Farm Workers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Planting, Cultivating, & Harvesting Vegetables/Fruits:
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; cleaning, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
• Apply pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers to crops.
• Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
• Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
• Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
• Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
• Clear and maintain irrigation ditches.
• Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
• Dig and plant seeds, or transplant seedlings by hand.
• Repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures.
• Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
• Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
• Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities

Alternative Work;
General farm maintenance and other duties as required in the farming operation maintenance. Includes, but not limited to draining fields, preparing land for planting, maintenance of tools & equipment, and other work as directly related to the crop activities for which the worker is hired. Accumulation and collection of compost materials and clippings for crop fertilizer. Also includes fixing, clearing, and painting of fences / barns. Such work will be offered when climate or crop conditions preclude working in the primary activities listed above.

General Conditions:
A normal work week is Monday through Friday from 08:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m and Saturday 07:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If work is available beyond normal workdays, employer may offer, but not require, worker an opportunity to work additional hours. Workers will report to work at designated time and place as directed by assigned employer each day. However, workers may be requested to ten (10) hours per day depending on the conditions in the fields and the maturity of the crops. Also, workers may be requested to work on federal holidays and their Sabbath but will not be required to do so. Workers may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available.
Down time: Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer’s control. These periods can occur any time throughout the season. Worker may be required to work in fields when crops are wet with dew / rain and should have suitable clothing for conditions which include light rain and temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to more than 100 degrees. Workers should be able to stand, bend, stoop and work for prolonged periods of time and be physically fit to perform duties as assigned. Workers will be trained for period of two (2) days (14 hours) after which workers will be expected to perform job required. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising or breaking crops. Care must also be exercised in with any use of equipment.

Special Requirements

Physically able to bend, stoop, and able to stand on feet for long periods of time. Physically able to meet and perform all job specifications. May be required to take random drug and / or alcohol tests, at no cost to the worker. Testing positive or failure to comply may result in immediate termination from employment. All testing and background check will occur after employment has started and is not a part of the interview process. May be required to submit a criminal background check, at no cost to the worker. Felony convictions that employer reasonably believes, consistent with current law, will impair the safety and living conditions of other workers or other individuals on the farm will result in immediate termination. Failure to comply with request for criminal background check may result in immediate termination of employment.