Berry Workers

Job description

Berry Pickers: Hand-harvest strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Duties may include cleaning, field-packing and loading harvested berries. Field grade, sort, or classify berries by size, weight, color, or condition. May work in packing shed on the farm. May operate forklift or electric pallet jack to unload and load berries. Prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. Negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday and able to lift and carry 75 lbs. in field. Must not hinder another worker?s productivity. Use of personal cell phone or other personal electronic device during working hours strictly prohibited except for work-related calls or emergencies and violation may result in immediate termination. Requires one month verifiable work experience hand-harvesting strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Must commit to entire anticipated period of employment.

Strawberries: Workers will bend and stoop to pick strawberries according to size, color, shape and degree of maturity and place into field containers. Workers will be expected to pick fully ripe strawberries, discard any cat-faced, deformed, decayed or undersized berries according to supervisor's instructions. Also, workers must carefully remove any undesirable berries from plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Workers may carry full container weighing approximately twenty-five (25) lbs. and empty into field bin or load onto trailer. In some instances workers will be expected to fill a 4-quart/one gallon plastic pail, carefully filling the pail to capacity. (Buckets must be full for correct measure and weight) When full, baskets will be carried 2 or 3 per hand, by the wire handles, nestled to avoid bruising or spillage to end of rows at designated truck-loading place. Then the buckets of berries will be inspected for quality and loaded for transportation to roadside market or coolers. Employees will take turns transporting berries to the coolers, but must transport all fruit at least hourly. Depending on market demand, workers may also be required to pick strawberries in cups and/or flats. Strawberries harvested specifically for sale at a roadside stand as fresh market specialty basket containers must be field graded. For berries harvested for sale at roadside stands, extra care must be used to ensure that each strawberry is undamaged and perfect. All berries must be handled carefully to prevent bruises or fingernail cuts. Pickers will take extreme care not to damage the delicate berries. Quality and workmanship is of the utmost importance.

Blackberries: This is a very difficult, scratchy job as these are thorny blackberries. Harvest is a difficult, painful job that requires constantly reaching into thorny blackberry plants. Necessary manual dexterity precludes wearing gloves. And significant briar scratches are normal complications. Workers must be diligent to avoid natural complications related to natural hazards, including poison oak, chiggers, and snakes. Workers will bend and stoop to pick blackberries according to size, color, shape and degree of maturity and place into field containers. Workers will be expected to pick fully ripe blackberries, discard any deformed, decayed or undersized berries according to supervisor?s instructions. Also, workers must carefully remove any undesirable berries from plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Workers will carry 2 full containers with 6,2 qt. baskets in each weighing approximately 12 lbs. each to the field trailer. Workers will properly fill all 2 qt baskets.

Special Requirements

Prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. Negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday and able to lift and carry 75 lbs. in field. Must not hinder another workers productivity. Use of personal cell phone or other personal electronic device during working hours strictly prohibited except for work-related calls or emergencies and violation may result in immediate termination. Requires one month verifiable work experience hand-harvesting strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Must commit to entire anticipated period of employment.