Potato Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
potatoes, sweet potatoes.
This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a vegetable crop farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience.

Workers will engage in planting sweet potatoes and cultivating and sorting/packing potatoes. Tasks include planting sweet potato plants by hand, weeding potato fields during harvest either by hand or with a hoe. Workers will sort potatoes, standing beside a moving conveyor belt and removing the damaged potatoes and foreign materials from the good potatoes by hand. Workers will keep the line in clean working condition by shoveling dirt and other debris from under/around conveyor belts/apparatus. Workers will be required to sanitize bins.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and possessing or able to obtain an insurable driver's license may drive company vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses may transport other workers to and from employer-provided housing directly to worksites each day and may transport workers around farms during the workday, may transport crops, supplies, tools and/or equipment/supplies between employer's farm locations, on private or public roads. Workers do not deliver to customers. Workers may drive multi-purpose vehicles that have a capacity of less than 13 tons, require a standard driver's license to operate, and may be used on or off farm by the workers (e.g., drive to the grocery store, bank, etc. at their discretion). Workers are not required or expected to arrange for the routine pick-up of another worker or groups of workers on a regular schedule at other housing locations or centralized pick-up points.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers will assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 75 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Saturday work required. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work.

Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

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. 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. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.

The employer will offer 3 shifts per 24 hours with an unpaid lunch break Monday through Saturday:

(Shift 1) 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
(Shift 2) 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(Shift 3) 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Each worker will be assigned to a shift.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a vegetable crop farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 75 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work. Must be willing to work 1st, 2nd or 3rd shift hours.