Saskatchewan JobFutures

Nature of Work

Workers in this occupational group perform a wide range of duties related to the growth and care of plant life and to landscaping, grounds maintenance and lawn and tree care. They work for farmers, agricultural services, nurseries and greenhouses, landscaping companies, cemeteries, lawn care and tree service companies, landscaping departments of governments and other organizations, private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. They may also be self-employed.

Nature of Work

Workers in this occupational group perform a wide range of duties related to the growth and care of plant life and to landscaping, grounds maintenance and lawn and tree care. They work for farmers, agricultural services, nurseries and greenhouses, landscaping companies, cemeteries, lawn care and tree service companies, landscaping departments of governments and other organizations, private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. They may also be self-employed.

Duties

Agricultural and related service contractors and managers operate and manage a variety of establishments in the agricultural industry. These establishments include agricultural livestock services that specialize in the artificial insemination, spraying or shearing of livestock or in disinfecting pens, barns or poultry houses. Contractors and managers in this field may also manage businesses which provide agricultural crop services, such as plowing, irrigating, cultivating, spraying or harvesting.

Regardless of their specialization, most agricultural service contractors and managers are responsible for hiring and training workers, maintaining financial and operation records, and negotiating with farmers and farm managers regarding the services to be provided. They may also participate in the provision of services or in the operation of machinery and equipment.

Nursery and greenhouse operators and managers plan, organize, direct and control the operations of nurseries and greenhouses. This involves establishing the environmental conditions required to grow trees, shrubs, flowers and plants; determining the type and quantity of plant stocks; and supervising staff in planting, transplanting, feeding and spraying stock.

Some nursery and greenhouse operators and managers are responsible for developing marketing plans and for providing information to customers both on gardening and on the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants and lawns. They may also be responsible for hiring and supervising staff, overseeing training and setting work schedules, and for ordering fertilizer, garden and lawn care equipment, and other nursery and greenhouse related accessories. Some operators and managers also maintain records on stock, finances and personnel.

Landscaping and grounds maintenance contractors and managers plan, organize, direct and control the operations of landscaping, interior plantscaping, lawn care and tree service establishments. Their regular work duties include tendering bids on contracts for landscaping and grounds maintenance work, and planning and estimating the materials and labour requirements for individual contracts. They may also be responsible for organizing and directing the planting and maintenance of trees, gardens, lawns, shrubs and hedges, and for overseeing the construction and installation of fences, decks, patios, walkways and retaining walls. Other duties in this field include hiring and supervising staff and maintaining financial and personnel records.

Supervisors in landscape and horticulture supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers who maintain lawns, gardens, athletic fields, golf courses, cemeteries, parks, interior plantscapes and other landscaped areas. They also supervise those who spread topsoil and lay sod and who spray, prune, cut, and remove trees and shrubs. Supervisors in landscape and horticulture also oversee the activities of workers who construct landscape and landscape structures and who plant, cultivate and harvest trees, shrubs, flowers and plants.

Supervisors are usually responsible for establishing work schedules and procedures, co-ordinating activities with other work units, resolving work-related problems, and preparing and submitting progress and other reports. They may also train workers in job duties and company policies and requisition supplies and materials. Some supervisors in this area perform the same duties as the workers whom they supervise.

Aquaculture operators and managers manage the overall operations of fish hatcheries, fish farms or other aquatic farms. Their work duties include identifying the requirements of different species and selecting and overseeing the preparation of sites for species cultivation. Aquaculture operators and managers also co-ordinate the selection and maintenance of brood stock, determine food requirements, structure feeding regimes, and monitor aquariums and other environments to maintain optimum conditions.

Other duties for operators and managers in this field include conducting and supervising stock examination to identify disease or parasites, applying prescribed medicinal substances to control and prevent infection, and operating and maintaining cultivating and harvesting equipment. Operators and managers may also collect and record growth and production data, supervise and/or train technicians, technologists and aquaculture and fish hatchery support workers. They may also be responsible for maintaining financial records and establishing market strategies, inventory and quality control methods.

Depending on the size and location of their operations, aquaculture supervisors may be required to scuba dive to inspect sea farm operations and to design and construct pens, floating stations and collector strings or fences for sea farms.

Example Titles

Agricultural and related service contractors and managers:

• crop dusting contractor
• artificial inseminator
• livestock breeding service manager
• manager, artificial insemination service
• manager, crop harvesting service

Nursery and greenhouse operators and managers:

• christmas tree farm operator
• nursery manager
• greenhouse operator
• plant grower
• greenhouse farmer
• nursery farmer
• nursery operator
• flower grower
• greenhouse manager

Landscaping and grounds maintenance contractors and managers:

• landscape service contractor
• lawn maintenance contractor
• lawn care manager
• tree service contractor
• interior plantscaping contractor
• landscaping contractor
• landscaping manager
• grounds maintenance contractor
• grounds maintenance manager

Supervisors, landscape and horticulture:

• supervisor, park labourers
• grounds keeper supervisor
• supervisor, nursery workers
• greenhouse supervisor
• park supervisor, grounds maintenance
• cemetery foreman/woman
• park caretaker
• horticulture worker supervisor
• nursery foreman/woman
• landscaping foreman/woman

Aquaculture operators and managers:

• fish farm operator
• fish hatchery manager
• fish farmer
• mussel grower
• salmon grower
• trout farmer
• fish farm manager
• oyster grower
• fish hatchery operator
• aquaculture operator
• aquaculture manager

Training Paths

A wide variety of agriculture-related training programs are available in Saskatchewan. U of S offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Horticulture, Mechanized Agriculture, Animal Science and Agriculture Economics as well as a diploma program in Agriculture, certificate programs in Agriculture and Prairie Horticulture. SIAST also offers training in agriculture, including certificate programs in Beef Cattle Production, Custom Harvester, John Deere Agricultural Technician, and Pork Production Technician. As well, Pork Production Technician is a designated trade in Saskatchewan. Individuals wishing to become certified in this trade must apprentice for two years--1800 hours per year--under a certified tradesperson and complete two one-week technical training sessions. Applicants to the Pork Production Technician apprenticeship program must be working in the trade and have completed grade 10 or equivalent approved by the Trade and Apprenticeship Certification Commission. A number of short-term Agriculture courses are also available at most regional colleges. Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alberta offers various diploma programs in Crops and Machinery, Livestock and Herd Health Technology. Supervisors and other workers in nurseries, greenhouses, landscaping and horticulture can receive training through apprenticeship.

Horticulture Technician is also a designated trade in Saskatchewan. Individuals wishing to become certified in this trade must apprentice for four years under a certified tradesperson and complete 32 weeks of technical in-school training. Technical training is delivered at Olds College in Alberta. Applicants to the Horticulture apprenticeship program must be working in the trade and have completed grade 11 or equivalent approved by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. Individuals wishing a university degree in horticulture can specialize in Horticulture Science at U of S through the College of Agriculture. Uncertified greenhouse workers can receive on-the-job training. SIAST offer related training in the Integrated Resource Management program. Most employers provide training on the job.

Trends and Outlooks

The employment prospects for this occupation are: limited

This occupational group includes farmers and farm managers. Understandably, this makes it the largest occupational group in Saskatchewan. Since farmers and farm managers (8251) and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (8253) receive their own profiles elsewhere on Saskatchewan Job Futures, this analysis focuses on the other jobs covered here, namely agricultural and related service contractors and managers, nursery and greenhouse operators and managers, landscaping and grounds maintenance contractors and managers, and supervisors in landscape and horticulture.

Not counting farmers and farm managers, there were few contractors, operators and supervisors in this occupational group in 2005. Whether or not employment numbers increase for these occupations, job seekers should not expect an abundance of job openings in the next few years.

Incomes vary among contractors, operators and supervisors. Full-time agricultural and related service contractors earned an average of $39,300 per year in 2005. Some in this occupation earned as much as $58,300 and as little as $26,300 in 2005. Similarly, the average annual income for nursery and greenhouse operators and managers was $36,900 that same year, ranging from $17,200 to $69,900.

The vast majority of all contractors, operators and supervisors in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture in Saskatchewan were male in 2006. Nursery and greenhouse operators and managers are the exception. According to Statistics Canada, 55% of all workers in these occupations were female in 2006. Most workers in this group work full time. Employment in this occupational group is not very sensitive to overall economic conditions but can be highly seasonal.

Professional Associations

Related Occupations

Agricultural and related service contractors and managers:

• Farmers and Farm Managers (8251)
• Farm Supervisors and Specialized Livestock Workers (8253)
• Nursery and Greenhouse Operators and Managers (8254)
• Pest Controllers and Fumigators (7444)
• Pet Groomers and Animal Care Workers (6483)
• Supervisors, Landscape and Horticulture (8256)

Nursery and greenhouse operators and managers:

• Nursery and Greenhouse Workers (8432)
• Supervisors, Landscape and Horticulture (8256)
• Turf growers (in 8251 Farmers and Farm Managers)

Landscaping and grounds maintenance contractors and managers:

• Contractors and Supervisors, Other Construction Trades, Installers, Repairers and Servicers (7219)
• Landscape Architects (2152)
• Landscape and Horticulture Technicians and Specialists (2225)
• Nursery and Greenhouse Operators and Managers (8254)
• Supervisors,Landscape and Horticulture (8256)

Supervisors, landscape and horticulture:

• Landscape Architects (2152)
• Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Contractors and Managers (8255)
• Nursery and Greenhouse Operators and Managers (8254)

Aquaculture operators and managers:

• Aquaculture technicians (in 2221 Biological Technologists and Technicians)
• Aquaculture support workers (in 8613 Aquaculture and Marine Harvest Labourers)