Grower (Temporary)

Van Belle Nursery Inc.•Abbotsford, BC

6d•CA$26 - CA$32•Onsite

About The Position

Van Belle Nursery Inc. is seeking a Grower to join their Youngplants Division. This role is crucial for leading the care, development, and quality of crops, while fostering a safe, organized, and collaborative growing environment. The Grower will contribute to producing exceptional plants, maintaining accurate inventory, and ensuring smooth inter-departmental coordination to meet production and shipping goals.

Requirements

3+ Years of growing experience with ornamental nurseries
Certificate, Diploma, Degree in any field of Agriculture / Horticulture.
Basic knowledge of climate control systems (argus and/or priva) and irrigation systems
Strong leadership and organizational skills
Experience leading teams of 5+
Ability to multi-task effectively with excellent attention-to-detail
Excellent problem solving and communication skills
Willingness to join the first aid group or health and safety committee
Availability to attend on Saturdays/Stats when required

Nice To Haves

Spanish skills are an asset.

Responsibilities

Support the growing team to ensure plant conditions meet VBN quality standards efficiently for Shipping and Production while maintaining inventory accuracy.
Collaborate with Production, Trial plants, IPM, and Shipping teams to produce high-quality plants on schedule in the quantities requested by the Sales team.
Work with the Senior Grower to research and implement improvements to growing processes.
Optimize environmental control through Argus/Hunter to provide favorable conditions for maximizing crop yields.
Train full-time and part-time workers in all growing tasks and track their performance.
Act as an active backup for the Growing team.
Maintain and update SOPs related to the Growing Program for use by other team members.
Maintain a daily accurate inventory of crops, equipment, and supplies and make purchase decisions.
Help establish and monitor the crop protection budget and forecast for all young plant crops.
Ensure team members are well-trained and there are opportunities for advancement for themselves and their team members.
Ensure equipment and machinery is operated in a good and safe condition.
Actively contribute to a safe and healthy workplace by following WorkSafeBC regulations, participating in the Health and Safety Committee, and supporting initiatives that promote employee well-being and compliance with safety standards.
Create and maintain up-to-date procedures of growing techniques under the supervision of the senior grower.
Constantly monitor crops and, with the Senior Grower, make adjustments to achieve production goals.
Notify Production, Shipping, and Sales of crop timing changes, elevated risks (disease, weather delays, rooting failures), or when plants will not meet a ready date.
Communicate promptly adjustments to forcing, spacing, or cultural practices that impact other departments.
Oversee all growing activities in propagation or finishing, including water, fertilization, pruning, and weed management.
Plan proactively for spacing, moving, forcing, and winterizing crops.
Ensure all growing tasks are completed efficiently and on time for production or shipping needs.
Update Standard Operating Procedures for each crop and review/update growing templates yearly.
Ensure that sanitation practices are in place.
Establish and monitor the growing budget and forecast.
Responsible for inventory accuracy of plants (numbers, locations, ready dates) and growing supplies.
Assist the Senior Grower with other duties as assigned.
Lead daily huddle with the growing crew.
Attend daily huddle with the Senior Grower.
Manage water through different irrigation systems (duration and water pressure).
Prioritize, assign, and supervise crop maintenance duties, including plant health review, sanitation, fertilization, pruning, grading, weeding, and follow-up.
Manage sanitation: keep areas clean, free of debris, weeds, and algae; regularly clean irrigation systems.
Train the Growing team in daily activities and Plantango/H2O.
Maintain inventory accuracy (numbers, locations, quality, and ready dates), ensuring team members keep records in the system.
Execute and communicate moving and space planning.
Follow up on IPM strategies and report findings of pest/disease or spray damage to the IPM coordinator.
Review and communicate with the production team to ensure cuttings are taken before pruning/shipping if needed.
Review greenhouse environment to increase crop quality and yield (Fans, VPD, heat, shade).
Ensure growing tools and equipment are in good working order and report damage promptly.
Monitor and address issues regarding Argus with suppliers and the Senior Grower.
Monitor and report greenhouse and nursery conditions that could adversely affect crew health and safety.
Conduct Crop Walks with the Senior Grower weekly.
Perform weekly space planning, communicating crop movements in advance.
Monitor weekly IPM crop protection strategy plans to schedule labor activities.
Attend assigned meetings and contribute to executing tasks related to forcing, fertilizing, pruning, or preparing plants for shipping.
Attend and contribute to IPM meetings to identify issues and remove roadblocks regarding plant health.
Monitor and update Fiscus lines.
Attend YP GGOB meetings.
Participate in grower seminars and training.
Support and attend the growing side of High Involvement Planning and budget processes.
Support and execute efforts to winterize crops, early forcing, frost parties, and cutting availability.
Review and/or maintain SOPs for nutrient regiment, lighting, temperature, and humidity manipulation.
Act as a backup for other growing team members when required.
Propose, implement, execute, and evaluate trials in rooting, hardening, and liner stages.
Assist with receiving and inspecting incoming plants.
Support YP departments on research design and implementation strategies.
Contribute to GGOB mini-games.
Flex into other departments to support business success during off-season production cycles.
Coach & Connect with the team quarterly.
Work with the Facilities Department to develop preventative maintenance scheduling for facility equipment.
Develop stock plant management program based on production needs.
Increase cut yield percentage of cuttings from stock plants and harvest rounds.
Properly label all stock plants.
Review, monitor, and report quality issues regarding cuttings with the assigned production team member.
Review that sanitation procedures are followed properly for stock plants.
Review climate control on Argus for propagation and hardening.
Review that sanitation procedures are followed properly for propagation and hardening.
Review, monitor, and report quality issues regarding cuttings and sticking with the assigned production team member.
Review, monitor, and report quality issues to the propagation grower for gardening.
Keep gardening crops up to date in inventory and cultural management.
Ensure gardening crops meet assigned quality standards when moved to liners.
Review that sanitation procedures are followed properly for gardening.
Organize and supervise Frost Parties in spring and fall for liners.
Increase cut yield percentage of cuttings from liner plants and harvest rounds.
Review, monitor, and report quality issues to the hardening grower for liners.
Keep liner crops up to date in inventory and cultural management.
Review shipping needs with the coordinator and generate strategies to deliver good quality products.
Review that sanitation procedures are followed properly for liners.