Powell Gardens Heartland Harvest Garden and High Tunnel
Farmer(s): Haley Drake, Lead Horticulturist Heartland Harvest Garden
Location: 20 miles east of Lee’s Summit on US HWY 50
Contact: [email protected]
Heartland Harvest Garden Website
Apprenticeship opportunities: Paid, Full-time, March-November or volunteer part tim
Location: 20 miles east of Lee’s Summit on US HWY 50
Contact: [email protected]
Heartland Harvest Garden Website
Apprenticeship opportunities: Paid, Full-time, March-November or volunteer part tim
Powell Gardens is Kansas City’s botanical garden and the Heartland Harvest Garden is America’s largest edible landscape with 12 acres of a complete range of edible plants from seasonal vegetables to fruit and nut trees. The Heartland Harvest Garden has multiple purposes of being productive, educational and beautiful as it’s a garden open to the public on a daily basis. It provides a unique opportunity to work with a diverse a group of crops since as many as 500 seasonal varieties may be planted, displayed and harvested through a growing season and over 1,500 permanent varieties such as perennial herbs, berries of all sorts, fruiting vines, fruiting shrubs and trees, and nut shrubs and trees must be maintained and harvested as well. The Heartland Harvest Garden is managed organically and was designed to ensure an abundance of insectary and companion plants to ensure healthy pollinator and beneficial insect populations.
Powell Gardens also has one acre of high tunnel under organic tomato production. Tomatoes are harvested, graded, packed and shipped to an area grocery stores and restaurants, though some tomatoes are sold on site at the Visitor Center.
Harvests from the many crops at Powell Gardens are utilized on a daily basis. Visitor tasting stations must be supplied with seasonal edibles – a way for visitors to taste the experience of such a diverse group of edible plants. Produce is gleaned daily for the menu in Café Thyme at the Powell Gardens’ visitor center. Daily harvests are utilized by the Garden interpreter for making all sorts of products for visitor demonstrations and sales at the Visitor Center or Fresh (The Barn’s sales outlet). Produce must be harvested for weekly cooking demonstrations and monthly barn dinners by area chefs. Harvests are also made for major events including the Under a Harvest Moon and Wassailing dinners. After the Harvest is called upon for any and all extra produce that may be gleaned so that nothing goes to waste.
Schedule: There are seasonal positions and intern positions posted here. https://powellgardens.org/about/jobs/ This is where the grower must apply. Please add in a note to state participation in the Growing Growers program.
Apprentice must fulfill required skills and abilities as per the job description including:
1. Must be able to lift 50 lbs. and accomplish strenuous work on an ongoing basis in various weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
2. Must be able to communicate with the public.
3. Must have dexterity and be able to groom plants and harvest produce and plant small seeds or transplants with speed and accuracy.
Powell Gardens also has one acre of high tunnel under organic tomato production. Tomatoes are harvested, graded, packed and shipped to an area grocery stores and restaurants, though some tomatoes are sold on site at the Visitor Center.
Harvests from the many crops at Powell Gardens are utilized on a daily basis. Visitor tasting stations must be supplied with seasonal edibles – a way for visitors to taste the experience of such a diverse group of edible plants. Produce is gleaned daily for the menu in Café Thyme at the Powell Gardens’ visitor center. Daily harvests are utilized by the Garden interpreter for making all sorts of products for visitor demonstrations and sales at the Visitor Center or Fresh (The Barn’s sales outlet). Produce must be harvested for weekly cooking demonstrations and monthly barn dinners by area chefs. Harvests are also made for major events including the Under a Harvest Moon and Wassailing dinners. After the Harvest is called upon for any and all extra produce that may be gleaned so that nothing goes to waste.
Schedule: There are seasonal positions and intern positions posted here. https://powellgardens.org/about/jobs/ This is where the grower must apply. Please add in a note to state participation in the Growing Growers program.
Apprentice must fulfill required skills and abilities as per the job description including:
1. Must be able to lift 50 lbs. and accomplish strenuous work on an ongoing basis in various weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
2. Must be able to communicate with the public.
3. Must have dexterity and be able to groom plants and harvest produce and plant small seeds or transplants with speed and accuracy.
powell garden's "Heartland Harvest Garden Renovations- Summer Appeal"
Photo Credits: Powell Gardens
