Farmworker And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Employees may work in the following crops: Tobacco, Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Soybeans, Cotton, Peanuts, Squash, Pumpkins, Wheat. Work may occur during light rain, high humidity, and in temperatures from 20-100 F.
Workers should be able to:
• work on their feet in stooped or crouched position for long periods of time, including outside for at least 6 hours in all kinds of weather and working conditions.
• possess requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the harvest process at a sustained, vigorous pace throughout the day,
• work quickly, efficiently, and skillfully with their hands.
• work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather.
Workers tasks may include:
• Record information about crops
• Direct and monitor the work of help during planting and harvesting.
• Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
• Cut, harvest and transplant plants
• Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
• Harvest vegetables by hand.
• Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
• Identify plants, pests, and weeds
• Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
• Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to storage facilities.
• Clean work areas, maintain grounds and landscaping.
• Regulate and maintain greenhouse and irrigation systems.
• Repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures.
• Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, water, and prune plants.
Occupational requirements and work activities may include:
• Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
• Providing information to supervisors and co-workers
• Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes
• Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts or passenger vehicles
• Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment
• Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Detailed work activities may include:
• Transport crops or equipment.
• Maintain operational records.
• Direct activities of agricultural employees.
• Harvest agricultural products.
• Operate green house or irrigation systems.
• Evaluate quality of plants or crops.
• Maintain agricultural equipment.
• Build agricultural structures.
• Plant crops or other plants.
• Operate farming equipment.
• Prepare land for agricultural use.
• Load agricultural products for shipment.
• Clean equipment or facilities.
• Perform manual agricultural tasks.

Employees may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available, there is a possibility that available work hours will be in excess of 20% of the hours offered but they are not guaranteed, the worker is not required to work more than the stated daily hours in the contract and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer’s control. These periods can occur any time throughout the season. If workers request a leave of absence during the contract period, if the worker has been offered an opportunity to work, the hours will be deducted from the hours offered under the ETA-790 for the purposes of the three-quarter guarantee.

Special Requirements

This type of work, involves working conditions that require tremendous stamina, a high level of physical activity in cold or extremely hot conditions in direct sunlight and in adverse weather such as rain. The work requires a high level of physical conditioning.