Farmworkers And Laborers

Job description

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

Harvesting Citrus: 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 an 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/General Farm Work: Workers may be required to perform miscellaneous grove clean- up work. These activities include pruning, painting trees, repair and or replace irrigation equipment, removal of debris, and other general grove clean-up work as required. Workers performing grove clean- up work will be paid the adverse effect wage rate, the prevailing rate or the minimum wage rate whichever is higher. Workers may need to assist in the use of farm equipment such as tractors, trucks and harvesting machinery, etc.

Strawberry:
Runner Cutting/Trimming: Workers 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.

Strawberry Planting: While carrying a bag of strawberry plants, workers will walk down row, while bending, and place one or two plants into each hole in the plastic as instructed and firm dirt around plant.

Weeding: Workers will remove weeds by use of a hoe from the walkway and remove all weeds growing around plants by hand. Workers will remove weeds from the growing area, by raking piles of debris and dispose of it as instructed.

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

Everglades Harvesting may conduct a criminal background check and/or drug/alcohol test at the employer's expense on all new applicants post-employment. Failure to pass criminal background check and/or drug/alcohol screening is grounds for termination.