Nursery Worker Ii

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
nursery stock - containerized and balled and burlapped trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.
Plants cuttings. Applies fertilizer or appropriate chemicals to destroy undesirable growth and pests, using spray applicator. Prunes, top tapes, transplants, spaces, stakes, irrigates and culls plants to ensure development of marketable products. Harvests, packs, labels, loads and stores trees, shrubs and perennials using techniques appropriate for individual variety. Workers may perform duties including boxing, weighing, loading and installation of product. Uncovers and/or recovers, assists with assembly and repair of poly covered winter storage houses and pulls lath strips to prepare storage houses for new poly covers. Installs and removes poly blankets used for winter protection. May incidentally operate mechanical equipment to assist with duties. May grade trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals and must be able to distinguish between varieties to ensure quality of product for shipment.

May install production tags/labels. Must possess ability to understand verbal or written work instructions. Non-supervisory nursery workers may demonstrate tasks to others. Designated workers may be responsible for acting as a liaison between the crew and the supervisor to communicate progress of production tasks and communicate work completed for the day. Performs any other duties involved in the production of nursery stock and maintenance of fields and other operational areas.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. Workers will assist in loading trucks with packaged product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations.

In addition, workers may be required to perform variable tasks such as the following: irrigation, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, weeding and other tasks related to a nursery operation.

Work may also include incidental mechanized field work using power equipment. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators and other equipment.

While the employer does not require prospective applicants to take and pass a drug test prior to a hiring decision, the employer has a no-exceptions drug policy requiring newly-hired employees to take and pass an employer-paid drug test. Every new hire and returning seasonal worker must undergo testing before start working with the company. All testing is conducted uniformly after an initial job offer has been extended and accepted by the new hire. If an employee tests positive, he/she is immediately terminated and paid for all hours worked between the first date of employment and the date of termination, if any. In the case of a non-local or foreign worker who is terminated for cause resulting from failure to pass a drug test, the employer will arrange least-cost transportation to the worker's place of recruitment, at the worker's expense. The employer will also test at random, upon reasonable suspicion of use, and after a worker has an accident at work.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and able to obtain an insurable driver's license may drive company vehicles.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working in a wholesale nursery or crop farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with nursery production and/or farm crop and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday worked required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified Drug Free Workplace employer. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing required.