Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Christmas trees and Nursery Stock.
Christmas trees and Nursery: Cultivating and harvesting of evergreen and deciduous trees and other plants here after referred to as trees. Plant, pot, cultivate, harvest, cut, dig, bale, move, stage, load and unload trees and other plants. Plant seedlings or ‘liners' by hand, including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter using mattock or dibble. Work will also include plant identification, pulling weeds, tagging plants with genus/species tags, wrapping plants, fertilizing plants, performing plant inventory on plants, trimming and irrigation of plants. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. 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. Use ladders. Pulling cones off trees, fertilizing trees by hand or with mechanical spreaders. Shearing trees with knives, power equipment, hand shears, or clippers. Must follow supervisor's instructions on pruning/shearing. Shear and prune trees with proper taper and bud cut angle for quality. Color trees with sprayers. Selects trees for cutting or digging according to markings, size, species and grade.

Prepare trees for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary. Dig trees by hand with shovel or using mechanized tree spade. Fill holes manually with shovels or with power equipment. Place dug trees in burlap liner and wire basket and do necessary root pruning, tying, nailing, stapling and crimping to finish root ball. Cutting trees with gasoline-operated chain saws or other power or hand tools. Remove bottom branches from trees using loppers, clippers, saws, or other manual or power tools. Dragging trees from cutting area and shaking trees with mechanical shaker. Baling trees using a mechanized or hand baler. Piling trees on stacks. Will load and unload trees (at heights up to 14 feet) with or without elevators onto trucks or trailers. Strap, tie, and tarp loads for transport. Cutting, collecting, bundling, loading and unloading tree branches. Work includes tagging, counting, grading and inventory of trees. Products must be handled carefully to prevent damage. Interact with the public and assist with direct retail and wholesale sales.

May operate skid steers, tractors, forklifts, farm trucks, conveyors, irrigation systems, pumps, chippers, tree spades, plows, snow blowers and other motorized or mechanized equipment. Install, operate, remove, maintain and repair drip and overhead irrigation systems, including burying, assembling, digging up by hand and repairing PVC piping. Roll, tie, and install tube with utility vehicle and tubing roller.

Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Maintain, fuel, service, clean, store and repair farm equipment and tools. Assist with maintenance, repairs, upkeep and cleaning of farm buildings, field and sales areas and employee housing and grounds. Burn brush or unsold trees or branches.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers must be able to handle and lift to a height of seven feet product weighing up to 60 pounds. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural field work experience working on a tree farm, nursery, or greenhouse handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.