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Further general employment considerations concerning working at Vital Seeds

Vital Seeds is a small, certified organic farm-based seed company based in rural Devon, UK about 25 minutes from Totnes. We grow and sell open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seeds through our online shop to UK gardeners and small-scale growers. We are passionate about increasing the availability and variety of UK grown organic seeds. We view our work as part of a broader movement to support agroecological agriculture, encourage biodiversity, and create meaningful connections between farmers, gardeners, and the food system.

We strive to create an open and positive work environment at Vital Seeds where all employees are engaged in their work. Though we may not all be working together on the same tasks at the same time, we are all working towards a shared goal together. To this end, it is important for workers to have the following skills and attitudes in order to build a happy and productive team. These are overarching guiding principles that apply to all positions at Vital Seeds.

Attitudes and Abilities

• Responsibility and reliability
• Ability to learn and to work unsupervised
• Self-motivation to do quality work efficiently and improvement over time
• Tidy up after yourself and contribute to keeping the work spaces in order
• Awareness and participation
• Maintaining an awareness of what is currently happening in the business
• Think of what needs to happen next and help initiate that next task
• Considering health and safety as well as quality at all times
• Time
• Being on time for work
• Keeping track of work speed and striving for efficiency
• Positive attitude
• Making constructive suggestions for improving work, and offering to help implement those improvements
• Respecting all staff, appreciating their work and contributions
• Optimistic, good natured and adaptable while at work
• Communication
• Working well with others through verbal and written communication
• Questioning directions when they are inadequate or unclear
• When appropriate, offer alternative/ improved ways to achieve a work objective
• Responsiveness to suggestions from supervisor and co-workers
• Proactive and honest communication
• Focus
• Able to concentrate on the task at hand
• Listening carefully to instructions without becoming distracted
• Retaining information for future reference (memory and/ or note-taking)

Onboarding process

Following your trial day and interview at Vital Seeds, you will receive feedback on whether you got the job or not. On your first day of employment, you will be required to complete the necessary paperwork, including an HMRC form and a new employee form. You may also need to present identification and, if applicable, proof of your right to work in the UK. Upon joining our team, you will receive your employment contract and other essential documents, including our Health and Safety procedures. We will also provide you with our grievance and disciplinary procedures documents, which outline the processes for addressing workplace concerns and maintaining professional standards. We will help you integrate smoothly into the Vital Seeds team and familiarise yourself with our organic seed production methods and company culture.

Evaluation and communication

When you first start work, you will naturally be exploring how you feel about working here and whether the work is right for you. We will be checking in with you informally at periodic intervals to see how it’s going and if you have any concerns. Before the conclusion of the probationary period we will schedule an evaluation to talk about the quality of your experience and if there are any issues we need to address. This evaluation will go both ways. There will be informal check-ins during your ongoing employment on a regular basis to keep track of job satisfaction and performance.

If, at any time, you feel you must terminate your position, we ask that you give four weeks notice (except in extreme circumstances of course). It is very important that we know if you are moving on. Our work does not wait for us to find employees, so we need all the lead time we can get.

Work environment

Vital Seeds is located 2 miles from Ashburton on a farm called Baddaford which is the home of the Baddaford Farm Partnership and the Baddaford Collective (https://www.baddaford.co.uk/). There are no housing accommodations available on the farm and there is no public transport there.

We are committed to building an organisation that seeks and embraces diversity, actively pursues equity and fosters an environment of inclusion. Vital Seeds will provide an equal opportunity in recruitment and employment to all individuals and will consider candidates without regard to age, disability, sex, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), gender reassignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation or any other legally protected status; and without discrimination based on socioeconomic, marital, parental or caregiving status, or any of the previously listed characteristics or statuses.

We value personal and professional growth, encouraging team members to develop skills, share knowledge, and contribute to our collective understanding of organic seed production and agroecology.

Benefits/ perks:

Vital Seeds is committed to employee health, ensuring physical and psychological longevity and sustainability to avoid burnout. We offer the following benefits to employees: sick pay, paid time off, paid holidays, family leave and flexible accommodations, educational opportunities, regular performance evaluations and pay raises, and an employee discount on seeds. Exact details vary based on employment status and are subject to change.