Overview

Summer at CCAT is a busy time for the gardens. Even as other activity winds down and our staff changes, the gardens still go on as normal and have to be maintained. The Summer Gardener jumps right into the fray, picking up where the springtime gardeners left off and preparing for the upcoming fall semester.

The CCAT Summer Gardener tends to our crops during this critical period, taking care of our food, flowers, herbs, berries, houseplants and more. Some beds have to be maintained through the summer, while others have to be plotted out for the Organic Gardening class to use in the summer.

Compared to our regular, non-summer Organic Gardener (which you will become eligible for after the summer), this is an opportunity to spend a lot of time with the plants and less time planning and teaching the course, interacting with volunteers, etc. Although some of the Co-Directors may be present and you may occasionally see a few tours come through, summer is generally a much less busy time for the rest of CCAT and there's ample opportunity for peace and quiet.  Nonetheless, the gardens continue as normal and there is always work to be done either in the fields or inside, readying for the next semester. The Summer Gardener must be comfortable working alone or with just one partner through most of the summer; you will not experience the regular crowds at CCAT until school resumes.

The first few weeks of your employment, you'll be working alongside our current Gardeners, shadowing them and familiarizing yourself with our gardens. As your training progresses, you and the other Gardeners will work out how to best split duties until you're ready to take over once they depart for the summer.

Candidates who can continue through the Fall as our regular Gardener are preferred, but you are welcome to apply regardless.

Duties

• Planning, planting, and maintaining CCAT Gardens and other botanical features (herb spiral, food forest, mushroom beds, living roof, etc.).
• Maintaining CCAT's compost system.
• Making sure documentation (gardening books, binders, paperwork, class curriculum, etc.) is available and ready for the next Organic Gardener
• Identifying and planning the best beds for the Organic Gardening class to use in the Fall
• (If you're staying) Making sure you're ready to transition and start teaching the Organic Gardening class yourself come Fall
• As necessary and as hours permit, assisting CCAT Co-Directors and staff with miscellaneous CCAT summer duties

Requirements

• Must be an HSU student enrolled for the upcoming Fall semester
  
• Must be willing to keep a vegetable and herb garden according to organic and permaculture-based traditions (e.g. no synthetic chemicals)
• Must have a strong environmental ethic and care about the means as well as the end
• Must be comfortable working mostly alone during the summer or with no more than one other person (typically)
• Must be self-motivated and require minimal supervision
• Prior gardening/farming experience strongly preferred

Desirable skills and experience

• Familiarity with small-scale agriculture, such as CSAs (communicated-supported agriculture) or small family farms
• Ability to articulate the finer points of organic agriculture and its differences from traditional agriculture
• Experience working with a budget
• Experience working with organizations like CCAT, the YES House, or other non-profits

Schedule

8 hours a week, May 21 to the start of Fall semester (approx. Aug 20).

Times/days flexible, to be determined with other Gardeners and the Physical Site Co-Director.

Pay

$10 / hour $1,040/year

Training

After the Summer

To Apply