Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and collard greens.
Driving tractors and planters, will plant, cultivate, and harvest potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and collard greens. Workers will drive and operate one or more GPS equipped farm machines, such as tractors, sprayers, Bottom Switch plows, Grimme planters, Windrowers, line equipment with holding tanks, dry brushers, grading tables, harvesters, pumps, tilling equipment, holding tanks, case-loaders, pivots, pilers, windrowers, Dammer Dykes (cultivators) and other mechanized, electrically powered or motor-driven equipment, on farms or in farm equipment repair shops. Workers will operate the farm machinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors, other employees, crops, trees, facilities and equipment. Failure to comply with operating and safety standards may result in termination. This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality specifications must be rigorously adhered to. The equipment workers will be operating and maintaining is expensive and dangerous. Workers are expected to follow the employer's requests to not only prevent damage to the equipment, but to also prevent injuries to workers. Any equipment damaged by a worker's failure to follow instructions or damaged due to malice will be charged to the worker.

Workers may hitch soil conditioning implements, such as plow or harrow to tractor, and operate tractor and towed implement to furrow and grade soil. Workers will drive tractors and operate designated towed machines, such as drill or manure spreader, to plant, fertilize, and dust crops. Prepares harvesting machine by adjusting speeds of cutters, blowers and conveyors and height of cutting head or depth of digging blades according to type, height, weight and condition of crop being harvested, and contour of terrain. Attaches towed or mounted-type harvesting machine to tractor using hand tools or drives self-propelled harvesting machine to cut, pull up, dig, thresh, clean, chop, bag or bundle crops.

Workers will perform irrigation activities, including setting up, moving and maintaining irrigation pipes and equipment.

Adjusts and lubricates machines and equipment to ensure efficient operation.

Workers will be required to prepare farm land for planting. This includes removing trash, trees, stumps, rocks and any other debris or material that will interfere with planting and harvesting crops. Workers will be required to dig ditches for the installation of pipe and to prevent erosion. Workers may be required to pile the debris up for burning. Workers may be required to operate rakes for root and limb removal. Workers may operate dozers, tractors, front end loaders, bobcats and various other pieces of land clearing equipment. Workers may be required to level land by moving dirt from one location to another using equipment.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and possessing or able to obtain an insurable driver's license may drive company vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses may transport other workers to and from employer-provided housing directly to worksites each day and may transport workers around farms during the workday, may transport crops, supplies, tools and/or equipment/supplies between employer's farm locations, on private or public roads. Workers do not deliver to customers. Workers may drive multi-purpose vehicles that have a capacity of less than 13 tons, require a standard driver's license to operate, and may be used on or off farm by the workers (e.g., drive to the grocery store, bank, etc. at their discretion).

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable prior experience performing duties associated with operating and performing routine maintenance on GPS equipped potato farming equipment. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work. Must be willing to work 1st, 2nd or 3rd shift hours.