Rachel, our urban farmer is a market gardener with 5 years’ experience growing organic vegetables commercially, and she is passionate about sharing those skills and inspiring people to pursue farming as a career.

Supervisor: Lucille Kelly
Team: Honey Lane Organic Farm.
Manager: Rachel Rubenstein & Meg Stewart
Director: Melissa Lawson

Objectives: To grow organic fruit and vegetables to support other CERES enterprises. To maintain a healthy flock of laying hens.

• Specific Tasks and Duties:
• Harvesting
• Planting
• Weeding and garden maintenance
• Organic pest control
• Occasional farm infrastructure projects – basic construction, irrigation, etc
• Occasional use of power tools – whipper snipper, drill, etc
• Occasional chicken duties – egg collection, washing and packing for sale, lifting feed sacks, bales of straw cleaning out chicken coops; shovelling and wheelbarrowing

Benefits:

• Work outdoors and learn about the wonderful world of vegetable growing
• Learn professional level market gardening skills – also very relevant for home gardeners
• Help support CERES enterprises the Merri Table and CERES Grocery by providing them with super local, super fresh, organic produce
• Taste test delicious organic produce as you work!

Training: Induction & ongoing training will be provided on-the-job

Times / Days: Tuesdays 10am-3.30pm, Fridays 9am-1pm. There is no volunteer program on public holidays.

Commitment required:

• We ask that volunteers commit to a full shift for a minimum of one day per week for a minimum of three months
• We ask that volunteers who cannot attend their nominated shift let us know by phone or email in advance so that we can plan accordingly
• Should you wish to discontinue your volunteer role with us we ask that you notify us by email.

Skills/experience/ personal qualities required:

• An enthusiastic passion for being part of the CERES local food system and a willingness to help feed our local community!
• A genuine interest and commitment to organic gardening
• Moderate fitness: You will need a reasonable level of physical health and mobility suited to undertaking moderately vigorous physical work including bending, using a wheel-barrow and lifting moderate weights
• A willingness to learn more about organic gardening and the standards needed for saleable produce
• It is important that you turn up for your shift and communicate (as agreed with the work supervisor) if you can’t make it
• A commitment to safety and to employ safe working practices as guided by your supervisor is mandatory
• Ability to understand and carry out verbal instructions
• Be able to work both independently and as a part of a team
• Positive attitude and good work ethic
• Be respectful, polite and courteous to fellow volunteers.

You need to provide:

• Suitable, weather appropriate clothing for working outdoors including hat or raincoat
• Solid, enclosed-toe work boots are an OH&S requirement
• Drink bottle
• Sunscreen
• Gardening gloves when needed
• A love of working outdoors

We provide:

• Hand washing facilities and sanitiser
  All tools and materials
  Drinking water