Farm Equipment Mechanics

Job description

Crist Bros. Orchards, Inc. is a 650 acre apple orchard located on several sites in Orange and Ulster Counties in New York State. Operations include growing, storing, packing, and shipping apples. This is a full time mechanic job description with a minimum of one year verifiable experience.
Conduct repairs and maintenance to all company equipment, vehicles, buildings, and other structures. This involves diagnosing, disassembling, and overhauling farm machinery and vehicles, and irrigation systems, as well as performing brake, transmission and clutch repairs or adjustments and routine maintenance.
Equipment includes but is not limited to tractors, forklifts, implements such as sprayers, mowers or bin trailers and orchard platforms. Some equipment may be self propelled such as an orchard work platform. Repairs to packing equipment are also part of this job including but not limited to graders, dump tanks/dump equipment, sorting belts, baggers, box makers, pallet jacks and tray fillers. Vehicles to be repaired and maintained include but are not limited to truck tractors, trailers, school buses for transportation of farm employees, vans, pickup trucks, cars, and other automobiles.
Company buildings to be repaired and maintained include but are not limited to the main packing house and office facility, apple coolers including cooling equipment and employee housing.
General operation of equipment or vehicles is not a regular part of the employee’s job; however, operation may be required to diagnose and assess problems. Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, forklifts and self-propelled machinery to spray, chop, mow, plant, fertilize, harvest, load, unload, or store product in order to diagnose or assess equipment issues.
Drive pickup trucks or vans on the public roads and farm roads to and from the worksite and/or grocery store and bank. This may include transportation of coworkers or tools and supplies. Company service trucks may perform repairs or service in the field at various farm locations. Drive pickup trucks or vans on public roads and farm roads to diagnose or assess vehicle issues, pick up needed parts for repairs or bring them to a repair shop. All fuel and materials to perform this duty will be paid for and provided by the employer. Driving on public roads is only with a valid United States class D driver’s license and employer approval. No one will be rejected for the position that does not possess a driver’s license.
Performing the duties of this job description will include use of tools such as grinders, air compressors, drills, saws, computers, safety gear and pesticide safety gear. Mechanic will need to record work completed either on paper or electronically and communicate with supervisors about parts or assistance needed.
Due to health and safety concerns on our farm, workers must understand basic instruction in English or Spanish. Workers must follow all food safety rules including but not limited to hygiene and clothing/jewelry requirements, awareness of external factors impacting the product such as but not limited to blood, broken glass, grease, animal excrement and many other items to be discussed at hire. Workers must also follow all government and employer rules related to COVID-19. These may include time periods of isolation with or without work, a shift in housing accommodations, wearing protective equipment, and practicing social distancing.