Farmworker; Diversified 45-2092.00

Job description

Workers will perform all tasks involved in the growing and harvesting of crops. Crops include Strawberries, Watermelons, Pumpkins, Cantaloupe, Flowers and Blueberries
Worker must possess the physical strength and endurance (ability to continue or last) to repeat the harvest process though out the workday, working quickly and skillfully to perform activities assigned during that activity. Workers must work at a sustained (continuing for an extended period of time without interruption), vigorous pace (quick and steady) and make bona fide efforts (made in earnest intent) to work efficiently (performing or functions in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort) and consistently (same way for a long time) that are reasonable under the climatic and other working conditions, Workers may not leave trash, or other discarded items in work areas or vehicles but must dispose of such items in provided receptacles. Workers must wash hands with soap and water after all bathroom and meal breaks. Allergies to varieties of ragweed, goldenrod, insecticides, related agricultural chemicals, etc., may affect worker’s ability to perform the work described herein.

Sanitation Requirements: For food and general personal safety purposes, all workers will be required and expected to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly critical when hand harvesting crops for human consumption. Employees are required to cleanse their hands by washing them thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before entering the fields for harvest activities or the packing facility for packing operations.

Nursery/Greenhouse Work: Work with seeding plants in trays, stacking trays, covering stacks, and moving stacks to hot room for seed germination. This includes preparing rays for seeding, moving the stacks after germination to greenhouses. Manually plant, cultivate and harvest horticultural specialties and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning, hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling & mixing soil & applying fertilizers, transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops, or cleaning, grading, sorting loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farms building or participate in irrigation activities.

Plant Bed Preparation: Laying plastic mulch over prepared beds, which are been fumigated. This includes other jobs necessary to get the plant beds ready for planting, including placing drip tube under the plastic and connecting drip tube to lateral lay flat.

Crop Maintenance and Cultivation: Weed removal from crop rows, tightening stakes loosened by wind and water runoff. Helping to drain areas of the field with shovels, cutting the ridged areas of the rows covered in black plastic to allow the pooled water to drain.

Packing Operation

Grading Working carefully remove any leaves from fruit as defined by grading supervisor as produce moves across grading tables. Fruit must be handled carefully to avoid bruises or fingernail cuts.

Fillers Workers box the graded fruit in appropriate containers by attending automatic filler or by hand as necessary according to packaging instructions disclosed by the supervisor.

Special Packaging Workers may be required to custom fill trays and marketing gift packs according to supervisor’s instructions.

Levelers Boxed fruit is carefully hand-leveled by worker to assure an even level of fruit in each container. Excess fruit is removed from overfilled boxes and placed carefully in separate containers as directed by supervisor.

Top/Box Makers Bottom and lid machines are fed flat corrugated product by worker to produce a glued bottom and lid. Workers feed finished bottoms into a chute for fillers and apply lids to filled boxes after boxes are leveled.

Special Requirements

Must have three months experience hand harvesting a perishable crop. Applicants must be able to furnish affirmative job references from recent employers. Must be able to work in the hot humid weather for extended periods of time. Workers are subject to random drug testing at no cost to the employee. All drug testing will occur after the worker begins his or her employment and is not a part of the interview process. Failing or refusing a drug test will result in immediate termination.