Farm Production Apprentice

About Square Roots

Square Roots is the technology leader in urban indoor farming. Its mission is to bring local, fresh, real food to people in cities around the world - setting new standards for transparency and responsibility while empowering the next generation of leaders in agriculture. 

Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Kimbal Musk and Tobias Peggs, its range of fresh produce is available in more than 200 retail locations around the country including Whole Foods Market, Fresh Thyme Market, SpartanNash, and FreshDirect. Square Roots’ strategic partnership with Gordon Food Service reinforces a larger shared ambition to build commercial scale, climate controlled indoor farms together across the continent - enabling local food at a global scale, year round. For more information, please visit www.squarerootsgrow.com.

About the Role

The Farming Production Technician performs all aspects of crop production in our hydroponic facility growing leafy greens, culinary herbs, microgreens, and more. End-to-end production includes (but is not limited to) cleaning, sanitation, light-duty maintenance, equipment and workstation setup and preparation, end-of-day breakdown, and data entry related to the primary daily production activities: seeding, transplanting, harvesting and packaging. Utilizing the Toolbelt, our proprietary crop management software, Production Technicians will carry out each task as it relates to the campus master production plan. 

Farming Production Technicians will report to the Production Manager and will work collaboratively with the Assistant Production Manager, Assistant Grower, Maintenance and Sanitation team, and Customer Operations Specialist. 

This is an entry-level, hands-on, repetitive, and active position. Ideal candidates have open scheduling availability, can interpret and carry out complex written and verbal instructions, are strong team players, and are flexible and open to change.

You will: 

• Perform repetitive primary production tasks including seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and packaging as outlined by the campus master production plan. 
• Perform repetitive secondary production tasks including but not limited to cleaning, sanitizing, light-duty maintenance, equipment and workstation setup and preparation, stocking, and end-of-day breakdown. 
• Perform plant health-related tasks including but not limited to pest and disease monitoring, pruning, and environmental monitoring.
• Perform system health-related tasks as needed, including but not limited to light-duty troubleshooting and maintenance, equipment assembly and calibration. 
• Adhere to food safety, quality control, worker safety, and COVID safety procedures throughout the workday. 
• Perform system health, plant health, and production-related data entry utilizing the Toolbelt software and other forms and spreadsheets. 
• Participate in campus meetings, communications, and events. 

You have:

• General work experience in a dynamic setting: trades, production, farming, or food service using various tools and equipment to perform your work.
• An eagerness to learn and build a broad skill set in indoor farming. 
• The ability to follow complex written and/or verbal instructions.
• Experience working in a repetitive, physically demanding, hands-on, active environment and are able to stand or walk throughout the facility for extended periods and walk up and down stairs regularly. 
• The ability to work while wearing coveralls and other protective gear and PPE. 

You are:

• Comfortable working around bright lights, water, and various equipment, in warm and cool areas, and compact spaces. 
• Dedicated, resilient, and up for hard work on a daily basis. 
• A collaborative and respectful team player willing to do what’s necessary around the farm to accomplish company and campus goals.
• Comfortable with performing  repetitive work. 
• A proactive, clear, and thoughtful communicator. 
• Detail-oriented and understanding the importance of adhering to established guidelines.
• A motivated self-starter with an optimistic and proactive attitude. 
• Not afraid to ask questions or ask for help when needed.

You'll love working at Square Roots because: 

• We're here to change the food system. You'll have the opportunity to play a significant role in our work at the intersection of technology, farming, and the global food industry - and we're only just getting started. 
• Our team is driven by a shared set of values. These keep us aligned and remind us how to show up every day in the face of growth and ambiguity. Whether you’re working remotely or on the farms,  collaboration, respect, optimism and humility are all embraced, and we seek to empower people at every step. Ask us about the rest!
• Benefits and perks, of course. We're all here first and foremost to play our part in the mission, but medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible work life culture, and lots of samples of the delicious food we grow certainly do not hurt. :)