Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Avocados.
Plant, cultivate, and harvest tree fruit. Size and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Harvest fruit on steep terrain from trees using 32 – 40 foot ladder, clippers and/or 12 foot picking poles. Fill picking bags 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. Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Hand prune based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers.

Workers injured on the job and unable to perform the full range of duties may be offered light duty, if available. Light duty tasks may vary depending on availability of task, nature of worker's injury, and instructions from worker's physician. Light duty tasks may include blight checking, fruit checking/quality control, light picking/pruning/thinning/sorting, tree counting or watching safety training videos.

Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employer's products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.

Workers may operate farm machinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors, other employees, crops, facilities and equipment.

Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Repair fences.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work.

Saturday work may be required, if necessary. Regular work hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Saturday work required when necessary due to missed work Monday-Friday as a result of rain, weather conditions, work-load, customer-demand, etc.

Outdoor work required when plants are wet, or during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours may vary. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Work is done outdoors for long periods of time and requires prolonged periods of standing and/or walking, repetitive movements, and frequent bending and/or stooping. Workers must be able to handle, lift, and carry heavy or bulky objects (product, containers) in accordance with the specified lifting requirements.

Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use.

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural field work experience working in a fruit farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work may be required, if necessary. Must be able to lift/carry 100 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing required.