Farmworker/laborer

Job description

Farm Laborer:

Worker cares for young non-producing fruit trees and vineyards including weeding, hoeing, trunk painting, hand fertilizing, and growth selection by hand and clipping. Maintain pre-set grafting throughout season. Worker cares for existing orchard/vineyard by removing stones/rocks with shovel, cleaning up debris and other hand tasks. Worker places straw or mulch around base of tree/vine with hands or pitchfork. Worker may use hand tools such as chainsaw, pole saw, rake, shovel, auger, and pitchfork.

Worker will conduct tasks associated with process of clearing old orchard or field. Worker will assist with tree removal. Worker will use shovel to pry stones from ground and carry rocks to trailer to be removed from field/orchard. Worker will assist in removing trash, debris, roots, branches, trees, old string, and wire from trellis orchard blocks and rocks from cleared field or orchard. Some workers will drive tractor, with trailer attached, to remove debris from field/orchard or use a brownie. Manual and heavy machinery will be used.

Worker will prune and thin numerous varieties of apple trees, cherry trees, and grape vines according to established company procedures based on the difference in the treatment of different varieties. Worker will hand thin trees to ensure proper fruit load on tree. Worker will perform pruning on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment including clippers, hand sheers, hand loppers, hand saws. Workers may be required to selectively prune only certain trees as instructed by supervisor. Worker must possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches that rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood, and shoots/suckers. Worker will prune, train, and position trees and vines to trellis posts, including clipping and tying limbs and shoots to wire from the ground, via ladder up to 16 feet in height, or from a motorized platform.

Worker will repair boxes as directed. Worker will use the following specialized tools to safely repair wooden apple boxes: hammer, nails, screws, nail gun, hand saw, and electric drill.

Worker will connect grape vines to post trellises by tying. Worker will use twist ties that are provided by Employer to ensure that vine grows properly by twisting the twist ties around vine and wire together. Worker will de-leaf grape vines by hand as instructed to Employer, or tuck as necessary, to ensure proper growth of vines.

Worker will hang dryer sheets from fruit trees, tie reflective ribbon on trees, attach pheromone ties or other hand tasks associated with wildlife deterrence.

Worker will pull and install irrigation lines by laying 1000-foot rolls. Worker will connect lines that have been laid to emitters, then worker will connect emitters to a main line. Worker may be required to work in a team or with a machine to lift/move up to 100 pounds collectively. Worker will be required to bend, stoop, and squat.

Worker will be required to run wire between holes which were drilled into posts after installation. Worker will use hand tools to attach wires to posts and ensure that there is consistent spacing. Worker will attach wire to end-posts by inserting cut wire into a wire-vice to ensure proper placement is maintained throughout season. Worker will place metal anchors into ground to connect wire.

Pay will be hourly.

Special Requirements

Job requires worker to complete tasks in general farm labor and apple, cherry, and grape hand harvest.

Experience Requirement: 2 verifiable months of commercial tree fruit hand harvest experience required. Applicants must furnish job references from recent employers within the past five years establishing acceptable prior experience.

Employer reserves right to conduct for cause, non-discriminatory drug testing at Employer expense. Drug test will not be utilized as pre-employment tool.