  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred;
  • Have a valid Social Insurance Number and be legally entitled to work in Canada; and,
  • Be physically fit and able to occasionally lift 50 lbs.
Job Responsibilities:
  • Plant, weed, fertilize, mulch, irrigate and harvest asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and sweet corn
  • Seed and maintain corn transplants in the greenhouse
  • Help with construction projects, including a walk-in cooler and ongoing barn renovations
  • Maintain and mow under deer/racoon fencing
  • Secure and move silage tarps and landscape fabric
  • Supervise strawberry u-pick
  • Make hay and straw
  • Plant and maintain cover crops
  • Contribute to content and post material to social media and our website
  • Supervise volunteer labour and work independently and as part of a team.
  • Help feed, move and maybe work with team of draft horses

This is an inclusive and welcoming workspace and we don’t tolerate harassment or discrimination at Fair Fields. To read about our hiring and management follow this link:

READ MORE about our hiring and management policies

Strawberry Picker Positions (2)

Fair Fields is looking to fill two strawberry picker positions for the 2024 season.

Pickers will work with the rest of the team, mostly picking strawberries, and sometimes carrying out other strawberry related tasks, like spot weeding, irrigating, making boxes and interacting with u-pick customers. These positions will:
* Start during the second or third week in June and work through till the end of strawberry season (typically sometime the second week of July)
* Be part-time – 4-5 short days per week starting at 8 or 9 am
* Receive minimum wage + picking bonus (TBD) + 1 flat u-pick berries
* Offer the possibility of part-time work continuing into sweet corn season, depending on weather and demand.

“Please be in touch about future work opportunities at Fair Fields.

Health and safety are very important to us. We provide basic first aid supplies, personal protective equipment and equipment training, and encourage staff and volunteers to alert us to potential workplace hazards as well as specific personal health and safety needs.

If interested, please follow the application instructions below.

Application instructions

2022 Season Farm Workers

FARM WORKER

Jacob Meier

Jacob Meier has lived in Toronto his whole life, and recently graduated from highschool. He enjoys running, playing hockey and going hiking and canoe camping with his family. When in middle school, his parents took him and his two siblings on a world trip where they biked across Europe (Amsterdam, Netherlands to Copenhagen, Denmark) backpacked in Australia and New Zealand and visited Turkey and Vietnam. After high school graduation, they spent another year travelling together this time between Canada and The United States. During this past year, he worked as a travel advisor in Blue Mountain Village, did some basic landscaping and home renovation, and worked as a crossing guard in his community. He is excited to be out in the fresh air this summer and working close to the land!
FARM WORKER

Daniel Parrish

Daniel grew up in Brampton, where he attended an arts program in high school for vocal music. One of his first jobs was making balloon creations at events with a professional clown. He has also worked as a cook at Muskoka Woods camp and did a brief stint in construction over the winter. More recently, he moved to Hanover, where he found love for the outdoors, being near water (rivers, waterfalls, beaches) and working on the farm. In his off-time he likes bicycling, swimming, singing, whistling and being with his two rescue dogs.
FARM WORKER

Jim Penney

Jim took a while to get back to Grey County. As a youth, he worked on a family farm near Holstein and then Dundalk, breeding Black Angus cattle and raising crops. He attended Ridgetown College for agriculture and then worked a variety of jobs including delivery. Those cropping and delivery skills will be put to work this year, as Jim takes over our wholesale delivery and haymaking. He will also be a friendly (if masked...) face during the strawberry u- pick season.
FARM WORKER

Amanda Deschambeau

Amanda grew up in Northern Alberta and has lived all over the country, from Nunavut to Vancouver to Nova Sco>a. She has worked as a truck driver, tree planter and pastry chef, among other jobs, and has always been interested in food and working outside with plants. Last year she moved to the area and has worked on local farms since. We feel lucky to have her with us this season, along with the experience and passion about growing food she brings!

Previous Season Farm Workers

FARM WORKER

GRAHAM MONTAG

Hailing from Hanover, Graham is also a high school student and great friends with Talis, our other student employee from the 2020 season. Graham has a strong work ethic and great attention to detail. Like Talis, he is also passionate in his beliefs, and you could here him and Talis exploring, discussing, and debating an incredible variety of topics, while patiently weeding or picking strawberries. Like Talis, Graham is back at school for the year and we hope he will join us again this coming season.
FARM WORKER

DOUG TIELLI

Doug has been living in the Neustadt area, for almost as long as us. Like Heather, he is a musician and teacher, teaching music at our daughter’s old school and other schools in the area. He was also short on work this year during the spring and early summer lockdown and we were lucky enough to have his help and provide him with some part time work. Doug has a great sense of humour and worked really well with our younger staff this season. Like Heather, we hope he still has some time this coming season, to pick strawberries and chat with, in the field!
FARM WORKER

TALIS BATTEN

From just north of Durham, Talis is a high school student whose love of physical outdoor work was obvious at Fair Fields. One of the most politically aware high school students I have met, Talis really understands our work toward greater sustainability and local food security. He is back in school for the year, but we hope he will join us again for the 2021 season.