Grower Windy City Harvest

Title: Windy City Harvest Grower, South Side (Chicago)

Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Department: Windy City Harvest

Reports to: Senior Manager of Farm Operations

Seasonal, Full-time: Anticipated to start February 16, 2026, and end November 2026

Supervises: Lead tasks for crews of interns, Apprenticeship students, Corps and Youth Farm crew members, volunteers

Seasonal Full-time employees scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week are eligible for the following Benefits

• Wellness initiative benefit, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Retirement plan
• Holidays, Holiday Thank you pay
• Garden membership - free to employees at Household Plus level
• Discounts to Garden Shop, Cafe, Garden-sponsored educational classes
• Employee events such as Orchid show, Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns, Lightscape employee & friends preview night

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets. Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

Windy City Harvest is committed to hands-on, innovative job training in sustainable agriculture. We hold high shared standards to support personal and professional growth for staff and participants. This role is a hands-on farming position that supports production across Windy City Harvest (WCH) farm sites while guiding participants in workforce development through agriculture. The position is 70 percent production-focused, overseeing outdoor farm operations, and 30 percent program-focused, using farming activities to build job skills and ensuring timely completion of all required documentation.

This role oversees all outdoor production at the WCH Legends site, including crop planning, ornamental and landscape maintenance, and accurate farm recordkeeping. The position supports the Corps Field Supervisor, Youth Farm Coordinator, and Apprenticeship Instructor by setting task lists, training participants, leading lab days, and providing supervisory support across WCH sites as needed.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

• Implement and manage a sustainable crop plan to meet sales goals using succession planting, IPM, and season extension.
• Develop and oversee farm, greenhouse, and landscape production schedules; forecast weekly labor, tools, and supply needs.
• Train and supervise program participants, interns, and volunteers in seeding, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and production tasks, modeling professional standards.
• Oversee irrigation systems and maintenance.
• Support apprenticeship programming by assisting with lab field days and completing required documentation.
• Lead weekly farm walks and foster a positive, collaborative team environment across production activities.
• Forecast harvest availability, coordinate harvests and inventory, communicate updates to the sales team, and complete post-harvest paperwork on time.
• Harvest and process produce in compliance with GAPs, FSMA, and Windy City Harvest food safety standards; train participants accordingly.
• Maintain accurate production, safety, food safety, and sales records in compliance with GAPs protocols.
• Work across all Windy City Harvest sites as assigned and collaborate effectively with staff to meet program goals.
• Maintain site aesthetics and landscaping standards per site-maintenance guidelines.
• Attend meetings prepared to share production updates and participant highlights; maintain timely communication during work hours.
• Safely operate vehicles, tools, and equipment; transport supplies, water, and harvested produce as needed.
• Open and close farm sites, manage tool and equipment inventory, lead weekly safety talks, and report security or equipment issues promptly.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• Minimum two seasons of sustainable vegetable production on a -acre site or larger
• Valid driver's license with a minimum of two years' experience with driving large vehicles
• Ability to plan workdays effectively, including labor planning and task prioritization
• Willing and able to perform physically demanding outdoor work in varied weather conditions
• Experience with organic production, IPM, GAPs-compliant protocols, and food safety standards
• Experience creating crop plans, seasonal schedules, harvest projections, and running harvests
• Experience managing tools and supply inventory
• Experience training and supervising individuals with varied backgrounds and skill levels
• Produce Safety Alliance Grower Food Safety certification preferred

Physical Demands:

This position is based in an urban farm setting. Staff must be able to work on their feet for extended periods in all weather conditions while performing manual labor. The role requires frequent lifting, standing, walking, bending, and use of farm tools and machinery, as well as regular interaction with the public, staff, and program participants. Daily use of small farm machinery and post-harvest handling equipment is required. Staff must be able to lift, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 pounds.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.