Citrus Harvesters & Farmworkers

Job description

Workers will perform all job specifications as instructed by the Farm Manager or Crew Supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time and may include all of the following job specifications:

Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time. Following the Supervisors instructions, the worker will place a picking sack over their shoulder and carry a 18' to 20' ladder from the field truck to the area of the grove to be harvested. The picking sack is a canvas bag equipped with a shoulder strap for support, an opening for the insertion of fruit, and an opening to remove fruit. A fully loaded sack weighs between approximately 80 and 100 pounds, depending upon the size, condition, and variety of fruit. Worker positions ladder against the tree and within reach of the fruit in a leaning position, taking care not to break limbs, damage the tree, knock off fruit, or interfere with other workers, in a secure position to prevent slipping or falling and possible injury to themselves or other workers. Worker will remove fruit from the tree and place into pick sack. When pick sack is full take full sack to fruit tub located in the grove and drop fruit from pick sack into tub. In order to perform this kind of work, worker must be able to work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands, and carrying a large number of sacks of fruit from the area in which the fruit is being harvested to the location of the tub.

Grove Clean-Up and General Farm Labor: Workers may help with applying the new citrus greening treatment via trunk injections, by drilling a hole in the trunk 30 cm below the first branch to a depth of 2 to 3 cm using a 7.14 mm drill bit. The worker will place an arbor plug into each hole for proper seal with an arbor plug seter, and a rubber hammer.

Workers on physical work restrictions or when harvesting work is not available may be required to perform miscellaneous clean-up work on grove property, on grove structures, and on employer-provided housing. Such clean-up activities include the sprouting, pruning, and painting of trees; debris, weed, and vine removal; irrigation repair; housing and structure cleaning and repair; and other general farm labor or grove clean-up as required.

Planting / Harvesting Strawberries:
The job requires a minimum of three months experience in tasks associated with farm experience.

Runner Cutting/Trimming: Worker will walk down row as instructed and cut/trim runners, leaves, and blooms as directed from each strawberry plant as necessary.

Freeze Protection Activities: May assist regardless of time of day, in keeping overhead irrigation rain birds free of ice during freezing weather.

Assist in Plastic Laying: Workers will hold plastic at end of row as machine moves down row unrolling plastic. Workers will even up ends of row with a shovel to make them straight, also will clean out ditches at end of row. Unload plastic and drip-tape from truck and load plastic and drip- tape on field machine as needed. May be instructed to remove or reinstall rain bird.

Drip-tape Hook Up: Workers will be required to cut drip-tape at end of bed as instructed and hook up drip-tape to main water line.

Plastic and Drip-tape Removal: Unhook drip-tape from main water line, walk down row while pulling plastic down the bed until it is completely removed. Take removed plastic to proper disposal or burning station, as instructed.

Special Requirements

Alta Citrus may conduct a drug/alcohol test at the employer's expense on all new applicants post-employment.