Elmore Roots Nursery Assistant Job Description
About Elmore Roots
We are a small organic nursery with a big heart and over 40 years of experience. The
farm is family owned and operated along with a devoted, friendly crew of plant lovers.
The nursery, located in the rolling hills of Elmore, is a unique landscape made up of
food forests, fruit groves, a high tunnel, state-of-the-art gravel beds and more.
Our mission is “To be a nourishing place for the earth, the customer, our crew, and the
life all around us by growing and offering the hardiest and most productive plants
possible.”
In our efforts to help customers realize their vision of a home orchard or berry patch,
we’ve sourced, tested and propagated the cultivars that do best in our northern climate.
We propagate many of our plants from our own orchards, as well as partner with trusted
distributors. Our fruit trees are grafted onto the hardiest rootstock known.
Nursery Assistant Job Summary
Our goal is to create a healthy, respectful place to learn and do work that helps make
the world better. We value being part of a team that is gentle, kind, and considerate and
that cares about the quality of our plants, our customers and each other.
Tasks vary season-to-season and even day-to-day based on weather, customer needs,
planting jobs, harvest season and more. The job is never boring or too repetitive!
The Nursery Assistant works closely with a seasoned employee and sometimes on
independent projects to perform a variety of the following tasks:
Order Fulfillment and Planting Jobs: Selecting and stabilizing plants to be picked up or
shipped out. Planting jobs are off-site in neighboring towns.
Groundskeeping: fencing, irrigation, general clean-up, mowing, trellising and
maintaining farm equipment/tools such as golf carts, wheelbarrows and tractor.
Plant Care: weeding, mulching, fertilizing, pruning, potting, propagating, harvesting,
building new planting beds, inventory upkeep, pest/plant disease control and more.
Customer Service: Helping customers in person and occasionally by phone/email with
questions and concerns. Assure customers feel welcomed and supported.
Qualifications
- Reliability is first and foremost!
- An ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
- A person who is gentle and respectful, and also has a good sense of humor!
- A willingness and preparedness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
2
Qualifications Cont’d
- An ability to occasionally lift heavy trees and/or bags of planting materials (around
50 lb) into trucks for deliveries.
- An ability to use farm tools such as shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, etc.
- Must be able to work some Sundays as needed (See schedule below).
Elmore Roots is an Equal Opportunity Employer that supports diversity and inclusion.
Schedule
2023 season dates: Approximately March 28 - Dec 1. A full-time work week at Elmore
Roots ranges between 30-35 hours per week.
Our work centers around a four-day work week – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday – typically from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Lunch is 1⁄2 hour*. Some flexibility is
required due to the nature of farming, weather, and a customer-centered seasonal
business. Sometimes employees may be asked to start earlier or stay later. *Once or
twice a week, the crew will eat together.
Sundays are an important day in the spring months of April, May and June and you will
definitely be asked to work on some Sundays. This will be planned out as best as
possible. Sometimes extenuating circumstances and the nature of being a farm makes
this difficult.
Also, please note that historically Sunday is the day when families and many customers
come to Elmore Roots as it is the one day we are open on the weekend. Elmore Roots
is closed on Saturdays because of spiritual practice.
Compensation and Benefits
The Nursery Assistant, if committing full-time for the entire 2023 season, will be paid
$17/hr which raises to $17.50/hr after a successful first month.
Full time employees receive a 20% discount on plants and 10% discount on other
nursery items such as tools. Full-time employees are also given one paid day off of their
choosing in September. Employees receive a large amount of certified organic, locally
grown winter storage vegetables towards the end of the season.
Employees are eligible for unemployment benefits during the off season.
How to Apply
Please send a brief cover letter, resume and three references by email to
[email protected]. Position is open until filled. No phone calls please.
Thank you for your interest in working at Elmore Roots!
www.elmoreroots.com (802) 888-ROOT! 759 Symonds Mill Road, Wolcott VT 05680