We’re Hiring!
Installation Crew Member
Our installation crew is the skilled team that crafts our many diverse foodscapes. Working for Love & Carrots is a great opportunity to learn how to build gardens and urban farms and break into the urban gardening industry.
Installations can include the following:
Perennial landscape installation
Includes planting perennials, shrubs, and trees, soil amendment, edging and mulching
Garden structure carpentry: raised beds, arbors, garden fencing
Drip irrigation system installation
Dryset hardscaping, drainage solutions
Includes flagstone and riverstone paths, patios, french drains and dry riverbeds
Necessary Qualifications:
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States permanently without employment visa sponsorship
Prior experience working in a labor-intensive role.
The ability to work as part of a close knit team.
Ability to work independently, take initiative, trouble-shoot, and lead as necessary.
High attention to detail and organization
Ability to lift heavy (75lbs +) objects throughout the day.
Ability to perform frequent high-intensity manual labor including pushing, pulling, and lifting various equipment and materials.
Ability to work on their feet for the entire day in all weather conditions
Must have a valid driver's license and the ability to drive larger vehicles/medium duty trucks
We require that employees have received their initial Covid-19 vaccination - additional boosters not required
Preferred Experience in: (not required, but strongly favored)
Landscape construction
Carpentry
Heavy equipment, medium-duty trucks, skid steer
Schedule:
Installation crew members work 10 hour days, 4 days/week 7:30AM - 6:00PM Monday - Thursday during the regular season. The crew works 5 days/week in the winter 7:30AM - 4:45PM Monday - Thursday and 7:30AM - 12:30PM Friday).
Compensation:
Starting rate: $20/hr +, commensurate with experience
$100 annual gear stipend
Annual phone stipend
Benefits include health and dental insurance, 401k, and a generous paid time off package
Our office/headquarters has a large vegetable garden for staff to enjoy and take produce home from
Interested? Email a brief letter of interest and resume to: [email protected]
Urban Gardener
Our Urban Gardeners are responsible for the maintenance of our clients’ organic vegetable gardens, ensuring that they are beautiful and productive! On an average day they travel to 3-4 gardens, primarily residential, and maintain between 20-30 gardens over the course of a two-week period.
Gardeners work independently, driving from site to site, to perform all necessary garden tasks, and are supported remotely by our office crew and in the field by a team of experienced senior farmers. Our service area ranges throughout the beltway area, and each farmer is provided with a kit containing all tools needed to maintain gardens. Bulk garden materials are stored at our base of operations for employee use.
Winter work:
The season for garden maintenance runs from March through November. From December through February all employees work on our installation crew. Installation crew work requires driving our medium-duty trucks and more heavy lifting/bed filling etc. Garden crew members can choose not to work December through mid February, but if they do work year-round, truck driving and installation work is required for those months.
Maintenance tasks include:
Seeding, planting, weeding, pruning, harvesting and applying organic pest control practices.
Amending soil, soil fertility management.
Trellising, drip irrigation repair and management.
Ensuring the area in and around the garden is neat and well maintained.
Tracking visit details using garden tracking software on phone
Engaging with clients: teaching, sending recap emails, answering questions, receiving client feedback and applying feedback to gardens.
Necessary Qualifications:
1+ year experience with annual vegetable cultivation required
A valid driver's license and working personal vehicle required.
Knowledge of proper harvesting, weeding, transplanting, pest/disease ID, sowing, fertilization and rotation/succession planting techniques.
Ability to lift 50lbs, perform manual work, lift heavy objects, walk and stand for long periods of time
Ability to perform physical labor outdoors in various weather conditions (heat, rain, cold)
The ability to think on your feet and come up with solutions to common garden issues on the spot without immediate assistance.
Proactive, friendly, and prompt communication through phone and email.
Comfortable teaching adults and children gardening basics (using our supplied curriculum.)
Attention to detail and organization is critical
Compensation and Benefits:
Schedule: 7:30 AM - 6 PM, Monday - Thursday
Starting rate: $20/hr +, commensurate with experience.
Health and Dental insurance, 401k, and paid time off
Annual smartphone reimbursement
Annual gear credit
Mileage reimbursement for use of your personal vehicle on garden routes.
Vegetables to take home! Our headquarters has a large on-site vegetable garden for staff use.
Interested? Email a brief letter of interest and your resume to: [email protected]
Landscape Maintenance Foreman
We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Landscape Maintenance Foreman to join our team. We are in the beginning stages of creating a Landscape Maintenance program to complement our other services.. The Landscape Maintenance Foreman will be the core personnel, responsible for performing a variety of work tasks in order to manage the timely and quality completion of landscape maintenance service contracts. They will be required to manage a schedule and eventually a crew, train new team members, operate a variety of tools and equipment, and provide daily progress reporting on job time and cost data.
This position will also be a part of our installation crew initially as scheduling requires - . Some office time will eventually be required.
Core Capabilities:
Solid knowledge of ecosystem-minded organic landscape management practices
Solid knowledge of native perennials, shrubs, and trees and their care needs
Small equipment experience: operating, troubleshooting and completing simple fixes
A focus on customer service and quality of work
Effective communication skills (both verbal and written)
Excellent problem solving abilities, highly organized
Being proactive, eagerness to grow and excel is essential
Team player, responsibility and dependability, ethics and integrity
Excellent team leader and teacher
Core Job Duties:
Carry out landscape maintenance tasks including:
Weeding, mulching, pruning, edging, disease assessment and treatment, perennial planting etc
Cut grass, trim edges, clean up debris, blow trimmings, apply organic fertilizer, perform other lawn care duties
Leaf removal, fall cleanups
Operate electric equipment including, but not limited to, lawn mowers, line trimmers, blowers, hedge trimmers, pruning saws, sod cutters
Move and install soil, mulch and plant material to assist with the construction of landscape gardens and related areas
Operate larger trucks and trailers to bring equipment to site
Plan and prepare for maintenance routes including:
Forecasting materials needs
Help create schedules, communicate client requests and landscape needs
Loading/unloading of trucks and trailers in the AM and PM including all daily labor, equipment and materials required to complete daily objectives
As we build our client list, supervise the work of crew members to ensure proper safety, quality, and productivity
Inspect all work for quality to eliminate the need for return visits due to customer satisfaction issues
Train crew members on proper and safe job methods
Conduct daily inspections and maintenance on vehicles, tools, and equipment
Other Job Duties:
Construction projects, shop and yard maintenance, vehicle and equipment maintenance
Complete and submit all required job information on a daily basis, including: daily time and service record forms, attendance tracking, requests for time off, etc.
Maintain and enforce standards of cleanliness and organization in assigned trucks, trailers, equipment, jobsites, and shop/yard areas
Ensure that all work activities are carried out in a safe and efficient manner, and that all crew members are in compliance with government and company PPE standards
Comply with all company policies and regulations
Work in accordance with all local health and safety laws and regulations
Communicate with customers in a polite and courteous manner
Requirements:
Minimum 3 years’ experience in the landscape maintenance industry
Capable of operating required equipment and tools in a safe and responsible manner
Effective communication skills – must be able to carry out verbal instructions, read labels and signs, complete daily reports to office and/or customers
Time management skills
Knowledge of specific materials, methods, tools and equipment required to complete various landscape/construction practices
Ability to work both independently with little supervision, and as part of a team
Ability to walk, stand, crouch for long periods of time and carry out strenuous physical tasks in all kinds of weather conditions
Valid driver’s license and safe driving record
Work Conditions:
Ability to work with hand tools, power tools, small engine equipment, and materials
Ability to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. repeatedly through an entire work shift
Ability to work in a fast paced environment
Requires good manual dexterity
Excellent stamina is required
Work with heavy equipment and larger vehicles on a regular basis
Work outdoors in various conditions including heat and humidity, rain, dust, noise, and cold
Flexible working hours including occasional weekend work
Interested? Please send your resume and a brief cover letter describing your interest in this position to [email protected].
Freelance Landscape Designer
We are seeking experienced and dynamic landscape designers to join our design team on a part time basis. Our design needs range from small row homes and pollinator gardens to property master plans. Our designers are the lead contact with new clients and guide them from vision to project installation. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following, though other duties may be assigned:
Design, Sales and Customer Service
Conduct initial onsite client consultation and interview to understand the client’s vision, experience, budget and goals. Some consultations lead to a design contract, some only require a site sketch of a raised bed configuration before moving to the estimate phase.
Personable! Communicate the design and installation processes to clients to help ensure realistic expectations, help them make informed decisions, and to recognize the importance of design expertise.
Site assessment: property measurements, site inspection, sunlight survey, slope, soil conditions, access etc.
Generate fair, thorough and accurate design proposals. Consultation follow up must be delivered with expediency.
Adhere to Love & Carrots design process to provide unique, high quality designs and vision that meet or exceed client’s needs.
Introduce clients to other Love & Carrots services. Recommend services/products that help ensure the vision of the design and the client’s evolving needs are met.
Project Management
Liaise between client and estimating team through the bidding process.
Communicate design intent and site logistics to the installation team and subcontractors.
Follow up with clients before, during and after installation takes place.
Revise plans according to project changes and communicate alterations to clients, crews and subcontractors.
Experience
Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Landscape Design or Landscape Architecture
At least 5 years of relevant experience in landscape design
Strong knowledge of Zone 7-8 native ecology, perennials, shrubs and trees including local perennial edible possibilities.
Strong knowledge of vegetable gardening is a major plus
Skills
Excellent design, visualization and graphic skills. Strong hand graphic skills.
Excellent client relations skills, as well as writing and oral presentation skills
Must be proficient in Excel and CAD. We use Landscape Design software that is similar to CAD.
Strong collaborator
Requirements
Must reside in the DC DMV area. This is not a virtual position.
Must provide their own transportation and have a valid driver's license
Compensation ranges with experience and credentials. $25-40/hour plus sales commission. Driving compensation.
Interested?! Email a brief letter of interest, resume, and 1-2 work examples to: [email protected]
Community Partnerships:
We love living here and being involved in the DC Metro Area urban agriculture movement. We've partnered with local organization, schools, and non-profits on a number of great projects for our community.
We’re open to new ideas and projects– If you would like to partner with us, send us an email and let’s chat!
Interested? Email with your interest in the subject line: [email protected]
