Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job description

Crops/Commodities: Corn, hay, silage, manure.
Operate and maintain planting equipment. Monitor crop growth and adjust machinery or practices as needed. Drive tractors and balers, and operate other mechanized farm equipment to plant, cultivate, and harvest grain, hay, and/or oilseed crops. Perform manual and mechanized tasks including but not limited to: bushhogging fields; disking; aerating; seeding (using mechanical drills and seeders); fertilizing, weed spraying, mowing, tedding, raking, baling, and stacking. Operate tillage equipment, small grain seeding, self-propelled sprayers. Operate grain carts, (auger cart, moving augers to bin sites, transporting equipment from field to field), post-harvest fieldwork including apply dry fertilizer to fields in preparation for the fall planting season.

Grade, size, and sort product according to quality, in accordance with supervisor's instructions and employer standards. Inspect products for damage/defects and discard inferior products and foreign matter. Place product in bins/trays/sacks and other containers according to grade and mark grades on containers. Load sacks/bins/trays of product onto loader and/or trucks. Weigh products and record weight and/or grade. Handle product carefully to prevent damage. Operate equipment safely, with or without direction. Must follow quality control standards and production procedures. Clean/sanitize grain bins, dryer, and equipment.

Performs a variety of manual and machine tasks associated with crops including but not limited to corn and hay: plant, cultivate and weed as needed. Sprays herbicides and insecticides and applies fertilizer. Under supervision, operates farm machinery to plant, cultivate, harvest and store crops. Under supervision, assists with servicing, cleaning and maintenance of trucks, trailers and machinery. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators, combines, sugar beet lifter and other farm equipment.

Workers will load trucks with bales of hay and sacks of grain and feed weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet.

Operate self-propelled custom class harvesting machines to harvest a variety of grain, grass and oilseed crops. Service machinery, trucks and trailers. Make in-field repairs. Service/repairs includes but is not limited to: fueling, changing filters, inspecting for wear and or failure, lubricating grease points; inspecting and maintaining fluid levels, tire air pressures, belt and conveyer chain tensions, radiator and filter function, and brake performance; removing and replacing tires, wheels, bearings, belts, wear parts, filters, brake shoes, wheel seals, suspension parts, lights and lenses and chain or chain links. Minor and incidental welding within the scope of basic maintenance/repair. Workers will not fabricate new metal parts or equipment but will do in-field repairs on broken equipment. Prepare, maintain, stock, move supplies. Must be able to operate, maintain and repair agricultural equipment with or without direction.

Employer will provide, at no cost to workers, an effective means of communicating in an emergency, which may include but is not limited to a satellite phone, cell phone, wireless device, radio transmitter, or other electronic device effective in the entire geographic area where work will be performed.

Fertilize crops by applying manure in field. Operate towed machines including, but not limited to, manure tanks, dragline application toolbars, hose reel carts and hose hustlers. Drive tractors/trucks and operate heavy farm equipment to apply manure to fields. Agitate and transfer manure into lagoons or pits. Use Ag Leader brand GPS and application control technology. Experience with variable rate application, GPS, and other application devices are needed. Lay hose from farm to dragline in field in safe and efficient manner via tractors and hose reel carts.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 6 months of agricultural experience work in a diversified crop farm, grain/oilseed farm or hay farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks including operating agricultural equipment, driving, operating, and servicing combines, field crop production and harvesting activities associated with production of corn and hay/straw. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-accident and upon suspicion drug testing required. Workers with clean driving record and/or insurable driver's license may be required to drive company vehicles.