General Farm Workers

Job description

*All packing and stacking duties will be performed in the field and on the farm*
General Farm Workers to perform the following duties:
Agricultural Product: Strawberries and Blueberries

Strawberry Harvester (Ground/Harvest):
This position operates under the supervision of the harvest crew foreperson and is responsible for safely and efficiently harvesting conventional or organic strawberry crops by ground.
Essential Job Duties:
• Harvest conventional or organic strawberries for fresh, and/or juice purposes, following grower specification.
• Properly grade and sort strawberries according to size and quality standards.
• Packages suitable strawberries into the required packaging container and box.
• Inspects strawberry for signs of disease or insect manifestation
• Discard inferior strawberries by placing them onto the row floor.
• Reports all safety issues, incidents, and injuries to foreperson immediately.
• Adhere to all company policies, including observing appropriate meal and rest periods.

Blueberry Harvester:
This position operates under the supervision of the harvest crew foreperson and is responsible for safely and efficiently harvesting fresh blueberries crops by ground.
Essential Job Duties:
• Harvest blueberries for fresh purposes, following grower specification.
• Properly grade and sort blueberries according to size and quality standards.
• Packages suitable blueberries into the required packaging container and box.
• Inspects blueberries for signs of disease or insect manifestation
• Discard inferior blueberries by placing them onto the row floor.
• Reports all safety issues, incidents, and injuries to foreperson immediately.
• Adhere to all company policies, including observing appropriate meal and rest periods.
Pruning Blueberries:
This position operates under the supervision of the crew foreperson and is responsible for maintaining the health, growth, and productivity of blueberry bushes through proper pruning techniques. The individual in this role ensures that the blueberry bushes are properly shaped, dead or damaged wood is removed, and new growth is encouraged.
Essential Job Duties:
• Prune blueberry bushes to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches and ensure the plant’s healthy growth.
• Thin canes by removing older branches (typically older than 3 years) to allow better air circulation and promote stronger growth.
• Maintain bush shape by cutting back older canes and ensuring a balanced structure for the plant.
• Encourage new growth by cutting back newer canes to promote increased productivity.
• Ensure proper size of the bushes for ease of harvesting and better overall maintenance.
• Perform regular inspections for any signs of disease or pest infestation, reporting any findings to the supervisor.
• Use appropriate tools such as pruning shears and loppers to make clean cuts while ensuring safety.
• Reports all safety issues, incidents, and injuries to foreperson immediately.
• Adhere to all company policies, including observing appropriate meal and rest periods.

Cleaning Plants:
This position operates under the supervision of the crew foreperson and is responsible for plant/field maintenance, cleaning of old and new vegetative growth on plant bed. This role involves the use of hand tools and other equipment to ensure the plant beds are properly maintained and free of obstructions.
Essential Job Duties:
• Maintains and cultivates crop using both hands.
• Removes dry leaf debris from crop using both hands
• Removes by hand the plastic layering from the crop.
• Use of hand tools such as scissors or knife to cut plants
• Reports all safety issues, incidents, and injuries to foreperson immediately.
• Adhere to all company policies, including observing appropriate meal and rest periods.
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Special Requirements

Minimum Job Qualifications: Three months experience in berry harvest is required. Work is performed in open fields and may involve exposure to mud, dust, wind, heat, cold, and other natural elements. Temperatures can range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the environmental and working conditions described. No smoking, alcohol, firearms in the field or residential housing. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. (i.e. Workers must listen to, understand and follow instructions of Employer supervisors and managers.)