Field Worker

Job description

Field Workers: to perform the following duties on all row crop vegetables.

Irrigation: Field worker to perform the following duties:

Irrigation Flood: Workers walk on uneven furrows. Using a shovel, workers shape and/or remove soil gates within the furrow to give access or obstruct water flow in field. Workers have to manually connect plastic irrigation pipes that connect the water source line into the field. These pipes weigh approximately 5lb, are 5ft in length, and 2’’ in width. All work is performed in the field.
Pre-Irrigation: Workers walk on wet uneven furrows and across beds. Field workers move within the field looking for any non-working or clogged sprinklers. Under the direction of the field supervisor, workers make sure sprinklers aren’t clogged or have any pipe disconnected. Pre-irrigation is used to water down soil and prepare the field prior to farming.
Irrigation: Workers walk on uneven furrows. Field workers pick and/or lay sprinklers and irrigation pipes. Employees are grouped in groups of 3 workers. One worker drives the tractor, and the other two workers walk behind a tractor and a trailer that carries aluminum pipes. Under the direction of the field supervisor, the worker grabs the pipes and sprinklers and by bending at the waist they have to manually unload and/or load pipes into the furrow to set the field up for irrigation following transplanting.  
Break/move pipes:  Workers walk on uneven furrows. Field workers pick and/or lay sprinklers and irrigation pipes. After a transplanted field is watered down, workers have to move and/or break irrigation pipelines. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers have to move and carry the aluminum pipes and sprinklers from one furrow into the next as needed to water down the field evenly. Aluminum pipes and sprinklers weigh approximately 50 lbs., 30ft in length, 2 ½ in width.
Drip Tape installation and Removal:  Workers walk on uneven furrows. Field workers lift heavy spools of drip tape rolls onto tractor implement.  Maximum weight is 50lbs.  Employees are grouped in teams of 3 workers. One worker drives the tractor, and the other two workers either walk behind the tractor and implement that is laying the drip tape onto the crop or they wait on either end of the field to assist the tractor driver with turns.  The two workers not driving the tractor help cut the tape on each spool at the end of the row. Those workers connect the drip tape to the main irrigation line or place a cap on the other end. They also assure the tape is being laid efficiently and accurately and help the tractor driver replace spools of tape.  For retrieval process, workers remove tape from main line and by hand or with the use of tractor they pull up the tape so it lays on top of soil.  The tape is then connected to a spool mounted on a trailer at one end of the row and it is pulled mechanically onto the spool. The spool is then removed from the equipment and stored on trailer for recycling. The team of 3 then continues to the next field.

Crop cleaning/weeding:
Workers walk on uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crops and in between product seed lines and uses a (long handled hoe) to clean out unwanted product. The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted leaves on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by field supervisor.
Thinning:
Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for the specified gap between seeds, and using a long-handled hoe thins out any excess crop/seeds and/or weed on the seed line and leaves the desired product and gap on the field. The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted weed on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by field supervisor.

Special Requirements

Minimum Job Qualifications:

Requirements: 3-month row crop cleaning experience and harvesting experience to avoid crop damage and personal injury. Written verification of experience is required. Must be able to use shears, clippers, hoe, and other agricultural tools, no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is encouraged for training and safety purposes. Workers must be able to physically perform the work stated herein.