Farmworkers

Job description

Perform manual labor to plant, transplant, cultivate, and harvest green onions and vegetables including leafy greens and herbs. Duties may include tilling soil, weeding, thinning, counting, and checking crops. Prepare outdoor growing areas by setting up irrigation drip tape, laying, repairing, and cleaning plastic; removing debris and weeds by hand and using gardening tools; and spacing plants at designated intervals. Locate, select, prepare, tag, and load product onto wagons, racks, and trucks for shipping. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, shears, knives, cutters, weeders, hand leeks, thinning hooks, and weeding hooks. Workers may be given an employee number to keep up with piece rates. May repair fences and farm buildings or participate in irrigation activities. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches. Operate farm tractors and equipment. Harvest green onions by hand. Undercut green onions. Pull bunches. Gather onions into bunches of five to seven. Tie bunches together with rubber bands. Once harvested, place the bunches of green onions into various sized cartons in the field weighing up to 40 lbs. Lift plants from the seedbed and trim the roots and tops. Pack in shallow boxes for removal to the field where they will be planted. Work in groups to harvest crops with truck that is moving through the field along with workers while being careful not to damage harvested product. Stack weighed boxes onto pallets. Licensed drivers may drive trucks or other vehicles to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers on or off the farm, and may be offered additional hours. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time.

TERMINATION. Prior to any termination for cause, employer evaluates workers' performance of required tasks and compliance with Work Rules and other employer policies. Employer may terminate a worker for cause if the worker's performance consistently and/or substantially fails to satisfy the employer's reasonable expectations (in accordance with the criteria set forth herein), or otherwise engages in serious or egregious misconduct that endangers health, safety, or property. In assessing whether workers' performance meets reasonable expectations, employer evaluates, among other reasonable criteria, whether the worker: (1) has adequately complied with the Work Rules and any other policies or procedures; (2) has complied with all health and safety guidelines, including the use of tools or equipment in accordance with best practices to protect the employer's property, crops, and in a manner that avoids injury or damage;

Special Requirements

Three months of farmwork experience is required. Walk, bend, reach, and twist repetitively. Lift, carry and load up to 40 lbs. Work outside in extremely hot, cold and/or wet weather for extensive periods of time. Must be 18 years or older.