Overview
We are currently seeking to fill the position of:
Community Food Growing: Casual Market Garden Assistant
FoodShare is a food justice organization advocating for the right to food and working to challenge the systemic barriers that keep people from accessing food. We support community-led food initiatives and work alongside those most impacted by poverty and food insecurity, including Black and Indigenous people, people of colour, people with disabilities and those living on a low income.
Overview
The Market Garden Assistant will work alongside the School Grown Farm Coordinators, Flemo Farm Coordinator, and Sunshine Garden Coordinator to support farm maintenance and food production across Community Food Growing sites. This role contributes to the care of market gardens, orchards, community compost exchange, and market days throughout the growing season at all Community Food Growing farm locations.
Employment in this role is conditional upon obtaining a clear Vulnerable Sector Check, which is required prior to the start date. Additionally, the successful applicant must obtain Food Handler Safety certification and Standard First Aid + CPR certification. FoodShare will cover the costs of these certifications.
Duties include (but are not limited to):
1. Farm Work
- Support crop production, including soil management and field preparation, greenhouse seeding and seedling management, transplanting, direct seeding, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, and post-harvest handling of produce.
- Support Community Engagement activities, including creating a welcoming environment for volunteers, supporting gardening volunteers and supporting garden tours
- Support to manage the orchard, shelterbelt, and pollinator areas in accordance with the maintenance plan, with the team on site.
- Support the Farmer’s market activities, including supplying, setting up and closing down, merchandising, customer service, mentoring and supporting volunteers,
- Support the community compost exchange (CCE) activities, including promoting, receiving, recording and composting processes
- Support in outreach activities through social media, building relationships with residents and stakeholders, distributing flyers, and putting up posters, as needed.
- Collaborate in the recording and management of relevant production and marketing data
- Working collaboratively with Farm Coordinators, other FoodShare and staff of partnering organizations to develop educational programming for community members
2. Farm Work
- Assist with record-keeping (planting logs, crop yields, volunteer hours, etc.)
- Track youth participation, gather feedback, and assist in program evaluation to assess impact and areas for growth.
- Safely operate and maintain machinery, including the BCS tractor, equipment and tools
- Maintaining programming in line with FoodShares’s Food Justice principles and Body Liberation principles
- Ensure all relevant documentation/records are maintained and kept in a secure location
- Participate in farm-wide initiatives and events
- Participating in Community Food Growing and FoodShare staff meetings, all staff training, and reporting requirements such as timesheets and handling other duties as assigned
- Follow and ensure compliance with all organizational procedures and policies, including Health and Safety policies.
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience:
- At least 1+ year of experience in vegetable gardening, growing food, or working with plants
- At least 1+ year of experience running a compost system in small-scale or backyard gardening
- Demonstrated interest in community-led food projects and/or neighbourhood-based community organizing.
- Experience working with children, youth, adults, and/or seniors
- Demonstrated commitment to principles of food justice and equity
- Demonstrated ability to work within a diverse community (people of different ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds)
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Demonstrated ability to be punctual, reliable, and committed to completing tasks
- Effective communication and organizational skills
- Knowledge of food systems, including growing, cooking, and composting, is an asset
- Photography, videography, and social media skills are an asset
Requirements:
- Must be legally authorized to work in Canada
- Clear Vulnerable Sector Check
- Repetitive tasks such as bending, crouching, lifting, and reaching.
- Full shifts standing and working on your feet.
- Use of hand tools and mechanized equipment.
- Regularly lifting over 40 lbs.
- Working outdoors in all kinds of weather (heat, sun, rain, cold).
- Class “G” Ontario Driver’s License as an asset
- Access to a vehicle is an asset for this role. If you do not have your own vehicle, you may use a FoodShare vehicle if you meet the following criteria:
- A valid Ontario G License, a minimum of 3 years of insured experience, with no major driving infractions in the last 7 years. A Driver’s Abstract may be required.
The Coordinator will execute seasonal crop plans together, manage weekly produce distributions, host volunteer sessions, ensure overall site maintenance, and support public programs on the farms. The Coordinator will also lead adult volunteers and supervise high school-aged farm apprentices in a variety of farm tasks. Emails, data entry (planting logs, harvest tallies, volunteer numbers), and related office work will also be required weekly. The position is in collaboration with the School Grown Youth Engagement Coordinator
Employment in this role is conditional upon obtaining a clear Vulnerable Sector Check, which is required prior to the start date. Additionally, the successful applicant must obtain Food Handler Safety and Standard First Aid + CPR certifications. FoodShare will cover the costs of these certifications.
Compensation
Total Compensation & Benefits:- Salary: $25.55 per hour
- Contract Type: Casual/ Seasonal, Indefinite: Hours will range from 0 – 37.5 hours per week. Hours are not guaranteed and will fluctuate depending on operational needs. Work schedules may vary week to week.
- Vacation: Vacation in pay (8%)
- Anticipated Start: April 2026
- Personal Leave Days: 10 paid personal leave days per year, prorated based on start date
- Wellness Days: 20 paid wellness days/sick leave per year, prorated based on start date
How to Apply
TO APPLY: Please submit your resume and cover letter by 5:00pm on Wednesday March 25, 2026. https://ats.rippling.com/foodshare-careers/jobs/93308db8-ad81-42d8-afd1-bdff5af30d1e Selection Process:- FoodShare’s recruitment process involves the anonymization of all resumes prior to their being screened by the hiring committee. This step removes applicant personal details (names, email, addresses), educational & employment institutions, years of work experience, and personal interests to reduce potential for bias. Please make sure to detail your experience in your resume/cover letter to ensure the committee has the information they need to assess your qualifications for the role. This process takes at least 3 weeks from the application deadline.
- The hiring committee will review anonymized versions of the applications that pass the initial screening and decide which to invite to interview. This process usually takes about 1 week.
- The hiring committee will conduct first round interviews with selected candidates. Candidates will be sent the interview questions 48 hours in advance of their scheduled interview. Candidates are welcome, but not expected or required, to send any questions they have for the hiring committee in advance of the interview. These usually occur about 4 weeks after the application deadline.
- In recognition of the time and labour of preparing for and attending an interview, FoodShare financially compensates interviewees at a fixed rate of $75 per interview.
- HR will conduct reference checks for the candidate they intend to extend an offer to. This process usually takes about 1 week.
- HR will send the selected candidate an Employment Agreement, which the candidate will have at least 3 business days to review and return.
About FoodShare Toronto
Work With Us
FoodShare strives to create a workspace that reflects the diversity of identities and lived experiences that exist within the communities we work alongside. We are committed to working to identify and dismantle systemic forms of oppression in the food system. Racialized people and others from equity-seeking groups are over-represented in food insecurity and poverty statistics, but are significantly under-represented in community-based food work. We believe that those most affected by an issue must have access to paid positions in organizations tasked with challenging poverty and food insecurity.
Compensation at FoodShare
At FoodShare we believe that taking an honest, transparent approach to our compensation structure improves morale and is key to building the trust that is foundational in advancing equity.
We have a transparent 1:3 ratio between the lowest paid and highest paid FoodShare employee. This means that the highest paid person at FoodShare can earn no more than three times what the lowest paid person earns for their labour.
We are a living wage employer registered with the Ontario Living Wage Network. This network calculates the living wage in each region of Ontario based on the cost of living for the area. In Toronto, the living wage is $25.55/hr and no employee at FoodShare earns less than $25.55/hr.
FoodShare believes that no one should be living in poverty, or experiencing food insecurity. This commitment to a living wage for all staff is an example of our values in action. It is also a key action identified in our Combating Anti-Black racism Action Plan (activity #18).
As part of FoodShare’s commitment to equity all staff receive equal pay for equal work, therefore salaries and benefits are non-negotiable.
Recruitment Process
FoodShare’s recruitment process involves the anonymization of all resumes prior to their being screened by the hiring committee. This step removes applicant personal details (names, email, addresses), educational & employment institutions, years of work experience, and personal interests to reduce potential for bias. Please make sure to detail your experience in your resume/cover letter to ensure the committee has the information they need to assess your qualifications for the role.
In recognition of the time and labour of preparing for and attending an interview, FoodShare financially compensates interviewees at a fixed rate of $75 per interview. Any time a candidate is asked to prepare a presentation or assignment for an interview, FoodShare will financially compensate the candidate for that work at a rate equal to the hourly rate for the position, based on the number of hours the hiring committee believes the task should take. FoodShare will not use ideas from presentations or assignments of candidates not selected for the position.
FoodShare sends interviewees the interview questions in advance of the interview to allow them time to process the questions.
Mission: We advocate for food justice by supporting community-based food initiatives and through ongoing advocacy and public education.
Values
- We believe that everyone has the right to food.
- We are equity oriented.
- We acknowledge the existence of various forms of systemic oppression and work to challenge them.
- We believe that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) and low-income communities must play a central role in defining food justice and its priorities.
- We recognize that leadership exists in community.
- We believe in prioritizing lived experience in addressing food insecurity.
- We believe that all bodies have a right to exist as they are.
- We are committed to self-examination and ongoing critical assessment of our work.
- We ask our partners and funders to engage in ongoing critical assessment of their work.
