Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Grower

🎯 Role Definition

A Grower is responsible for planning, managing and executing crop production activities to maximize yield, quality, and profitability while maintaining compliance with safety, environmental and food-safety standards. This role oversees plant propagation, crop scheduling, nutrient and pest management, climate control, and team supervision across greenhouse, indoor or field production systems. Growers translate agronomic science into reliable, scalable production practices, deliver consistent product quality, and continuously optimize operations using crop data, SOPs, and industry best practices.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Farm Laborer / Field Worker with hands-on crop experience
Nursery Technician / Horticulture Assistant
Agriculture or Horticulture Intern with production exposure

Advancement To:

Senior Grower / Head Grower
Greenhouse / Production Manager
Cultivation Director or Farm Manager
Operations Manager for multi-site production facilities

Lateral Moves:

Crop Scientist / Agronomist
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Nursery or Propagation Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and continuously refine annual and seasonal crop production plans, including variety selection, planting schedules, and yield targets to meet sales forecasts and quality specifications.
Supervise and execute plant propagation activities (seed starting, cuttings, tissue culture transfers when applicable), ensuring high germination rates and healthy transplant growth consistent with SOPs.
Manage irrigation scheduling and water management programs using automated irrigation systems, tensiometers, EC/ppm monitoring, and fertigation protocols to maintain optimal plant water and nutrient status.
Design, monitor and adjust crop nutrient management programs, including daily monitoring of EC/pH, fertilizer recipes, and foliar feeding plans to drive uniform growth and crop quality.
Operate and program environmental control systems (HVAC, CO2 injection, shading, humidifiers, vents) to optimize light, temperature, humidity and CO2 for each growth stage and crop type.
Implement integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, perform regular scouting, identify pests and diseases, and apply biological, cultural and chemical controls in compliance with label and regulatory requirements.
Maintain detailed production records, harvest logs, pesticide and fertilizer applications, and environmental data to support traceability, compliance and continuous improvement initiatives.
Plan and execute harvest, post-harvest handling and grading protocols to preserve product quality, minimize waste and meet customer specifications, including scheduling labor and processing flows.
Lead, train and mentor production staff, seasonal labor and cross-functional teams on SOPs, safe equipment use, pruning, trellising, grafting and other crop-specific techniques.
Establish and enforce workplace safety, sanitation and biosecurity policies, conduct routine safety audits, and ensure compliance with OSHA, quality and food-safety standards (e.g., GAP, GMP, HACCP where applicable).
Monitor crop performance using yield metrics, pest/disease incidence and quality indicators, analyze trends and implement corrective actions to hit production KPIs and cost targets.
Calibrate, maintain and coordinate preventative maintenance for production equipment (irrigation pumps, foggers, heaters, climate computers, conveyors) and small mechanized tools to reduce downtime.
Manage input inventories (seed, fertilizer, substrate, trays, biologicals), forecast material needs, and coordinate purchasing to control costs and prevent production interruptions.
Collaborate with supply chain, quality assurance and sales teams to align production schedules with customer orders, harvest windows and packaging requirements.
Conduct trials of new cultivars, substrates, biostimulants or production techniques, document results, and recommend scalable improvements to increase yield, quality or profitability.
Optimize space utilization and crop rotations, including bench layout, potting schedules and staging areas, to maximize throughput and reduce crop overlap and disease pressure.
Maintain greenhouse and nursery sanitation protocols, including cleaning benches, disinfection of tools and controlled entry procedures to reduce pathogen spread.
Prepare production budgets, monitor actual vs. planned labor and input costs, and contribute to pricing and margin analysis with operations leadership.
Respond to and resolve production emergencies (power outages, freeze events, pest outbreaks) by executing contingency plans and coordinating with facilities and management.
Provide technical input into SOP, training materials and standard work documentation, ensuring consistency and transferability of knowledge across production teams.
Partner with R&D or breeding teams to scale new varieties from trial to full production, providing practical feedback on performance under commercial conditions.
Ensure compliance with local and national regulations regarding pesticide use, waste disposal, water usage and permitting where applicable.
Maintain strong working relationships with external vendors, crop consultants and extension specialists to access best practices, new inputs and technical support.
Utilize crop management software, production dashboards and data-logging tools to track performance, produce actionable reports and support data-driven decisions.

Secondary Functions

Support harvest packing and quality control during peak periods to ensure on-time shipments and product standards.
Assist procurement and inventory teams with SKU-level forecasting and replenishment priorities for propagation and production inputs.
Participate in cross-functional improvement projects (lean, 5S, Kaizen) to streamline propagation, potting and harvesting workflows.
Train and cross-train team members on basic diagnostic scouting, equipment operation and bend-and-train techniques.
Contribute to sustainability initiatives such as water conservation projects, integrated nutrient management plans and energy-reduction measures.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Plant propagation techniques including seed starting, cloning, cuttings, grafting and transplanting specific to greenhouse and nursery environments.
Irrigation and fertigation system management, including drip, ebb-and-flow, run-to-waste systems and automated controllers.
Environmental control systems operation and optimization (climate computers, HVAC, CO2, shade and humidity control).
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) skills: scouting, pest/disease ID, beneficial organism release, and compliant pesticide application.
Nutrient management and substrate chemistry: EC/pH monitoring, fertilizer formulation and soil/soilless media selection.
Crop scheduling and production planning using production calendars, Gantt charts, or crop management platforms.
Harvesting, post-harvest handling, grading and packaging techniques to maintain product quality and shelf life.
SOP development, implementation and quality documentation for traceability and audit readiness (GAP/GMP/HACCP familiarity).
Use of cultivation and farm-management software, spreadsheets and production dashboards to track and analyze crop performance.
Equipment operation and maintenance: pumps, conveyors, trimming machines, forklifts (if required) and small mechanized tools.
Data collection and basic analytics: yield calculations, pest/disease incidence tracking, and production KPI reporting.
Regulatory compliance knowledge: pesticide licensing, recordkeeping, worker safety (OSHA), and environmental permitting.
Trial design and evaluation for cultivar or input trials, including documentation and interpretation of agronomic data.
Inventory and supply-chain coordination for production inputs and propagation materials.
Basic mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills to resolve greenhouse equipment issues quickly.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people-management skills, with experience motivating seasonal teams and developing talent.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional coordination and clear SOP documentation.
Problem-solving and critical thinking, especially under time pressure during peak production activities or crop emergencies.
Attention to detail and quality focus to consistently meet product specifications and reduce losses.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance propagation, daily plant care and harvest demands.
Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic production environment with shifting schedules and environmental variability.
Collaborative mindset to work with sales, quality, facilities and R&D teams toward shared production goals.
Data-driven decision making: ability to interpret production metrics and apply corrective actions.
Commitment to continuous improvement, curiosity to trial new methods and willingness to adopt best practices.
Strong work ethic and hands-on orientation with physical stamina for labor-intensive tasks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with demonstrated hands-on crop production experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant Science, Crop Science, Agricultural Management or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Horticulture
Agronomy
Plant Science
Crop Science
Agricultural Technology
Environmental Science (with production focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2 to 7 years of progressive experience in commercial greenhouse, nursery or field crop production; 3+ years preferred for senior grower roles.

Preferred:

Prior experience managing a production team, implementing IPM programs, running climate control systems and optimizing fertigation programs.
Certifications and licenses such as Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), pesticide applicator license, or other region-specific crop or safety certifications are advantageous.