Field Workers

Job description

Field Workers: to perform the following duties in the fields.

Row Crop Vegetable Weeding – Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crops and in between product seed lines and use a long handle tool to clean out unwanted vegetative growth or other debris. The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted leaves or debris on the beds and seed lines and may pack material into bags and remove it from the field as instructed by field supervisor.

Row Crop Vegetable Thinning – Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for the specified gap between seeds, and using a long-handled tool thins out any excess crop/seeds and/or weeds on the seed line and leaves the desired product and gap in the field. The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted weeds on the beds and seed lines and may pack material into bags and remove it from the field as instructed by field supervisor.

Row Crop Vegetable Hand “Manual” Cleaning – Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor and in compliance with all local regulations, field workers look for weeds around crops and in between product seedlings and have to bend and/or be on their knees to manually clean out unwanted products. The worker uses their hands or a short tool to clean the lot for any unwanted weeds on the beds and seedlings and may pack material into bags and remove it from the field as instructed by field supervisor.

Head (Iceberg) Lettuce Harvesters – Lettuce harvest workers work as members of a harvest crew and perform the following tasks: thinning, cleaning, general labor and harvest of lettuce by walking in assigned furrows behind a harvesting machine platform or harvesting machine, selecting size and quality of lettuce to be harvested as specified by supervisor. Bends and grasps selected lettuce and cuts it from the roots using a harvesting knife. Trims outer leaves from the head and cores it with the coring knife. Worker inspects the head lettuce for defects. Worker places head lettuce onto the belt. The process is repeated. The cored lettuce is then carried down the belt to be dropped in a bin where workers inspect quality, core, remove loose leaves, and sort bin to capacity. Worker discards lettuce that does not meet specified quality standards. Place trimmed lettuce meeting quality standards as directed by supervisor. Bins are constructed and sorted directly on the trailer on a pallet by workers. Workers stand on trailer’s platform placing bags in bins and directing product from belts into bins until fill. Workers check quality, close bags, and place tarps over filled bins. The workers label and mark cartons, totes, or bins as required. Harvested product is immediately mechanically cooled and workers may close bins to prepare harvested and cooled product for transport off farm. Bins may weigh up to 50 lbs. empty. Pallets may weight up to 95 lbs. empty and are carried by two workers.

Special Requirements

Minimum of 3 months of field work experience, vegetable harvest and row crop cleaning, and/or minimum of 3 months of experience as a farm machine operator in the field is required. Specific requirements include lifting up to 50 pounds frequently and being able to use hand tools, including cutting knives. Ability to walk on uneven ground and field conditions, bend, stretch, and raise arms, work as a team with all co-workers.