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Garden Operations Manager and Greenhouse Manager

Application Deadline:  Wednesday, July 28, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. Central Time

Organizational Overview:
GROW (La Crosse) is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 2012 in the La Crosse area, whose mission is to connect youth to healthy food and nature through hands-on, garden-based experiences to nourish growing minds and bodies.  GROW maintains and provides programming for several school gardens in La Crosse and surrounding areas as well as a state of the art greenhouse on the campus of Western Technical College.  In addition, GROW provides programming on a local organic farm in the form of field trips, camps and family exploration days.

Position Overview:
The role of the Operations Manager is to oversee maintenance of all gardens as well as the greenhouse to ensure safe, functional, clean, and inviting spaces.  Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Operations Manager will oversee interns and volunteers who will be doing the daily maintenance of the gardens. The Operations Manager will be responsible to recruit, train and communicate with the volunteers. In addition, the Operations Manager will organize and lead group work days with businesses, organizations, and college students.  From late fall through May, the Operations Manager will be in charge of maintaining the greenhouse space and will be responsible for growing plants to sell to local businesses as well as the community plant sale in May.  The Operations Manager will work directly with programming staff to manage field trips and classes held in the greenhouse space.  

Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma or GED certificate required;
  • Associates Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in related fields preferred

Experience:

  • 2-3 years of outdoor growing and/or greenhouse growing preferred;
  • Must be able to pass a criminal background check;
  • Strong knowledge in plant identification and care preferred;
  • Supervisory experience preferred as well as experience working with volunteers;
  • Experience managing larger projects preferred;
  • Computer skills are preferred

Skills and Abilities:

  • Team player;
  • Highly reliable, organized, and self-directed;
  • Ability to communicate well with supervisors, co-workers, and facilities management staff at the schools as well as Western Technical College;
  • Strong leadership and confidence to use that skill to direct and train interns and volunteers;
  • Willing to learn new things and to recognize when support is needed;
  • Ability to work independently and use time-management wisely;
  • Ability to receive constructive feedback from supervisor;
  • Strong ability to work well with co-workers, supervisor, clients, and community members;
  • Ability to work flexible hours based on seasonal and weekly needs;
  • Believes in the Mission of GROW and is willing to follow policies as well as to advocate for the organization and its mission when interacting with the community;
  • Ability to respond to urgent needs in a timely manner;
  • Holds a valid driver’s license and maintains a good driving record;
  • Ability to lift more than 20 pounds;
  • Capable of overseeing larger building projects (garden-based);
  • Ability to respond to emails in a timely manner;
  • Ability to accurately document work hours and any other requested data;
  • Possesses strong troubleshooting skills;
  • Demonstrates an ability to cultivate and support a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion;
  • Ability to assist in creating and staying within an overall operational budget as well as individual project budgets 

Responsibilities:

Greenhouse

  • Keep up high standards detailed in our Western/GROW greenhouse contract;
  • Plant, grow, and maintain plants;
  • Train interns on greenhouse growing;
  • Develop Plan for and Manage:
    • School lunch handout - food production and distribution;
    • Spring Plant Sale fundraiser;
    • School field trips;
    • Community greenhouse classes

Outdoor Gardens

  • Maintain outdoor garden spaces
    • Seasonal tasks- spring prep, summer maintenance, fall harvest, winter bedding down; 
    • Obtain and arrange for transport of supplies needed for upkeep of the garden spaces; 
    • Communications with school grounds and maintenance staff regarding any garden related questions or supports;
    • Make repairs on broken locks, sinks, sheds, and garden beds, etc. 

Management of Maintenance Interns

  • Manage maintenance interns each semester - train in, task support and guidance, reports, scheduling.

Volunteer Workdays 

  • Assess needs for larger work day opportunities;
  • Outreach to businesses and schools that can donate workforce and possibly monetary donations as well;
  • Schedule, plan, and facilitate larger work days for garden projects

Salary and Benefits:  

  • This is a part-time position with a range of hours of 8-15 hours per week depending on larger projects or time of the season.  GROW offers a competitive salary This could be a year round position if eligible for the greenhouse growing position in addition to the garden operations.  There is a possibility that the position could also be split into two positions (March-October) or (November-May,) although one, year-round position is preferred by the organization.

All employees will be required to undergo a background check with GROW and with the School District of La Crosse immediately upon employment.  All employees are mandated reporters and will be required to undergo training.

GROW is an equal opportunity employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and to encourage them to be their authentic selves.  No matter how you identify or what background you bring with you, we encourage you to apply if the job sparks a passion and excitement for the work. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law.

GROW Personnel Policies and Procedures (Employee Manual) takes effect on date of hire.  All GROW, Inc employees are employed on an “at-will” basis.  Employment at GROW is for an indefinite period of time and is terminable at any time, with or without cause being shown by either the employee or GROW.

Materials to be sent by deadline Wednesday, July 28, 2021  11:59p.m.:  

  • Personal resume
  • Completed GROW employee application on linked Google Form
  • Three job-related letters of reference (The Executive Committee has the option to waive the requirement for reference letters if the applicant has previously worked for GROW.)

Please direct all inquiries to: Kari Bersagel Braley,  Executive Director-GROW, kari@growlacrosse.org

You may submit the materials the following ways:

Email: Kari Bersagel Braley at kari@growlacrosse.org with subject line “Job Application”

Send by mail to:  Kari Bersagel Braley,  P.O. Box 1241  La Crosse, WI 54602

_________________________________________________________

Garden Educator

Application Deadline:  Wednesday, July 28, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. Central Time

Organizational Overview:
GROW (La Crosse) is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 2012 in the La Crosse area, whose mission is to connect youth to healthy food and nature through hands-on, garden-based experiences to nourish growing minds and bodies.  GROW maintains and provides programming for nine school gardens in La Crosse and surrounding areas as well as at a state of the art greenhouse on the campus of Western Technical College.  In addition, GROW provides programming on a local organic farm in the form of field trips, camps, and family exploration days.  

 

Position Overview:
Garden Educators are an essential piece to what we do at GROW.  Each educator is assigned to a school or multiple schools to provide hands-on learning experiences with students while also being a liaison between GROW and the school administration and staff. This position requires exceptional communication and leadership skills as the Garden Educator will foster strong relationships with schools and their communities. Garden Educators will provide curriculum connected, garden-based lessons during the growing season. Garden Educators must be flexible, team-focused, detail-oriented, professional, courteous, highly organized, and self-motivated. 

Applicants with strong communication skills and a passion for teaching and inspiring children in the area of nature and gardening are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma Required
  • Bachelor’s Degree highly preferred in a related field and/or at least two to three years of experience working in education 

Desired Skills and Experience:

  • At least 2-3 years of facilitation or teaching experience with youth aged 5-12 (outdoor group management experience preferred);
  • Knowledge and skills in small-scale organic food production or home gardening;
  • Knowledge of or interest in topics including urban gardening, botany,
    environmental science, health and nutrition, food systems, food access;
  • Demonstrates ability to work with diverse populations including youth and adults;
  • Strong oral and written communication skills, including public speaking;
  • Knowledge of the components of an effective lesson plan; 
  • Experience implementing lesson plans;
  • Ability to work independently and be flexible;
  • Computer skills and project management skills

The Garden Educator:

  • Facilitates garden science classes, incorporating both environmental science and nutrition education as they relate to the garden;
  • Oversees and coordinates students’ hands-on experiences in the garden (planting, tending, harvesting, and cooking);
  • Builds involvement in and commitment to the school garden within the school community, including teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community volunteers;
  • Coordinates volunteers;
  • Communicate regularly with the GROW Operations Manager 

Additional Job Responsibilities:

  • Manage the school garden, plan and prepare for garden work activities, manage planting schedule, ensure availability of tools and other necessary materials;
  • Maintain open garden time schedule for teachers;
  • Attend school wide staff meetings in the spring and fall;
  • Monitor, document, and report on all activities and the extent of student and teacher participation;
  • Contribute a social media post weekly;
  • Reports to the Program Director and Executive Director

Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to stand for prolonged periods of time
  • Occasional walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, and crawling
  • Occasional lifting and carrying objects up to 50 pounds
  • Occasional reaching and grasping with arms and hands
  • Ability to work outdoors during planting seasons, and in warm and cold weather

Additional Requirements

  • Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle with light hauling capacity
  • Ability to successfully complete a background check

Salary and Benefits:  

  • GROW offers a competitive hourly salary.  Salary is commensurate with experience and educational background.  This is a part-time position with hours dependent on the time of the growing season and the school schedule with a range between 10-25 hours per week.  A majority of the hours are in the growing months of April, May, September and October.  No benefits package provided.

Terms of Employment

Work hours are flexible depending on the needs of the organization.

All employees will be required to undergo a background check with GROW and with the School District of La Crosse immediately upon employment.  All employees are mandated reporters and will be required to undergo training.

GROW is an equal opportunity employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and to encourage them to be their authentic selves.  No matter how you identify or what background you bring with you, we encourage you to apply if the job sparks a passion and excitement for the work. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law.

GROW Personnel Policies and Procedures (Employee Manual) takes effect on date of hire.  All GROW, Inc employees are employed on an “at-will” basis.  Employment at GROW is for an indefinite period of time and is terminable at any time, with or without cause being shown by either the employee or GROW.

Materials to be sent by the deadline (Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.):    

  • Personal resume and cover letter
  • Completed GROW employee application on linked Google Form 
  • Three job-related letters of reference  (The Executive Committee has the option to waive the requirement for reference letters if the applicant has previously worked with GROW.)

Please direct all inquiries to:  Kari Bersagel Braley, Executive Director-GROW, kari@growlacrosse.org

You may submit the materials the following ways:

Email: Kari Bersagel Braley at kari@growlacrosse.org with subject line “Job Application”

Send by mail to:  Kari Bersagel Braley P.O. Box 1241  La Crosse, WI 54602

Application Form