Crop Farmworkers
Employer
Villa Park Orchards Association- 3205 Hermitage Road
Ojai, CA 93023
United States
Job description
Citrus/Avocados: Heavy labor picking citrus and avocados as per color and size requirements. Climbing 3-point ladder as needed to pick fruit. Worker will be using proper shears for picking lemons, oranges and mandarins. Workers will be cutting, not pulling the citrus with hand shear. Putting fruit into sack which is carried on the front of the body, with straps around the shoulder and back for support. Sack full of fruit can weigh up to 80 lbs. Sack is emptied into bin in a manner as instructed by the supervisor. This is repeated until bin is full. Worker will need to walk around the tree, under the tree, within tree branches, and from a ladder to pick the designated fruit. Workers will wear safety protection, including hard hats, gloves, sleeves, knee pads, and protection, all of which will be provided at no charge to the worker. Workers will prune citrus trees using both hands, pruning shears, and loppers. Workers will be expected to follow the directions and techniques specific to citrus trees mandated by the supervisor. Strawberries: Fresh Market Harvest: Workers will move down assigned rows picking all ripe berries, grading berries while harvesting, taking care to sort and pack containers by size, shape, color, quality, and quantity as directed. Each worker must pick the plants clean of all ripe fruit, sort, and pack all good berries into specified containers, within the box, according to very high-quality standards as set forth in the Company's food safety policy and standard operating procedures. Bad berries will be packed or disposed of as determined by the supervisor. Each worker shall handle berries carefully to avoid bruising. Bruising will weaken the berry. Each harvesting worker is expected to move with the crew from row to row and maintain the efficiently level. Upon completion of assigned row, the worker will move to the next vacant row to be picked. Harvester may receive disciplinary notice if quality continues to be an issue When picking for "fresh market," the employee will use a one-wheel cart that is two feet long and weighs 2 pounds. A cardboard tray with empty baskets is placed on the cart. The cart and tray are carried to the row to be picked and placed on the ground between each row. As the strawberries are picked, the employee will push the cart and tray along the row until the tray is packed as required. When the tray is full, the employee will carry the tray to the harvesting trailer for inspection and palletization. . Any containers that are over or under packed, or consist of poor-quality fruit, will be returned to the worker for repacking. Each full tray and picking cart can weigh from 10 to 12 pounds. Each harvester will fill from 60 to 100 fresh "market" trays per day. Fresh market harvest begins in February and ends in November. Process (for Cannery) Harvest: Difference between FRESH and PROCESS harvest is the type of tray used, weight per tray and total trays harvested per day. Tray is plastic and filled with strawberries to be used for jams, preserves, and jellies. Each tray and pick cart will weigh 20 pounds when full. Harvesters can pick 40 to 50 "freezer" trays per day. Process season begins in May and ends in July. Strawberry harvest requires constant movement, repetitive bending and stooping, and lifting various weights throughout the workday. Cultural: Runner Cutting/Trimming: Worker will walk down assigned row as instructed and cut/trim runners, leaves and blooms as directed from each strawberry plant, as necessary. Weeding: Workers will remove weeds by use of a long handled hoe from the walkway and remove all weeds growing around plants by hand. Workers will remove weeds from the growing area, by raking piles of debris and dispose of it as instructed. Plastic mulch and Drip-tape Removal: Unhook drip-tape from main water line, walk down row while pulling plastic mulch down the bed until it is completely removed. Take removed plastic mulch to proper disposal as instructed.
Special Requirements
In order to perform this kind of work, workers must be able to work outside for at least 7 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to conduct harvest activities, working rapidly and skillfully with hands. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops. The worker will be provided all necessary equipment to perform these harvest-related tasks. Workers must be able to listen, understand, and follow instruction of company supervisors and manager. Workers must be willing to perform all duties according to the employers rules and regulations during the contract period.