Market Gardener/Manager
Due to our current market gardener returning home overseas, we are looking to recruit an enthusiastic person who has market gardening and flower growing experience to move forward our Largo Walled Garden project, starting February 2025.
Rate of pay: Based on experience
Hours of work: Full Time for 39hp/w, five days over 7.
About Largo Walled Garden:
This 2.7 acre area was once the productive kitchen garden for Largo House and from roughly 1950-2021. In 2021 we established a horticulture team to begin the process of making the gardens productive once more. We have developed an enterprise that focuses on the wholesale supply of vegetables and flowers to farm shops and florists. We offer direct sales of flowers and DIY floristry buckets. There is space to expand the flower side of the operation and scope for developing our customer base. We have built up positive relationships with both florists and farm shops as well as the flower hub in Edinburgh.
We welcome applications from candidates who have experience in similar size market gardens or at larger farm scales. We also welcome applications from experienced flower growers. We are eager to find someone who is interested to be involved in the enterprise side of the business as well as production.
Full driving licence is required and a willingness to drive for work, including deliveries of orders. (Mileage is paid for use of own vehicles), we have used a delivery driver for the last three years.
The position could work as a couple job and we are open to discussion about this.
Required skills and experience
- Experience in a market garden setting growing both vegetables and flowers.
- A passion for plants and the outdoors
- An enthusiasm for and experience in organic and agro-ecological horticulture,
- Happy to be outside in all weathers and comfortable working on repetitive tasks,
- Able to work alone and as part of a team,
- Confidence to ask questions and take initiative within workflow
- A creative thinker, able to problem solve
- Physically fit and able to complete manual tasks.
- Experience in the use of a range of garden tools, specialist market garden tools and machinery.
- Skilled in the use of hedge trimmers, mowers, strimmers, ride on lawn mowers and BCS Tractor (or equivalent).
Experience, tickets or certificates in the following; Hedge Trimmer, Mower, Ride-on Mower, Strimmer, Compact Tractor, Rotavator, Chain-saw will be beneficial.
How to Apply: Please send an application to info@largoestate.co.uk including a cover letter and attach a copy of your recent CV.
Job Type: Full-time
Holidays – 28 days holiday + 2 (SAWG) Special Days for Christmas and New Year
Pension scheme
Accommodation may be available if needed
Application deadline: 29/11/2024
Expected start date: 03/02/2025
We are currently recruiting for volunteers!
We run volunteer sessions on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please see the information below.
Largo Estate Walled Garden – Volunteer Role Descriptions
About the project:
Largo Estate Walled Garden is a small commercial market garden, on a 2.5 acre site in Upper Largo, Fife. It is run by a team of 2 staff members; Bas and Erin who are employed by Monzie Farms. We greatly value the contribution that volunteers make to our project and acknowledge that their participation in the garden dramatically increases what we can achieve. We currently take a maximum of 6 volunteers at any one time, divided between sessions on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Roles will vary depending on time in the season and which day of the week you will join us.=
Tuesday 10.30am-3pm – harvest of flowers and vegetables with some garden tasks
Wednesday 10.30am-3pm- harvest and packing only
Thursday 10.30am-3pm – some harvest and some garden tasks
Responsible to: Horticulture Manager – Bas van Kempen and The Horticulture Team
Walled Garden Volunteer
Purpose of role:
To support the Largo Estate horticulture team with the ongoing maintenance / development of the Walled Garden, harvesting of vegetables and flowers.
Main activities:
- Weeding and general tidying veg and flower plots
- Watering/irrigation
- Deadheading flowers
- Pruning trees and shrubs
- Planting
- Seed sowing/propagation
- Composting and barrowing
- Harvesting and processing vegetables
- Harvesting and conditioning flowers
- Packing veg bags
- Tidying up
- Watering
- Weeding
Time Commitment:
Standard volunteer sessions will run 10.30am-3pm, with 30mins lunch break. However this will vary with staff seasonal work patterns, so we hope to negotiate some flexibility with volunteers around this.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Some experience of gardening would be an advantage but not essential
- Enjoy working as part of a team
- Reasonably fit and without underlying injury that could be at risk
- Happy to work out of doors in all weather conditions
- Comfortable with repetitive tasks
Training and Support:
An initial induction will be given to all new volunteers. One member of staff will be allocated as a point of contact for ongoing support and communications.
We aim to offer an enriching, fun and varied experience to all volunteers who choose to work with us. In addition to this we can also offer a share of the garden’s produce. This includes a minimum of 4 items of surplus produce per session.
To apply:
Please email sales@largoestate.co.uk From there we will send you an application form and once complete invite you for a trial session.
