Farm Worker

Job description

THINNING: Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. Must possess ability to pick up, and maneuver a 10-12 foot orchard ladder weighing 40+ pounds. This process requires the employee to remove, in some cases but not limited to: the smallest fruit blossom, bud, and for identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Workers will be expected to be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged, and/or other quality problems, as directed by supervisors.

PRUNING: Pruning numerous varieties of fruit trees and according to established company procedures based on the difference In the treatment of different varieties. Work will be performed on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment Including: hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws, and 10-12 foot ladders. Pruning and thinning may be done from the ground or on a ladder up to 12 feet in height or from a motorized platform. Workers may be required to selectively prune only trees of a certain size and color as instructed by the crew boss. Workers are expected to possess or acquire pruning skills In order to Identify and remove: stubs or broken branches or downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded Interior branches and/or, dead wood and shoots/suckers; with hand pruning saws and clippers, and/or mechanized equipment.

TRAINING: Training of fruit tree limb tying, trellis tying or clipping limbs to wire Training and limb positioning of fruit trees. Hand thinning of fruit trees to ensure proper crop load Shoot thinning, sucker removal, cluster thinning, shoot positioning, hedging, and leaf removal of fruit trees. Propping and tying of fruit tree limbs/branches to trellis.

Other Job Specifications Include: 1.Planting of new trees orchard for establishing or maintaining a field 2.Workers may be expected to work night shifts for cherries picking and/or packing. 3.Worker will care for young non-producing fruit trees including weeding, hoeing, removing foreign material from a planting, trunk painting, hand fertilizing, and growth selection by hand and by dipping. 4.Training of apple and cherry trees trellises, Including clipping and tying limbs and shoots to wire. 5.Provide general labor to assist in the establishment of new orchard properties by clearing property, planting trees or building trellises, repair and spreading of composted material and any other labor considered necessary for the efficient structure of the orchard properties. 6.Cares for trees during growing process- to Include the possibility of recognizing and/or reporting and/or treating tree diseases such as blighted branches in apples. 7.Harvest preparation including spreading liners in bins, rolling bins in blocks by hand. 8.Propplng and tying of apple trees and limbs. 9.Pruning and tying of apple and cherry trees and limbs. 10. Pruning and thinning may be done from the ground or ladder up to 12 feet in height or from a motorized platform.

Special Requirements

Workers must have 3 months of experience in farm work. Must be able to lift and/or load 60 lbs. Work may take place when temperatures are below freezing and above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. May require extensive pulling and/or pushing of tools, wheelbarrows, crop containers, etc. May require worker to sit and/or walk for extended periods of time while sorting, picking, examining, weeding, transporting, pruning, etc. Workers will be required to stoop and/or bend over while performing farm labor such as weeding, irrigating, pruning, picking, removing debris, etc. There will be repetitive movements while performing most of the farm labor duties, for example picking, sorting, pruning, shoveling, weeding, etc.