Job Title: Co-Head  Grower – Sims Hill Shared Harvest 

Status: Part-time fixed term contract (October 2024 – February 2026) Start date: Mid October 2024 with flexibility for the right grower.

Hours: 5 Winter months (Oct-Feb) 2.5 days per week; 

7 Summer months (Mar-Oct) 3 days per week. 

8 hours per day, fixed days – Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. 

Pay: £11.76 per hour 

Sims Hill Shared Harvest is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) run using a cooperative structure, based in Frenchay on the edge of Bristol. We are recruiting a grower to collaboratively work with our existing growing team of two other part time growers to run our farm. 

We grow mixed vegetables for our membership, using organic standards (although not certified), and have over 4 acres of growing land including 6 tunnels for protected cropping. Next season, we will be growing on approximately 1.5 acres – this will include all of the area in our market garden based at Grow Wilder, as well as two polytunnels and a squash block in our big field by the M32. We will be laying the rest of our acreage to green manures to build the fertility and biome. 

We supply our members with a share of vegetables 12 months of the year, delivering to approx 170 households. When we need to cover shortfalls of our own produce we prioritise buying in from local organic growers and in the peak of summer we sell surplus to 

local restaurants and retail outlets at wholesale prices. 

We will be seeking grant funding to continue supporting our trainee plots, part of our wider project, ‘Soil Connections’. This project aims to support and work in solidarity with

those affected by the immigration and asylum system in the UK. The group meets on a Thursday morning with the aim of sharing horticultural skills and knowledge. 

We are looking for a grower with an understanding of and commitment to CSA values, the prospective grower will be a member of a three-person grower team responsible for the planning, production and delivery of members’ vegetable shares and wholesale vegetable orders, as well as developing relationships with partners and new potential customers. You must have demonstrable experience working in professional and commercial horticultural setting, Sims Hill is a working business, and the responsibility and accountability for the daily onsite operations is with the growing team. 

They will also support our volunteer groups and contribute to the running and development of our Soil Connections project. On Tuesdays our six workshares come for a half day in exchange for a share; the role will also entail running and holding the workshare sessions each week. 

Job description 

Title: Grower 

Purpose of post: To participate in all tasks related to the production and distribution of mixed vegetables at Sims Hill Shared Harvest, using organic growing methods. To engage with the wider community surrounding SHSH and promote the core principles of food sovereignty and food justice. 

Reporting to: Board representative 

Tasks and Responsibilities: 

● Carry out independently all manual tasks related to the propagation, growing, harvesting and distribution of vegetables. 

● Participate in the crop planning tasks and on farm administrative tasks associated with the production and distribution of vegetables. 

● Carry out independently all manual tasks related to weed control, site maintenance and ground preparation. 

● Tractor and agricultural machinery operation, including soil cultivation and trailer work. 

● Carry out independently all tasks related to packing and preparing of produce. ● Assist with putting together and managing the shares in accordance with the budget and share value, and planning the weekly harvest. 

● Develop buying relationships with other local producers and broaden our network. ● Use all equipment safely, being aware of and following Risk Assessments and Safe Handling procedures. 

● Carry out lone working in accordance with all relevant health & safety guidance. ● Volunteer management and supervision as needed. 

● Assist with the facilitation of scheduled volunteer days or similar events, as required. ● Assist with the organisation of quarterly events in line with our budget. ● Help run our Soil Connections project for asylum seekers, migrants and refugees.

● Be willing to occasionally operate our van for vegetable deliveries. 

● Work with existing growers to establish roles and responsibilities so that we can run our farm through a collaborative structure. 

● Run tasks for the Tuesday workshares every week. 

● Attend evening board meetings and run Sunday volunteer sessions (both monthly) on a rotation with other growers. 

● Participate in the cooperative structure by attending AGM’s, budget meetings and member meet ups. 

Conditions: 

● This is a part-time, fixed term employed post for 20 hours per week from 2nd October 2024, rising to 24 hours per week from 1st March – 30th September then decreasing again to 20 hours per week from 1st October – 31st January 2026. It will include occasional weekend work (watering mainly in summer season), including running one Sunday volunteer day every three months on a rotation with the other growers – additional hours are logged and can be taken off in less busy periods as TOIL. We are committed to reducing the frequency and need for this but are constrained by the unpredictable nature of commercial and chemical free food growing. 

● Salary: £11.76 per hour. 

● 15.6 days (prorated from 28 days) paid holiday, including bank holidays, during each complete year of service. In addition, Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be given as paid holidays if they fall on your regular working days. 

Person specification: 

Essential: 

• Work on a commercial growing and vegetable distribution project.

● Two seasons previous horticultural experience in an organic or agroecological market garden. 

● Experience of crop planning. 

● Physical fitness and willingness to work in all weathers. 

● Independently motivated and organised and capable of working alone. ● Excellent team worker. 

● Very good communication and administrative skills. 

● Ability to organise and supervise a team of volunteers. 

● Very good understanding of the principles of community supported agriculture and cooperatives. 

● A good understanding of permaculture principles and organic agriculture. ● Willingness to use agricultural machinery and some experience in operating a tractor and machinery. 

● A commitment to maintaining a non-hierarchical structure within the growing team, including a commitment to take responsibility and accountability. 

● A full clean UK driving licence.

● Eligible to work in the UK. 

Desirable: 

● Mechanical knowledge. 

● Level 2 or equivalent qualification in horticulture. 

● Experience working with asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. 

● Experience running events for community engagement and/or fundraising purposes. ● Experience of applying for grant funding. 

● Experience of working within a cooperative structure. 

How to apply: 

Please apply by sending your CV and a covering letter to simshillgrowers@gmail.com 

Closing date for applications is 9am 12th September. Interviews will be held week commencing 16th September. 

Sims Hill Shared Harvest is committed to protecting the personal data of our members and participants. We will not keep your personal data for longer than necessary under the legal basis for processing. We will not share your personal data for commercial purposes. Our privacy policy is compliant with changes to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation. Our commitments as a CSA. Sims Hill recognises the lack of diversity in the UK agricultural sector. We have always 

aspired to be a participator organisation, supporting the voices of our members and community. However, we recognise the learning and work we need to do to become a more inclusive CSA. We are committed to working to disrupt some of the structural barriers to food justice and strive to make the food we produce and land we farm accessible to all. We welcome all applications for our job roles and actively encourage BAME and LGBTQI+ to apply. 

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