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Horticultural Workers needed at Sherwood's Forests Tree Farm.

This is part time work. As such it will be mostly of interest to high school students. I certainly have no objection to adult or even retired workers. The pay isn't great, but the hours are flexible and there is a lot of variety. It's unusual to do the same thing for more than a few days.

Types of work:

• Planting. - planting seedlings and cuttings into small pots.
• Weeding. May use full hoe, hand hoe, or fingers. Canvas back gloves with leather palm/fingers recommended.
• Mowing & trimming. Boots required to operate mower and string trimmer.
• Watering
• Unclogging sprinkler/dripper heads
• Pruning
• Laying mulch
• Tree transplanting - Potting up. Removing trees from small pots and replanting them into 6 litre pots. Work requires sitting/kneeling on dirt, working with bare hands with dirt, bending, lifting, moving crates weighing up to 80 lbs. High top shoes to keep dirt from getting in shoes recommended.
• Winterizing. Moving trees into position for winter. Work involves a lot of lifting of 20 to 80 lb loads. Gloves recommended. Boots with sturdy toes or steel toes recommended.
• Harvesting willow, poplar, dogwood, lilac, cattails.
• Setting up irrigation systems.
• Building pot storage shelter and equipment shelter
• Moving bales. (40 lbs dry. Lots more wet.)

When:

Sometimes after school. Weekends. There may be work on some of the holidays. During July and August I may want two people for about 30 hours a week.

Pay Structure

Some jobs pay by the hour. Some are piece.

Hourly wage
Starting wage is $8.00/hour. Example: I want a second pair of hands to run pipe.

Individual piece work
You are paid by the task done. Example: Weeding pots for 5 cents per pot. Planting seedlings for 8 cents per seedling. Harvesting willow shoots for 50 cents/bundle.

How it works:

I keep a list of people who want to work. For a given day, I may decide that I need 4 people. I'll send an email to anyone who is on my list. If you're free and interested that day, you respond.

Usually I will have more people who want work than I have spots. Here's how I decide: Imagine that everyone starts with a bunch of points that I grant him based on what I think his physical strength and work ethic is like, and on and talking to him, what other people he's worked for say about him.

Every time you do a good job for me, you get points. If you come up with an idea that makes the job more efficient, you get points. Try to learn more about the job, and why things are done the way they are, you get points.

I will normally choose the people who worked best for me before.

I don't actually keep points. It's a head game.

Working conditions:

Shifts:

Shifts:
I'm flexible. I remember being a teen and trying to juggle the demands on my time. Coaches, teachers, family, girl friends, homework.
You couldn't pay me to be a teen again.

During the school week, a work session is from when you show up to when you leave. You have other commitments on your time. So do I. Work seldom starts before 4, and always finishes before sunset. If you need to go home for supper with your family, I don't have a problem with that.

Sometimes I'll say, "Ok enough. I'm beat. Time to knock off."

If you can't come for 2 hours, however, don't come. It's not worth your time to come here. It's not worth my time to start and stop.

If several of you come at overlapping times, you may find that I'll stop for a bit to eat while you continue to work. If you want to bring a bag supper, that's ok. You take a break when you want to eat. (I don't pay for break time.)

On weekends it's different. I want you to commit to a 4 hour chunk. Usually it will be 8:30 to 12:30 and 1:00 to 5:00. 15 minute break more or less half way through each block.

Shifts may be shorter than this, depending on work to be done, weather, daylight. Occasionally there are two shifts in a day.

A lot of these jobs are hard work physically, or in cold weather - I'm sometimes glad to quit after 4 hours of some of these jobs.)

Clothing & Gear:

You are expected to have whatever is necessary to stay safe and comfortable while working throughout the day. I suggest that you keep a gym bag or bookbag with your work stuff in it. That way you are ready for anything.

It is a good idea to bring an extra layer.

Bring rain gear even if it looks like sun.

Some jobs you can do in shorts and no shirt. (Weeding, planting) Some jobs need long pants and long sleeves. (Moving bales, moving spruce trees.) Bring work gloves even if the job list for the day doesn't say they're needed. (The job list has a way of changing...) You may want a hat for the sun. If you burn easily, bring sunscreen. I have spares if you forget, but you lose points.

Toilet facilities:

Work is field work. Facilities are a latrine in the edge of the woods.

Transportation & Meals:

I'm on RR 31, just north of Highway 622. You may be able to hop the school bus to get here. I've no problem with your parents coming to either pick you up or drop you off. If you get a ride with a friend, I want a phone call from your folks and your friend's folks to tell me that it's ok. No call, I call them. If it was not ok, you're both fired. Why? Some parents are nervous about their kids going in certain friend's cars. That friend hasn't yet earned a reputation for being a sensible driver. Anyway, this is a big enough concern at my 'day job' that I've decided to enforce the same standard here.

Personal Music:

Leave it at home. I like to have conversation while doing a not very interesting job. It's one of the reasons I hire people. Turnips with ear buds don't make good conversationalists. If someone wants to bring a 'blaster and tune it to 880 or 104.9 for the group, we'll discuss it. No rap, hard rock, or country.

Workplace courtesy:

I am uncomfortable about talk behind people's backs.
If what you say about someone is hurtful, and they aren't here to defend themselves, keep it to yourself. If you are speaking ill of Mike, I'll ask, "Who here will speak up for and defend Mike?" That's my signal that you've overstepped the line.

Between individuals good natured teasing and joking is normal. But both sides better be laughing.

I expect people to talk without sprinkling their language with swear words. Save that language for when you drop an anvil on your foot, or hit your thumb with a hammer. Think of this as training for your next job.

Job Requirements:

Ability to follow directions.

Willingness to ask for clarification. I don't want people who nod as if they understand, then do it it badly. I do not want people who don't do what they are told. Sometimes you will be working with sharp tools. (Axe, saw, pruning shears, box knife, vineyard hoe, weed chisel) Often you will be working near moving machinery. Farm work is one of the most hazardous jobs there is. (Certain jobs in forestry, mining, fishing and the oil patch are more hazardous.)

I do want people who can see a better way. But I want them to ask first. Sometimes I've tried it already. I will explain what happened that time. It may be that that will be what you need to come up with a different better way.

Strong work ethic.

I want people who give me good work for my good money. I want people who don't need someone watching every minute to keep them from goofing off. And, by the way, once I know you are a good worker, you get a raise.

Honest

This ties in with a strong work ethic in many ways. I want people who have the guts to come to me and say, "I may have goofed"
I can work a long time with someone who admits to his mistakes, and learns from them. On the other hand, if I catch you lying or stealing, you're toast.

16 years old.

Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis. My experience with younger people is that they tend not to listen, and they goof around too much. If maturity is your thing, you're parents agree, then don't let being under 16 stop you from applying.

Fairly strong.

Depending on what the day's work is, you will be horsing around pots full of dirt, bales, wrastling with a lawn mower on rough terrain. If you are still small and haven't started your teen growth spurt it doesn't rule you out, but it may mean there are some days I won't call you.

Not sure? If you can handle small square bales, you'll be ok. If you can pick up a 5 gallon bucket of water and walk with it 30 feet, you'll be ok. If you can handle a feed bag, or the 20 Kg dog food bag, you'll be ok.

Non-smoker.

This does not mean “no smoking” on the job site, it means you may not be a smoker at all. Tobacco is a host for several viruses and fungi that can kill other plants. People who handle tobacco on a routine basis are carriers.

Parent's Permission.

If you are under 18, I need a work permission form signed by you and your parents.

How to apply

I first want to talk to you. If you're under 18, I want to talk to your folks too. So call me. We'll chat. I ask who you've worked for before. If you've worked for someone and you want to use them as a reference, have their name and phone number handy when you call.

If this will be your first job, that's ok. We all started somewhere. This talk is the start of a trust relationship.
I want to know how much you want this job, whether you are dependable. You want to know if I am a decent guy to work for.
I will ask you for the name of someone in the community who knows you. This can be a teacher, minister, scout or cadet leader. Be ready to tell me what chores you do around the house. Just because you never got paid doesn't mean that you don't have work experience.

It's courtesy to ask the people who are giving you a recommendation if you can use them as a reference. In some cases they may have a preferred time for me to call.

If I like how you present yourself, then I'll ask you to come for a trial work period. Probably 2 hours. You get paid for that time. At quiting time if I like what I see, I'll ask if you want to be put on the list.