Part-Time Kitchen Gardener & Smallholding Lead

Job Description

 

Part-Time Kitchen Gardener & Smallholding Lead
Location: Romsey, Hampshire
Hours: 15-20 hours / week (flexible layout across the week)
Pay: £25 – £35 / hour (depending on experience, offered on a self-employed invoicing basis)
Benefits:
• Produce allowance - full access to seasonal fruit, veg, and orchard harvest).
• Professional Development: Opportunities for fully funded permaculture training (e.g. Permaculture Design Certificate) for candidates looking to expand their ecological skillset.
About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced, self-directed Kitchen Gardener to manage the main growing areas of an established permaculture-based smallholding near Romsey. The site includes approximately 1 acre of main crop production (utilising no-dig methods and polytunnel space) and a 0.5–1 acre food forest.
This is a collaborative role working alongside the owner, who spent the last two years on sabbatical designing, building, and establishing the permaculture plot. As the owner returns to full-time work, they will remain involved in limited day-to-day activities and provide overarching direction (identifying household crop preferences and target volume goals), while leaving granular crop planning, sowing schedules, and bed logistics to the gardener’s expertise.
Phased Growth & Long-Term Vision:
• Year 1: The immediate focus is for the gardener to master the plot—establishing reliable year-round production for our family and the gardener, while directing any natural seasonal gluts to a local food charity.
• Years 2–3: We aim to intentionally expand the charity side of the operation, establishing a dedicated, structured supply line for local food relief.
• Years 3–5: Our ambition is to build out a thriving community market garden on-site—potentially scaling the team with additional staff to supply fresh, ecologically grown food directly to the local community.
This role is ideal for a skilled, forward-thinking grower who wants to grow with the site—taking ownership of a high-yield permaculture system today, while helping shape a meaningful, community-focused agricultural project for tomorrow.
Key Responsibilities
• Crop Planning & Succession: Design and execute a year-round planting scheme for the main crop beds and polytunnel to meet household preferences, gardener supply, and seasonal food bank yields.
• Weekly Alignment & Planning: Participate in a regular meeting with the owner to review high-level priorities, harvest planning, and upcoming site tasks.
• Bed & Soil Management: Maintain existing beds using low-till/no-dig practices, mulching, composting, and organic soil health management.
• Food Forest & Orchard Care: Manage understory, basic pruning, pest management, and perennial harvesting within the food forest area.
• Harvesting & Community Distribution: Coordinate weekly harvesting and prep for the household, as well as building logistics for local food bank donations as output grows.
About You
• Experience: Proven track record in organic market gardening, kitchen gardening, or smallholding management.
• Openness to Permaculture: A formal permaculture qualification is not essential. We welcome skilled organic growers with strong crop-planning and soil-management skills who are keen to apply ecological/no-dig principles. For candidates with strong kitchen gardening experience, we are happy to fund formal permaculture training.
• Year-Round Expertise: Demonstrated experience in winter cropping, succession planting, and polytunnel production.
• Collaborative & Self-Motivated: Able to work independently while engaging in clear, transparent communication during weekly check-ins.
• Vision & Social Impact: Enthusiastic about growing food for social good, with the ambition to help build a community-oriented market garden over time.

How to Apply

 

To apply or discuss the role, please send a brief cover email outlining your relevant growing experience and approach to land care, along with your CV or details of previous projects, to Dr_Damien_Ofarrell@yahoo.co.uk.