Growing Partners - Seasonal Employment

In addition to providing employment and training for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities on our farm, Left Foot Organics also hires a select number of rural teens, 16 to 18 years old, from low-income families in south Thurston County to work on the farm each spring and summer. Participating youth ("Growing Partners") become an active part of the local food system, learning about organic farming and marketing. The Growing Partners also learn about diversity and inclusion while working on integrated crews with Left Foot "Growers" - youth peers and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. All crew members address 10 basic employment skills that will provide a solid foundation for continued personal and professional growth and preparation for lifelong learning and employment.

Spring and Summer Employment

Spring
Successful applicants begin employment on Saturday, April 9th, and continue each Saturday through August 20th. Hours are from 9am to 12pm. During this period, Growing Partners will learn basic employment skills and the technical skills necessary for managing Left Foot's annual plant sale on Saturday, May 7. Their work on Saturdays will introduce them to working on a crew with Left Foot staff and Growers, providing them with the opportunity to learn about organic farming and the sense of community that is integral to our work.

Summer
Beginning Tuesday, July 5, Growing Partners work Tuesday through Friday, 9am-3:30pm, and continue their Saturday schedule of 9am-12pm. The final day of employment is Friday, August 26, 2011.

At the height of the growing season Growing Partners are essential employees, performing tasks that ready the fields and bring crops to market and to Left Foot CSA customers. Crew members are busy transplanting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting and marketing crops, and are involved in caring for chickens and in egg and flower sales. They prepare simple meals from farm produce, sharing in family-style food preparation, meal serving and clean up, learning important life skills and deepening their understanding of community.

During this period, crew members study for and take the food handler's permit test together, and participate in workshops and discussions about the importance of local food in our community. They will have the opportunity to speak on behalf of Left Foot, to interact with our community partners and friends, and gain an understanding of their own strengths and challenges as employees and as community members.

At the end of the summer, Growing Partners will be asked to reflect on their experience and rate their growth in 10 essential employment skills as a result of their time at Left Foot Organics. We feel confident that this employment opportunity provides a setting and structure that parents and schools find valuable in the development of their students. We know that working at Left Foot is both fun and valuable, but here in their own words, our 2010 Growing Partners describe what this job meant to them:

• "I grew along with the plants."
• "This farm builds friends, character and vegetables."
• "I learned I can be a leader."
• "I learned to be impeccable with my words, because I could say something I later regret."
• "I learned I need to focus more."
• "I learned to take responsibility for my actions and know that each action has a consequence."
• "Left Foot Organics is a very fun and loving community."

To read about the 2011 Growing Partners first days on the farm, click here. To learn more about the program, call Jane Jones at 360-754-1849 or email her at work@leftfootorganics.org.

Here are the 2011 Growing Partners Job Announcement, Job Description and Application.

Left Foot Organics - PO Box 12772, Olympia, WA 98508 - 360-754-1849 - info@leftfootorganics.org