Farm Worker

Job description

The farm work position includes duties associated with the planting, cultivation and harvesting of tobacco, watermelons, corn, soybeans and various vegetable garden items. This work can require standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting up to 75 pounds for long periods of time outdoors in all weather conditions. It also includes making important decisions based on size, coloring, and ripeness according to prescribed standards.

This work requires adherence to important food safety and quality standard operating procedures and the ability to work quickly and consistently alongside fellow workers with a positive, professional, team-based attitude and a consideration for the safety and health of fellow workers and end consumers.

Job Specifications
Tobacco: Harvest workers will move into a row of mature tobacco plants. The tobacco plant may be from 4 to 6 feet tall and spaced about 20 inches apart in each row. Starting at the bottom of the plant, the worker will bend over at the waist and pick the bottom two or three leaves from each plant. Staying bent over, the worker will move down the row of mature tobacco repeating the above process. The bottom leaves may be as low as two inches from the ground. The worker will place the picked leaves under his arm. Once the worker has gathered an armload of leaves, he will carry it to a field sled. The leaves must be laid neatly onto the field sled. The worker will then return to the row and repeat the process. All workers must be able to distinguish ripe tobacco by observing the color of the leaves. Care must be exercised to prevent breaking of the plants. Workers must be able to move quickly along the rows and move in unison with the field sleds. Workers may ride mechanical transplanter, B&O Harvester, (to hand harvest), and mechanical harvester. Once the sled is full, workers will assist in pinning and barning the tobacco. Workers may walk behind transplanter to reset missing plants. Workers must remove all flowering tops and suckers from tobacco plants. Workers may assist in removing tobacco from barn and baling it to be loaded on trucks. Weight of sheets of tobacco may be 300lbs. Workers are required to work in fields when tobacco leaves are wet with dew or rain. Worker should be able to stand for prolonged periods of time to prime (pull) leaves, which are from two to ten inches from the ground. Workers may be exposed to noxious plants, insects and insect control sprays. Workers will drag drainage and furrows in the field with a shovel. Workers will be responsible for hoeing and hard pulling weeds, standing blown down plants, suckers, topping, and pruning plants. Workers, in groups of 4, may assist in removing tobacco from barn and baling it to be loaded on trucks. Weight of sheets of tobacco may be 300lbs.
Hence the lifting requirement of 75 lbs. in section.4 a-k (75 x 4 =300).
Workers are required to work in fields when tobacco leaves are wet with dew or rain. Worker should be able to stand for prolonged periods of time to prime (pull) leaves, which are from two to ten inches from the ground. Workers may be exposed to noxious plants, insects and insect control sprays. Workers will drag drainage and furrows in the field with a shovel. Workers will be responsible for hoeing and hard pulling weeds, standing blown down plants, suckers, topping, and pruning plants.