Vineyard Worker
Employer
Penny Vineyards
2110 Penny Lane
Napa, CA 94559
United States
Job description
Flores Family Estates is a fixed-site agricultural grower of wine grapes. The company is seeking H-2A employees to support the cultivation and harvesting of the company's wine grapes. The Vineyard Worker is responsible for performing the tasks required to maintain and care for grapevines throughout the life cycle of the vineyard, which may include land preparation, trellis system installation, monitoring vine growth, training of new plants, winter pruning, and the harvest. Clean the area of the new blocks to be planted. Removal of stones, roots of trees or bushes, wires, and rods. Once the land has been cleaned, mark where the new vines and the trellis system will be installed. Installation of the irrigation system, which consists of the installation of hoses, drip and pipe. Installation of stakes, posts, rods, wire and crossarms. Develop wells with a diameter of an average of one foot with the use of a shovel. Plant new vine plants. Once the vine is planted, workers must begin to train the vines for correct development. Prune the vine. Utilize other pruning systems, such as spur pruning. Once the canopy buds of the vines have developed, remove excess canopy that does not give fruit; leave the buds that give good quality fruit in the bunches of grapes. Installation of pairs of movable wires on opposite sides of the row of vines. Move wires from under the cordons or shoots to positions above them, next to the foliage. As the season progresses, the wires are raised, and the upper wires reach a height of 60-70 inches before pruning. During the fall and winter, after pruning and harvest, the wires move down below the middle wire, but above the string wire. Remove all unnecessary shoots that grow on the vines when the weather warms up. Lift the vines so that the roots growing at the nodes break or dry out. Remove excess grape bunches from the cane of the plants, which is determined by the size of the cane and the tonnage. Remove all surplus fruit that is growing in the canes of the vines by hand. Cut grape bunches with a special knife or scissors, and place them in a tray until it reaches a weight of 30lbs. Once filled with grapes, the tray will have to be deposited in a ½ ton container, which is transported by a tractor-drawn trailer. Workers will also engage in grape crushing at night; workers must wear safety vests to be distinguished and also use a head lamp to illuminate the area where they are working. Workers will not perform weeding activities by hand in a stopped, kneeling or squatting position. Qualifying workers may operate specialized vineyard tractor machinery after undergoing several hours of safety training and passing a hands-on tractor driving exam. Qualifying workers must demonstrate willingness, basic knowledge of driving a vineyard tractor and the ability to operate agricultural machinery in a safe manner. Work is performed outdoors and can involve exposure to extreme temperatures, bright sunlight, windy or rainy conditions, mud and dust, low light or darkness and other natural elements. The work may entail exposure to plant pollens, insects, snakes, rodents, noxious plants and/or plant materials that have been treated with insect and/or disease control spray. Workers must walk in variable soil conditions. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the working conditions described. The employer will provide all tools and equipment necessary to perform all required tasks at no cost to the worker, which may include pruning shears, weed eaters, loppers, hedgers, long-handled rakes, hoes and shovels and other similar equipment. Workers must use personal protective equipment appropriately (goggles, gloves, fluorescent vest).
Special Requirements
Applicants must have at least one month of agricultural experience in vineyards, which should include harvesting grapes by hand. All qualified applicants must have the authorization to work in the United States, be willing to perform the agricultural duties as described in this job order and be able to meet the physical demands of the position and the employer's work schedule with or without reasonable accommodation. Individuals must also be willing to follow instructions, use personal protective equipment appropriately (goggles, gloves, fluorescent vest), have the ability to work independently, use good judgment and work well with others. Must be able to work outdoors in extreme heat/humidity/cold and other inclement weather conditions. Must be able to walk over uneven terrain. Must be able to work long hours when necessary. Must be able to sustain repeated use of hands as well as long periods of standing, walking and bending.