Hydroponic Farm Apprentice

Through small businesses, the Workforce Development Program of Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) offers skill training, mentoring, and job experience to prepare young people for long-term personal and professional success.

Hydroponic Farm Apprentice is a missional position that is part of the Workforce Development team. Missional positions are related to CHAT’s mission of developing youth in Richmond’s east end by learning job skills and/or practicing job readiness. From day one, Apprentices learn indoor farming and production fundamentals. Incumbents occupy missional positions for 12 months or one year with the option to renew if making progress. The Apprentice reports to the Sr. Director of Workforce Development and supervises no staff. 

The Hydroponic Farm Apprentice is part of CHAT’s Career Pathway program. The Apprentice pathway includes two (2) levels ranging from Hydroponic Farm Apprentice I to Hydroponic Farm II. Through career pathways, as opportunities emerge, CHAT provides a systematic way of identifying ways our people can use their talents and gifts in expanded and new ways. 

Essential Duties

• Participates in an intensive indoor farming training ramp-up period while also plugging into basic farm tasks.
• Performs the work of growing food, to include seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and packaging, adhering to production schedule.
• Maintains strict food safety and quality control standards, adhering to COVID and other safety protocols. 
• Maintains farm hardware and systems, including conducting regular checks to ensure farms are in good working order, pest scouting and IPM application.
• Learns to troubleshoot hardware and systems and reports failed conditions and/or repair needs.
• Cleans, sanitizes, and stocks farms with inventory.
• Generates and enters farm data, learning to utilize proprietary software, forms, spreadsheets, and other data management tools.
• Regularly reviews and learns to analyze data to spot issues and report on trends.
• Participates in communications related to yield targets and production work across the farm team and to other departments as needed.

Approach

• Compassionate: caring for and honoring CHAT students and families and the East End community
• Continuous learning: committed to self-improvement and personal growth
• Creative and curious: developing new ways to accomplish work while seeking to understand the people and context involved
• Passionate about real, local food

Qualifications: Any combination of stated education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or training that demonstrates the ability to perform essential duties is acceptable

Required Qualifications 

• Faith in Jesus Christ, affirming the Apostles’ Creed and lived out in a faith community
• Some high school, at least through 10th grade
• Interest in learning about farming
• Experience following directions from beginning to end
• Basic computer literacy
• Ability to read 
• Ability to write legibly

Preferred Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent (such as GED)
• Interest in indoor farming as a career path
• Education or hands-on experience in hydroponic farming
• Proficient in entry/use of spreadsheets
• Experience growing food in some capacity (on your own, in a community space, or—bonus!—in a commercial farming environment)
• Experience working a repetitive, physically demanding job, possibly in the food or service industry
• Analytical ability

The above qualifications pertain to the first level of the career pathway. Higher levels of the career pathway require additional education, experience, and/or other qualifications.

Position Overview & Compensation

• Part-time
• Non-exempt
• Hourly rate: $12
• Work locations: 3015 N Street | Richmond, VA 23223 (Administrative Office)
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to Noon

Special Conditions 

• If 18 or older:
  • VA State Police Criminal Records Check, including fingerprinting
  • VA Department of Social Services Child Registry Search (Abuse/Neglect of children)
• Work permit (if 14-15 years old)
• Mandatory training, if applicable
• Frequent standing and use of hands and arms
• Must be able to lift up to 30lbs
• Frequent bending and twisting from the waist