Orchard Workers

Job description

Crops/Commodities: Orchard Work: Pecans.
Perform manual labor to plant pecan trees, cultivate and harvest pecans by hand and machine. Clean, pack and load harvested products. Operate farm vehicles, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Ongoing orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning on ladders and lifts. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, pruning scissors, pipe fittings, pipe wrenches, shears, pick axes and wheelbarrows. 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. Till soil; transplant, weed, thin and prune crops. Construct trellises, repair and maintain fences and farm buildings. Repair and maintain farm vehicles and agricultural equipment. Pick up old pecans in the field to be hauled off. Use wheelbarrow to haul dirt, concrete, and mulch to washes in the field. Lift and carry buckets to spread fertilizer, keeping up, as tractor pulls fertilizer trailer through orchard. Haul fertilizer to young trees with wheelbarrow. Apply fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Remove unwanted weeds by hand in orchard. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches including checking valves. Set up, operate and maintain irrigation equipment. Use pick ax and shovel to make new irrigation ditches in the field. Licensed drivers may drive trucks or other vehicles to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers on or off the farm, and may 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.

Special Requirements

Two months of verifiable experience pruning nut trees required. Lift and carry up to 50 lbs. Climb 6 ft. ladders and use 25 ft. lifts. Work outside in extremely hot, cold, and/or wet weather. Perform prolonged walking, bending, pushing, pulling, lifting and reaching over head for extended periods of time. Perform repetitive movements. Hazardous occupation. Must be 18 or older.