Geo-Thermal Greenhouse Production Specialist

Abundant Acres Farm in Nova Scotia is seeking a Geo-Thermal Greenhouse Production Specialist for a 15-week internship starting May 20, 2025. The role involves hands-on tasks like soil preparation, pest scouting, crop monitoring, and maintenance of greenhouse structures. Interns will gain experience and mentorship while contributing to sustainable farming practices. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or residents aged 15-30 and willing to work on-site in Centre Burlington.
Job title: Geo-Thermal Greenhouse Production Specialist

Reports to: Jen Greenberg, Farm Owner and Certified Farm Technician

Job location: 182 Red Bank Road, Centre Burlington, NS B0N 2A0

Wage: $18.00 / hour

Hours: 35 hours per week (15-week internship)

Start Date: Expected May 20, 2025

Number of Positions: 1

Equity Hiring:  

Clean is committed to Employment Equity. Our goal is to be inclusive of a diverse workforce that is reflected at all job levels. The Clean Leadership Program welcomes candidates from diverse equity groups to apply and encourage you to self-identify on our registration form.

About the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program

The Clean Leadership Summer Internship program helps grow the clean economy by matching interns (age 15-30) with employers for 9- and 15-week summer work placements. Participating interns will receive paid hands-on experience, mentorship opportunities, take part in a professional development conference and training, while supporting local environmental projects.

Program Requirements
• Must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, person who has been granted refugee status in Canada or legally entitled to work in Canada;
• Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the start of internship;
• From and/or will be residing in Nova Scotia for the duration of the internship;
• Must not be an immediate family member of host employer;

About the host employer

Our farm in Centre Burlington uses ecological growing techniques focused on soil health to produce a range of vegetables year-round. We grow in soil outdoors, in field tunnels and geothermal greenhouses. Our farm is not certified organic but we are following organic practices. We also operate a retail outlet in Halifax where we sell our produce and a variety of local products. Our primary office is located in Centre Burlington.

Summary of position

The host employer for this Summer Internship position through the Clean Leadership program will be Abundant Acres Farm. Alongside the farm owners and senior staff the intern will learn all aspects of production in our geothermal greenhouses. The day to day tasks of the intern will vary based on the season but they will include preparing the soil for summer crops such as tomatoes, peppers and ginger, scouting for pests and diseases, monitoring crop health and addressing any nutrient deficiencies before they become a problem, communicating with rest of the farm team to plan harvests in the greenhouses, and working alongside the farm team to prune and trellis crops for optimal crop health and good airflow.

As well the intern will be involved in the general maintenance of structures such as fixing tears in plastic, gaps in insect screening, doors that stick or blow open and ensuring ventilation fans and temperature controls are all fully functioning.

While the intern will have full support of the farm owners and senior staff, it is expected that they will take on a leadership role in scouting and preventing potential problems in the greenhouses before they become a problem. It is critical that the intern takes the initiative to communicate and follow up on anything out of the ordinary in these spaces. Due to the intensive way that high-value covered growing space is used, pests and diseases can spread and stay around longer than they would in outdoor crops so having someone dedicated to keeping watch is critical. In addition to the farm owners and senior staff, the intern will be able to access expertise from Perennia who can do tests and help diagnose pests and diseases.

The most important skills for this position are a positive attitude, a willingness to learn new skills and to work outside in all kinds of weather and an enjoyment of physical work/working with their hands.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Preparing land for planting including bed prep, spread compost and cover cropping
• Operating machinery including Kubota tractor, Grillo walking tractor, ATV and field harvest van
• Seeding using Jang Mechanical Seeder
• Transplanting using Paper Pot Transplanter and by hand
• Trellising tomatoes, peppers and eggplant
• Weeding/cultivation to maintain clean beds
• Harvesting twice a week for our farm share, retail and wholesale customers
• Washing/packing produce for retail and wholesale
• Managing high tunnels & greenhouses (ventilation, heating, irrigation and maintaining crop health)
• Irrigation using drip irrigation and overhead sprinklers
• Communication with Market regarding harvest availability and needs

Requirements/Qualifications
• Have an aptitude for safe work practices and the ability to multi-task in a busy work environment;
• Be able to work productively as part of a team while responding to feedback;
• Demonstrated interest in future employment in the environmental or clean sector is considered an asset;
• Ability to communication effective orally (in person and over walky-talky), using What’s App and via email
• Physical fitness: ability to do repetitive tasks; attention to detail; hand-eye coordination; ability to stand/bend/kneel for extended periods;
• Able to work in all weather conditions.
• Keep accurate records
• Able to drive (harvest vehicles on farm and delivery runs to market in Halifax)
• Basic knowledge of power tools and machinery operation and/or willingness to learn
• Working knowledge of plants and cropping systems and/or willingness to learn

Working Conditions

Working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions

Physical Requirements

Physically demanding; Attention to detail; Hand-eye coordination; Standing/bending/kneeling for extended periods;