BUGS Garden Assistant

Join the City of Boise’s mission to cultivate community, sustainability, and hands-on learning! As a BUGS Garden Assistant, you’ll support the Urban Agriculture Specialist in maintaining productive, educational vegetable gardens at the Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS) and other park sites. Your work will help create engaging outdoor classrooms where youth and adults learn about gardening, healthy food systems, and environmental stewardship.

This seasonal position is open to individuals age 19 and older and typically works 19 hours per week from mid-February through September. You’ll play an essential role in keeping our city-sponsored gardens healthy, welcoming, and thriving throughout the growing season.

• Executes vegetable garden production plans under direction of the Urban Agriculture Specialist. Performs manual labor for garden landscaping. Performs daily greenhouse plant propagation tasks. Prunes and mulches trees and shrubs. 
• Manages crops by prepping beds, planting, irrigating, cultivating, scouting pests, and harvesting. Operates hand and power tools; operates garden machinery including rototillers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, chipper/shredders, pickups and tractors. Moves irrigation lines; clears rocks and thorny debris from fields; builds fences, digs trenches; hauls dirt, compost, crops and light equipment. Performs pest control and eradication methods as directed, follows safety procedures.
• Monitors plant and soil health and performs appropriate maintenance tasks. 
• Guides individual community volunteers and volunteer groups in scheduled garden activities. 
• Provides limited oversight to seasonal staff, volunteers and Sheriff Inmate Labor Detail (SILD) crews as assigned. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

Required Knowledge, Experience, And Training

• One year of experience volunteering or working in a garden or related education (Master Gardener Certificate, Horticulture degree, or related experience).

Working knowledge of:

• Planting, pruning, weeding, and cultivation of produce, flowers, shrubs, and fruit trees.
• Standard safety practices related to relevant gardening tools and equipment.
• Basic irrigation systems and maintenance.
• Basic facility maintenance.

Ability to:

• Operate light, medium and heavy equipment such as weed-eaters, tillers and lawn mowers.
• Safely utilize related protective gear and safety equipment.
• Move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Communicate effectively.
• Organize and manage large groups.
• Be creative, motivated and enthusiastic.
• Deal with the public, coworkers and supervisors in a friendly and tactful manner.
• Recognize and redirect misbehavior.
• Use strong human relations and organizational skills.
• Display an attitude of cooperation and work harmoniously with all levels of city employees, the general public and other organizations.
• Communicate effectively in the English language at a level necessary for efficient job performance.
• Complete assignments in a timely fashion.
• Understand and comply with all rules, policies and regulations.
• Maintain prompt and regular attendance.
• Perform all essential and marginal functions as assigned by an authorized employee, supervisor and/or manager with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• Individuals must be capable of operating vehicles safely and have an acceptable driving record.

Preferred Knowledge, Experience, And Training

• Garden-related education 
  • Master Gardener Certificate
  • Horticulture degree
• One year of experience working in a public garden or an urban farm setting.

Licensing And Other Requirements

• Valid state-issued driver's license

Special Requirements
Applicants must be able to pass:

• City of Boise background check processes which includes a criminal history check and reference checks in accordance with the City of Boise Hiring Process Regulation
• Driving Record Check
• Drug Free Workplace:
  • In accordance with the City of Boise Drug Free Workplace Regulation, this position is designated as safety sensitive and is subject to testing requirements including Post Offer Applicant Testing, Random Testing, Reasonable Suspicion, Post - Accident, etc. Applicants will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to hire. Appointment to this position is contingent upon a negative pre-employment drug test.
• This position is required to work directly with and oversee minors in the absence of their parent or guardian, or work directly with and oversee vulnerable adults in the absence of their caretaker or guardian.

The physical effort characteristics and working environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Efforts
While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally lifting/carrying up to 20 pounds and rarely lifting/carrying up to 50 pounds. Also, the employee is occasionally pushing/pulling up to 20 pounds and rarely pushing/pulling up to 50 pounds. The noise level is occasionally moderate. Work includes sensory ability to talk, hear, smell and touch. Work in this position also includes close vision and depth perception. Employees will sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach and grasp. Position requires hand/finger dexterity.

Working Environment
The work environment will include inside conditions, outdoor weather conditions, areas of dust, odors, mist and gases or other airborne matter. Employees are exposed to mechanical hazards. Employees will also drive a vehicle as part of this position.

Salary : $17