Farmworker/laborer
Employer
60139 CR 652
Mattawan, MI 49071
United States
Job description
PRUNING: Worker will prune numerous varieties of apple, peach, grape, and cherry trees according to established company procedures based on difference in treatment of different varieties. Worker performs pruning on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment including hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws, and 12-foot ladders. Pruning and thinning may be done from ground or ladder up to 12 feet in height or from a motorized platform. Worker may be required to selectively prune only certain size as instructed by supervisor. Pay will be hourly.
Worker must possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stub or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers with hand pruning saws and clippers, and mechanized equipment for pruning activities. Pay will be hourly.
THINNING: Workers may be required to hand thin different varieties of apple and peach trees and grape vines. Thinning may be done on the ground or ladder up to 12 feet in height or from a motorized platform. Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. Worker must possess ability to pick up and handle a 12-foot orchard ladder weighing 30 pounds. Worker will remove the smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Workers will be expected to be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged and/or with other quality problems as directed by supervisors. Pay will be hourly.
WEEDING: Worker will be required to weed fields, orchards and vineyard. Worker will weed by hand with hand tools such as a hoe; mechanically, or by spot-weed spraying. Worker will walk or ride on mechanical weeding machine down rows of planted crops using a garden hoe or hand levers to remove weeds growing around and within plants. Care must be exercised as to not dig up or harm the adjacent vegetable plants. Worker will be trained in appropriate application of herbicides for spot-weed spraying by hand. Worker will be required to identify and remove undesired plants, without causing harm to or removing adjacent plants. Worker will be required to stoop bend, and work on hands and knees for long periods of time. Pay will be hourly.
FIELD PLANTING/SEEDING: Worker will carefully hand transplant plants by removing them at the base of the plant. Worker will use hand shovel for field planting and seeding. Plants must be handled with care to prevent breaking, damaging or bruising the plant. Worker will insert shovel face forward into center of predetermined hole to not touch the sides of the plastic to prevent burning of the plant. Worker will place plant into the ground so that the root structure is entirely covered with ground soil. The plant is inserted until the first leaves are showing. Worker will then cover the back of the plant, remove the shovel and then cover the front of the plant. Plants may be planted mechanically with a planter and the worker will ride the machine and place plants in the drops as the machine moves along the row. Seeds may be planted by hand. Seeds will be placed into the center of the predetermined hole in the row and placed no deeper than as instructed by supervisor. Pay will be hourly.
IRRIGATION INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE: Worker will install irrigation lines, headers, mainline, valves, micro sprinklers, trickle tubing and any other irrigation equipment. Worker will be required to check and maintain all working components of irrigation system which include: irrigation lines, micro sprinklers, headers, mainlines, valves, any other irrigation equipment. Workers will be required to fix leaks as directed by supervisor. Work may require using a hand shovel to find leaks below ground. Worker will move handset 30-foot aluminum irrigation pipe sets as needed. Pay will be hourly.
Special Requirements
Job requires worker to complete tasks in General Farm Labor; Hand Harvest of: tart cherries, blueberries, peaches, sweet corn, apples, pumpkins, squash,, and grapes.
Experience Requirement: 3 verifiable months of commercial hand harvest experience of vegetable or tree fruit required. Applicants must furnish job references from recent employers within the last 5 years establishing acceptable prior experience.
Drug testing done at employer's expense and not utilized as preemployment tool.