Farmworkers

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
apples, cherries, nectarines, pears, apricots.
Plant, cultivate and harvest fruits. Plant roots, seeds and bulbs. Spread plastic or other groundcovering. Clean plastic by hand from ground upon removal. Till soil. Weed and thin plants. Transplant plants by hand. Stake/tie plants, trellis/prune plants, and set poles and wires for vine plants. Pick, cut, lift, or pull crops. Grade, size and field pack product. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Install, remove and repair bird netting and shade cloth. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, saws, and knives. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies.

Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates.

Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Repair fences.

Planting: Propagate plants by placing buds/scions. Plant seedlings or 'liners' by hand or with mechanical planter. Clear cull stock, brush and debris. Dig holes and shovel dirt.

Tree Training: hoeing, tree painting, weed mat application. Tie/position trees and limbs, together and to trellises, using string, tape, wire or other fasteners and supports.

Install bird netting and shade cloth. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use shears, loppers and saws only on fruit trees.

Thinning: Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit.

Pruning: Workers will hand prune fruit trees only based on fruit variety, using ladders. Use manual pruning tools. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers. No dormant grape pruning.

Use/handle ladders up to 12 ft. in length and weighing up to 40 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform.

Harvest: Spot and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Snap fruit off tree with thumb and palm of hand to avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Pick culls and peelers. Fill fruit buckets and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately.

Cherries: Hand pick fruit leaving stems attached. Place harvested fruit at bottom of basket/bucket. Avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Identify defects (bird pecks, limb rubs, splits, sunburn) and other damage. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on fruit quality. Must be able to differentiate between colors and sizes accurately.

Grapes: Plant, cultivate, and harvest grapes. Manage vineyard canopy to permit light and air circulation. Thin fruit and remove shoots, leaves and vines. Performs vineyard maintenance activities including but not limited to mowing, weed control and trellis installation and repair. Performs tasks under supervision in vineyard/winery operation. Install and maintain vine trellises. Tie vines to trellises. Manage vineyard canopy management to permit light and air circulation. Install and maintain bird netting. Assist/move harvested fruit from field to processing area. May perform general tasks relative to vineyard and winery operation when work in vineyard is not available.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural experience working in an orchard, handling both manual and mechanized tasks, including showing proficiency with orchard ladder use. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work.