Berries Ground & Machine Harvesters

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:

Berries Ground & Machine Harvest (Fresh, Cannery, Juice), Machine harvest with stacker, palletizer and QC, Indirect Labor, Crew Leader to perform the following duties:

Strawberry stripping(cleaning old, rotten, non-usable fruit) from the plant either into the furrows or juice tubs, raspberry/blueberry vine trellising, hoop structure install, hoop plastic installation/tear down, raspberry sucker removal, raspberry cane removal, blueberry plant pruning.

Workers will also perform duties associated with and directly related to strawberry harvest work, including but not limited to picking and packing strawberries in the field for fresh market, cannery, and freezing/juicing; distinguish quality and ripeness; pick, and place in tray / packing containers in the field.

Ground Harvest (strawberry): Working in rows, the worker bends over and picks strawberries with the hands, places the strawberries in a box, walks and carries the box with strawberries to the packing table located at the end of the row in the field, presents the box to quality control for inspection. After passing the quality check, they palletize the box, grab an empty box along with necessary clamshells and returns to the row to continue ground harvest.

Berries Machine Harvest (strawberry): Workers will perform duties associated with and directly related to berry harvest work, including but not limited to picking and packing berries in the field for fresh market and freezing/juicing; distinguish quality and ripeness; pick and place in tray/packing containers in the field. Pickers will work on berry picker machine to aid harvest: working in rows, worker bends over and picks berries with the hands; places berries in clamshells and stacks full boxes on machine floor. Empty boxes are retrieved from top of machine. The machine will transport filled boxes to the end of the row - workers using machine aid do not carry full boxes to the end of rows. Workers may be required to adjust to Ground Harvest while the machine is turning or when machine is being repaired for breakdown/maintenance.

Ground Harvest(raspberry/blueberry): Working in rows, the worker walks and picks berries with the hands, places/packs the berries in a bin or clamshell, walks and carries the box with berries to the packing table located at the end of the row in the field, presents the box to quality control for inspection. Sometimes workers will pick multiple boxes before presenting to quality control. After passing the quality check, they palletize the box, grab more empty boxes along with necessary clamshells and returns to the row to continue ground harvest.

Machine harvest will be performed with stacker, palletizer and QC.

Indirect Labor:

Puncher/Quality control: Quality control person makes sure that product meets standards of quality. They examine and weigh product baskets to be of the weight and quality required. Some quality control inspections are routine and quick, others are more complex and lengthier. Quality control person may be responsible for declaring that a product (basket) is not below the specified quality. Quality control person may also inspect that a picker is not leaving good product in the furrow or are putting incorrect/bad product in baskets. They may make recommendations for improvements. May also be responsible for small, quick adjustments to quality of packing.

Time Keeper/Scanner/Puncher: Time keeper/scanner/puncher will scan employee’s ID badge to record start/end times during each work day. Worker is also responsible for scanning full/filled boxes to ensure they are accounted for as part of piece rate tracking process.

Special Requirements

Requirements: 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.