Home Nursery / Plant Store / Botanical Lab

This page covers the day-to-day operations of the plant store.

→ Responsibilities

The nursery operates with overlapping roles that reflect alwaysbecookin’ values of porousness and intergenerational learning. Each role can be filled by multiple people, and individuals often hold multiple roles.

Nursery Steward

Primary Responsibilities: Overall nursery coordination, customer experience, community culture, space management
Daily Tasks: Space activation, customer guidance, community facilitation, conflict resolution, volunteer coordination
Time Commitment: 6-8 hours daily during operating hours
Skills Needed: Customer service, community facilitation, problem-solving, basic plant knowledge, space management
Growth Pathway: From community organizer → customer experience expert → space manager → community leader

Head Gardener/Master Cultivator

Primary Responsibilities: Plant cultivation expertise, propagation programs, growing method development, hands-on plant care leadership
Daily Tasks: Plant propagation, soil mixing, pest management, volunteer training, cultivation planning, variety selection
Technical Focus: Local growing conditions mastery, traditional technique integration, experimental cultivation methods
Decision Authority: Which plants to grow and propagate, cultivation techniques, growing space allocation, volunteer training content
Skills Needed: Deep horticultural knowledge, local climate expertise, traditional knowledge integration, teaching ability
Growth Pathway: From experienced gardener → local cultivation expert → traditional knowledge keeper → master cultivator

Garden Workers/Cultivators (Multiple Positions)

Primary Responsibilities: Daily hands-on plant care, cultivation tasks, basic customer plant guidance, volunteer work coordination
Daily Tasks: Watering, repotting, plant maintenance, basic customer consultations, volunteer supervision, seasonal preparations
Seasonal Variation: Full-time during peak seasons, part-time during slow periods, volunteer coordination year-round
Skills Needed: Practical plant care, physical stamina, basic customer service, local plant knowledge, tool maintenance
Career Development: Plant care experience → specialized expertise (propagation, pest management, etc.) → Head Gardener pathway

Plant Knowledge Curator

Primary Responsibilities: Traditional knowledge documentation, research facilitation, educational content creation, plant database maintenance
Daily Tasks: Recording plant observations, customer consultation, workshop preparation, traditional knowledge interviews
Cross-Space Integration: Collaborates with Library for documentation, Makerspace for growing infrastructure, Hackerspace for digital tools
Community Interface: Serves as bridge between elders with traditional knowledge and younger generation learning
Skills Needed: Research methodology, documentation, plant identification, cultural sensitivity, storytelling

Ecosystem Researcher

Primary Responsibilities: Experimental design, data collection, climate adaptation studies, biodiversity monitoring, citizen science coordination
Daily Tasks: Monitoring experiments, data recording, equipment maintenance, community science facilitation
Research Focus: Comparative growing studies, climate adaptation, traditional vs modern techniques, ecosystem integration
External Relations: Partnerships with universities, government agricultural departments, research institutions

Community Educator

Primary Responsibilities: Workshop facilitation, customer education, intergenerational programming, school partnerships, educational programming execution
Daily Tasks: Customer plant consultations, workshop delivery, educational content creation, community outreach
Programming Development: Monthly workshops, problem-solving clinics, school programs, expert visits
Network Development: Building connections with schools, community groups, traditional knowledge holders
Checklist Integration: Works with Product & Programming Coordinator to implement educational activities from lines 887-912 (workshops, knowledge documentation, community engagement)
Cross-Space Educational Coordination: Coordinates educational content between Library (documentation), Nursery (hands-on learning), and community programming
Teaching Focus: Transforms activity checklist items into actual learning programs - plant care workshops, traditional knowledge sessions, children’s programs, expert visits

Operations Coordinator

Primary Responsibilities: Daily logistics, space management, equipment maintenance, safety protocols, volunteer coordination
Daily Tasks: Opening/closing protocols, equipment maintenance scheduling, safety oversight, volunteer task coordination
Infrastructure Focus: Water systems, growing equipment, safety protocols, space maintenance, tool management
Coordination Role: Between Head Gardener, Steward, and Garden Workers for smooth daily operations

Business Manager

Primary Responsibilities: Financial management, vendor relations, compliance, strategic business planning, inventory management
Daily Tasks: Financial tracking, supplier coordination, inventory monitoring, sales analysis, permit management
Strategic Focus: Revenue optimization, cost management, growth planning, partnership development
External Relations: Supplier relationships, permit management, regulatory compliance, funding partnerships
Decision Authority: Budget allocation, vendor selection, pricing strategy, financial sustainability planning

Product & Programming Coordinator

Primary Responsibilities: Strategic activity planning, product mix decisions, cross-space coordination, seasonal programming
Daily Tasks: Activity matrix review (lines 735-912), programming decisions, cross-space coordination meetings, seasonal planning
Decision Authority: Which activities from the comprehensive checklist to pursue, product development priorities, workshop scheduling
Strategic Focus: Revenue vs research vs community balance, seasonal product mix, cross-space integration opportunities
Cross-Space Integration: Coordinates what activities happen in Library vs Nursery vs Makerspace, unified programming calendar
Skills Needed: Strategic planning, program management, financial analysis, community needs assessment
Key Responsibilities: Reviews and prioritizes the massive activity decision matrix, coordinates alwaysbecookin’ ecosystem programming

Wildlife & Ecosystem Facilitator

Primary Responsibilities: Wildlife habitat maintenance, beneficial insect cultivation, natural pest management, ecosystem health monitoring
Daily Tasks: Habitat maintenance, wildlife observation, beneficial species cultivation, pest monitoring
Skill Domains: Entomology, ornithology, ecosystem management, natural pest control
Teaching Component: Educating community about beneficial species, ecosystem relationships, natural balance

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