About the Organisation

The Collingwood Children's Farm is an iconic non-profit Community Farm situation on Wurundjeri Wio-wurrung land on the Banks of Birrarung (Yarra). With extensive pastures, gardens and a range of livestock the Farm is open to the public all year round and offers visitors a taste of farm life in the inner city. A working community farm that delivers education and engagement related to agriculture and horticulture with guiding principles of a regenerative agriculture framework.

The Horticulture team manage the landscape through small scale food & flower production, Indigenous food gardens & riparian revegetation (Co-managed with the Narrap Rangers), organic waste management, urban forestry management, aesthetic and therapeutic landscape and greenspace.

Our Aims:

• To develop self-esteem, self-worth and connectedness, particularly of children and those experiencing adversity.
• To facilitate participation of children and their families in broader community life and a connection to nature.
• To provide educational opportunities around urban agriculture for students and community as well as pathways to further employment.

Position Objective

The Farm Hand - Horticulture is tasked with daily horticultural tasks and landscape maintenance, ensuring the Farm's gardens, growing spaces and communal green spaces are productive, healthy, accessible and attractive.

Key Accountabilities

Under the direction of the Head of Horticulture:

• Horticultural maintenance, planning and assessment in a community setting.
• Identifying and planning horticultural maintenance requirements in gardens.
• Weed management in garden areas and green spaces.
• Waste and compost management including loading green waste, worm farms and composting.
• Maintenance of planting, including fruit trees, ornamentals, market gardens and re-vegetation zones.
• Contribution to the ongoing improvement of the CCF Horticulture Program delivery.
• Carrying out relevant reporting, evaluation and monitoring.
• Working within a budget.
• Maintaining effective relationships internally and externally.
• Maintaining safe environments to protect CCF staff, volunteers, program participants and visitors, team members and yourself in line with occupational health and safety legislation and CCF policy requirements.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated skills and relevant qualifications in Horticulture and horticultural maintenance.
• Demonstrated skills and passion for food growing, urban agriculture and/or permaculture.
• A passion to work in a community setting, across various abilities, languages, cultures and stories.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and customer service skills and a demonstrated ability to act professionally and with courtesy when interacting with people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.
• Engage with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities with courtesy and respect, ensuring all visitors to the Farm feel welcome and supported.
• Capacity to work outside doing manual labour tasks.
• Confident working with horticultural equipment including line trimmers and lawnmowers.
• Chainsaw licence regarded highly.
• Skid-steer ticket advantageous.
• Working With Children Check or eligibility to obtain.
• Drivers licence.
• Must be available to work on both week days and weekends.

About you

A successful candidate will be a self motivated, team player and be able to demonstrate experience working outside, in one or more of the following fields. Either experience or further study required.

• Horticulture - landscape gardening and maintenance industry.
• Agriculture primary production - market gardening, cut flower production, fruit production.
• NRM industry - environmental management.
• Experience of 2-3 years in the industry or tertiary study require.