Section Grower in Piney River, VA

Saunders Brothers is a family owned and operated wholesale nursery and orchard in beautiful central Virginia. We are seeking a Section Grower for our woody container production division. Our long-established family nursery will provide the tools and professional development opportunities to help you succeed.

Saunders Brothers is committed to beautifying our world by producing the highest quality plant material for discerning customers. If you’ve dreamed of working in a diverse family atmosphere where faith, integrity, honesty, and passion are core values, come join our team!

Requirements and duties would include the following:

Growing Responsibilities

· Responsible for plant quality and growth from time of planting until sale including planting, pruning, spacing, nutrition, cold protection, and meeting overall SBI standards for sale.

· Maintain regular presence in field. Manage and work closely with field supervisor to prioritize daily tasks. Ensure that growing and plant health activities are completed on time.

· Consult with Head Woody Grower to troubleshoot problems.

· Scout crops weekly for pests and disease.

· Manage plant growth and ensure proper growing conditions through weekly field tests of chemical and physical properties of growing media. Determine and oversee corrective action as needed.

· Manage irrigation and water quality for assigned growing areas.

· Respond to questions from sales team and work closely with Sales Manager to understand crop expectations.

· Serve as backup for other growers when needed.

· Oversee plant deliveries and check plant material for accuracy, quality, and health.

· Attend conferences, meetings, and organizations the company deems necessary and report on new ideas learned.

· Assist Head Woody Grower with other tasks as needed.

Administrative Responsibilities

· Check orders against acknowledgements, packing slips, and invoices.

· Communicate plant quantity and quality issues to vendors.

· Assist Head Woody Grower with orders for custom and branded tags.

· Assist Head Woody Grower with quarterly royalty reports for branded programs.

· Keep patent information up-to-date and report that information to Marketing Department.

Qualifications:

· Must be able to obtain a Virginia Private Pesticide Applicator License.

· Prefer at least a 2-year college degree and 2 years of horticultural experience or 5 years of horticultural experience.

· Must have strong working knowledge of Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook as well as other computer skills. Must have excellent math skills.

· Prefer to be able to speak Spanish or be willing to learn to speak Spanish.

· Must be physically capable of performing the responsibilities and requirements of this position.

· Must have good organizational skills, be able to prioritize workload, and have flexibility as work demands change.

· Must have excellent communication skills and be able to effectively work with other staff members.

· Must be willing to work outside in all types of weather and may work alone in the nursery.

· Must be willing to work Saturdays on a rotating schedule and after hours, as necessary.

· Must have a valid VA Driver’s License.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

• North Carolina: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: One location