Agricultural Equipment Operator
Employer
139 PEACH LANE
MILTON, NY 12547
United States
Job description
Operate trucks, tractors, or other multi-purpose vehicles to transport workers from housing (whether on or off farm) to the farm properties; haul tools, supplies, or crops; transport workers from place to place around the farm properties during the workday (including on public roads to reach farmer?s fields and/or transport workers to the grocery store, or bank on an as-needed basis. Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities. Not all workers are requested to drive; drivers will be required to possess a valid operators license. No one will be rejected for the position that does not possess a class D license. Under direction of supervisor, worker will perform any combination of tasks involved in the operation of tractors and farm machinery to plant, cultivate, spray and/or harvest apples and other tree fruit. Attach farm implements to tractors and drive tractors in fields to prepare soil, plant, fertilize, mow grass, cut brush, plant young trees, spray fruit trees and plants and/or harvest crops. Make adjustments and minor repairs to machinery. Remove excess growth using pruning saws and clippers. Irrigate soil. Manually prune, plant, cultivate, & harvest apples. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, & knives. Duties include tilling soil & applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops. Construct trellises, repair fences & farm buildings. Set up & operate irrigation equipment. Clear & maintain irrigation ditches. Harvest fruit by hand. Pick apples for fresh marketing and/or processing. The employer will provide 4 days of training and/or allow 4 days of work for worker to reach production standards. After completion of training or break-in period, employer will expect worker to: pick a minimum of 120 bu boxes of apples with no more than 4% bruising per day. Workers may be instructed to selectively pick mature fruit according to size, color & other USDA standards. Worker must be physically able to pick tree fruit, most of which is done from ladders with lower branches being picked from the ground. Picked fruit is placed in a metalframed canvas covered picking bucket with canvas straps that slip over the head and rest on the shoulders. Filled bucket weighing up to 40 lbs. Thin blossoms and immature fruit. Prop limbs to prevent breakage. Operate frost protection equipment. While working in the field, cell phone usage is limited to emergency use only. Employer may conduct/require random illegal drug or alcohol tests at employer?s expense after hiring, for the safety of themselves and others as they will be operating machinery. Failure to comply with request or testing positive for illegal drugs will result in termination. Due to health and safety concerns and operation of equipment on our farm, workers are required to have the ability to comprehend simple instructions in English. A minimum of three months verifiable experience necessary in the aforementioned.
Special Requirements
The employer will provide 4 days of training and/or allow 4 days of work for worker to reach production standards. After completion of training or break-in period, employer will expect worker to: pick a minimum of 120 bu boxes of apples with no more than 4% bruising per day.
The employer will not guarantee to pay the workers a bonus but reserves the right, at the employers sole discretion, to offer a bonus or to pay an hourly wage rate in excess of the highest applicable rate stated above based on longevity of tenure or exceptional job performance.
The employer reserves the right, at the employers sole discretion, to temporarily raise the above listed piece rate due to crop conditions. In the tasks where there is no prevailing practice to pay a piece rate, the employer, at his sole discretion, may opt to pay per hour to ensure a good quality product.