Field Workers: Onion Harvest

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:

Field Workers: Onion Harvest, General Ranch Labor, Forklift Driver, Tractor Driver, General Farm Labor / General Ranch Maintenance, prepare freshly harvested crop for shipment to perform the following duties:

Yellow/Green/Red Onion Harvest: This job requires the employee to manually top onion in an open field on hands and knees with company-provided shears. Topping onion is a process by which the onion bulb roots and stems are manually cut off/clipped with shears, and the bulbs are put in a sack and then placed on a harvesting maching to be loaded onto a truck. Employee must handle onion bulbs with caution to avoid damage. Employee will need to ensure minimal amount of dirt, roots, and trash are placed in the sack. Employee must be able to handle pulled onion on hands and knees; separate, pull, grasp, cut, clip, and lift bags onto the harvesting machine; prepare freshly harvested crop for shipment; perform general ranch labor - weeding, thinning, hoeing (using a long-handled hoe); safely walk on uneven ground in different parts of the field to perform the work.

Forklift Driver Specifications: The Forklift driver is responsible for inspecting the forklift. Forklift drivers use knobs and levers to operate the forklift. Duties include the transferring and stacking of bins full of product onto the trailer. The employee works in an area that consists of 300 ft. in radius. Cycle is repeated.

Tractor Driver Specifications: The tractor driver is responsible for inspecting the tractor. Duties include getting in and out of the fields. The tractor driver takes empty bins, goes into the lot and sets them throughout the lot for workers to fill with product. The tractor driver gets in and out of the field as bins are set. Once workers fill up the bin, the tractor driver gets into the lot to take out the bins full of product. The tractor driver takes them out of the field and once out the field, a forklift transfers the product into the trailer. Cycle is repeated.

Crew Leader: Assist crew foreman with pre-harvest process and audits. Checks product quality. Serves as quality control person. Helps coordinate daily production.

General Ranch Maintenance / General Farm Labor includes, but is not limited to, on the farm road maintenance and dust control to farm roadways by means of farm equipment.

•Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
•Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
•Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
•Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
•Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
•Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
•Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
•Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.
•Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
•Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, forklifts and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
•Load agricultural products into trucks.
•Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping.
•Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
•Sow grass seed, or plant plugs of grass.
•Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems.
•Cut, roll, and stack sod.
•Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease.
•Provide information and advice to the public regarding the selection, purchase, and care of products.
•Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems.

Special Requirements

Requirements: 1-month experience harvesting crops to avoid crop damage and personal injury. Written verification of experience is required.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.