Farm Workers

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Farm Work: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, yellow and green squash, melons, apples, peaches, gourds, pumkins, plums and strawberries.
Perform ongoing peach orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning and harvest, grade, and pack peaches. Perform manual labor to plant, harvest, grade and pack cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, yellow and green squash, gourds, pumpkins and melons. Harvest, grade and pack apples, plums and strawberries. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears and knives. Till soil, transplant and weed crops. Workers may ride on tractor, repair fences and farm buildings or participate in irrigation activities. Set up and operate irrigation equipment. As a minor activity, operate tractors to harvest crops and repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements and mechanical equipment. Workers will walk orchard carrying ladder from tree to tree to thin and prune. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune and thin each tree as shown by the field supervisor. Limbs must not be torn from the tree, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves. In thinning, workers will pluck by hand as instructed. Proper spacing and selection of fruit is critical to maximize the tree's potential yield. Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand, inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress, and identify plants, pests and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers. Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields or costs. Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell and quality to ensure correct processing and usage. Workers must use care when grading and packing not to damage and bruise produce. Discard inferior or defective products and/or foreign matter and place acceptable produce into containers for further processing. Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel. Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers. Record grade and/or identification number on tags or on shipping, receiving or sales sheets. Workers are also responsible for farm, field and shed sanitation duties, including picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. Apply pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers to crops. Occasional manual digging. Assist with Good Agricultural Practices policies. Using the employer's vehicles, licensed drivers may transport workers and be offered additional hours.

Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.

TERMINATION. Prior to any termination for cause, employer evaluates workers' performance of required tasks and compliance with Work Rules and other employer policies.

Special Requirements

Work in extremely hot, cold and/or wet weather. Prolonged walking, stooping, bending, reaching, pulling, and lifting, carrying and loading up to 50 lb. bags of fertilizer, seed, and buckets during harvest. Climb 4 ft. ladders. Must be 18 or older.