Farmworker: Diversified (45.2092.00)

Job description

Crops: Vegetables
Workers will perform manual labor to plant, cultivate, harvest, grade, pack and load employers’ crops by hand and machine. Workers will hand seed or transplant crops into the ground and cover the root of the plant with soil in assigned rows in the field either by transplanter machine or while bending and stopping to carefully place the transplanter machine or while bending and stopping to carefully place the transplant into pre-dug holes and covering roots with soil.
Vegetables will be manually harvested or with a specialty knife by either picking into baskets, carrying full baskets to dumpers riding on trailers moving alongside rows, and dumping into bins, or by picking and placing sorted produce into boxes, and stacking full boxes onto the trailers. Workers will lay, tuck and/or remove plastic, clean plastic of debris. Participate in irrigation activities including setting up, repairing, operating and maintaining drip and other irrigation equipment. Workers will also do all duties associated with maintenance of vegetable which includes but not limited to manually pull weeds and remove used stakes and string. Stake, string, tie sucker, thin and prune crops. Remove or clean plant debris or vines from the ground. Use hand tools such as shovels, tampers, pruning, hooks, machetes, hoes and knives. Till soil. Clear and maintain fields and irrigation ditches. Works must select harvestable produce based on correct size, maturity, and quality. Workers will not break skin, damage, drop or bruise produce, or leave any appropriate produce on the plant during harvest.
Workers may work individually or in groups to plant and harvest crops with agricultural equipment that is moving through the field along with workers while being careful not to damage harvested product. After vegetable is harvested workers will sort, wash, grade, and pack into bins, bags, boxes, plastic containers, and crates. Package harvested crops into bins, bags, boxes, plastic containers, and crates. Load boxes onto pallets and transport vehicles.
Some workers may be chosen to be working team leaders.
Sanitation Requirements: Sanitation Requirements: For food and general personal safety purposes, all workers will be required and expected to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly critical when hand harvesting crops for human consumption. Employees are required to cleanse their hands by washing them thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before entering fields for harvest activities of the packing facility for packing operations. Employee will need to comply with their GAP or other sanitation requirements. Any worker willfully ignoring sanitation requirements will be terminated.

Farm, and Field Sanitation: All workers will be responsible for picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors and other farm sanitation duties.

Farm Equipment Operation: Workers will be required to operate tractors and other farm equipment during field operations as an incidental activity in the production of crops. Before any worker is required to operate any farm equipment, the worker will be instructed in the proper and safe operation of tractor. Workers must notify supervisor of any mechanical issues. Workers will be required to operate tractors according to instructions and in a manner that protects the operator, other workers, trees, crops and equipment. Properly licensed workers will operate employer vehicles and farm equipment on public roadways to transport tools, crop, and fellow workers. Repeated failure to obey operating and safety instructions may result in termination.

Special Requirements

Must have three months experience hand harvesting a perishable crop. Must be physically able to meet and perform all job specifications stated in job order. Must be able to work in the hot humid weather for extended periods of time. Must be physically able to meet and perform all job specifications stated in job order. Workers are subject to random drug testing at no cost to the employee. All drug testing will occur after the worker begins his or her employment and is not a part of the interview process. Failing or refusing a drug test will result in immediate termination.