Field Workers: Vegetable/harvest Workers

Job description

H-2A and corresponding domestic workers must be available to perform each of the following job activities in connection with the harvesting and farming operations:

Field Workers: Vegetable/Harvest Workers, Thinning&Weeding (long handled hoe), Crop cleaning, Transplanting, Machine Operator, Forklift Driver, Reyna (Bin Filler), Chalequero (Safety Vest Man), Tractor Driver, Cooler (on-site)/Packhouse preparing freshly harvested crops for shipment in their original, unmanufactured state, Packing Shed, General Ranch Maintenance/General Farm Labor,

Crops: Romaine, Romaine Hearts, Spinach,

(CFR) Romaine Carton, Romaine Top and Tail and Mixed Leaf Carton: Field worker harvests romaine, mixed leaf, and head lettuce, thinning, cleaning and general labor. Employee cuts, bags, packs, and loads fresh romaine, head, and mixed leaf in the field. Cutting is done by walking in uneven furrows behind a harvesting platform machine or belt. Under the direction of the field supervisor, employee determines size and quality of the product to be harvested. Then, using a harvesting hand knife and bending at the waist, the employee cuts the head from the roots and trims the outer leaves from the head to prepare it to be placed into a carton or tote. Cutter places the product on a table for the packer to either or combination of tie, spot wash, wrap, seal, and place into a carton/tote, or top and place in wash bucket then dump into belt. The cartons or totes for the product are constructed by unfolding and bending the material as designed to form a box. Carton is labeled and marked as required. The process is repeated. The cartons, totes, or bins are then stacked onto pallets on the deck of the harvester or trailer. Cartons or totes with product can weigh up to 50 lbs. Empty pallets can weigh up to 95 lbs but are carried by two persons.

Romaine Lettuce Hearts Specifications:
Cutter, Bagger/Water Sprayer, Sealer, Packer, Boxer/Closer/Tagger, Loader, thinning, cleaning, general labor

Romaine Hearts Lettuce: Field worker to harvest romaine heart lettuce. Manual cutting is done by walking in uneven furrows behind a harvesting machine. Under the direction of the field supervisors, the worker then determines the size and weigh of the Romaine Heart lettuce to be harvested and using a harvesting knife, the employee bends at the waist and cuts the head from its roots. Employee then trims the outer leaves from the head and cores it until desired size or weight is reached depending on the label. Employee inspects the head lettuce for defects. Employee places romaine heart lettuce onto table. A second worker water sprays it and packs it into a cone by size. The cone has a bag where the romaine lettuce is packed by size. Cone size ranges from 1 to 6 heads.

Bagged:
If is a bagged order then the employee places the bagged head onto a second table where a third worker, sealer/packer grabs the bag and seals it using a sealing machine for approximately 3 seconds. Once the bag is sealed, it is packed into a box. The quantity of bags in the box varies depending on the label. A fourth worker receives the box and puts a sticker per bag before closing it. After that it is placed in a belt/roll and is transported onto a trailer. There is a fifth worker, a box maker, who only makes boxes, puts a sticker on each box, and runs it through the roll.

Special Requirements

Requirements: 2-month experience harvesting crops to avoid crop damage and personal injury.Written verification of experience is required.Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of the product. Must be able to use shears, clippers and other agricultural tools(i.e., hand saw (can be powered by gas)); no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Worker safety on the job and in employer-provided housing is our top priority. Workers may not possess, consume, or be under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, or other controlled substances at the worksite or in the employer-provided housing. Fighting, including but not limited to, verbal, physical, or through social media or texts, and any threats or act of violence, and/or disruptive behavior against another individual or against property will not be tolerated, particularly acts of violence committed while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.