Farmworker/laborer

Job description

Workers will provide general labor to assist in the establishment and or maintenance of new or existing orchard properties. Job duties may include clearing property, planting trees, building trellis, and any other labor considered necessary for the efficient structure of orchard properties. Maintenance may include repairing sprinklers on the overhead cooling system, repairing, and or spreading composted material. Farm property clean up may include tasks such as picking up garbage around the orchard, removing old strings and wire from trellis and orchard blocks, and other hand tasks. Workers may need to clear rocks and debris from the planting area; assist with marking the field for placement of various infrastructure items including trellis, irrigation system, roads, and loading areas.

Workers may care for young non-producing fruit trees including weeding, hoeing, trunk painting, hand fertilizing and growth selection by hand and clipping. Workers will provide tree care during the growing process by recognizing tree diseases such as blighted branches in apples and gummosis in cherries.

Workers may be asked to operate various types of general orchard equipment including ATVs, Forklifts, and tractor attachments during general orchard operations and maintenance. Workers may also be asked to use general orchard implements and tools including air compressors, water pumps, generators, chainsaws, weed eaters, machetes, etc. during general orchard operations and maintenance.

Workers who possess a valid driver’s license and meet all applicable legal requirements, including holding a doctor’s certificate as required by 29 CFR § 500.105, may be asked to drive vehicles for transporting workers, goods, or commodities, on or off the farm on company business. This task is voluntary, compensable, and not a mandatory job duty. Workers without a valid driver’s license or doctor’s certificate will still be fully eligible for employment and are not disqualified from any other job responsibilities outlined in this application.

Workers may function as orchard irrigators, following tree fruit watering schedules. Workers may assist in patrolling orchards for gopher mounds and runs; insert poison pill into runs. Workers may also drive tractors, spray, and mix chemicals and fertilizers, operate trucks to move farm equipment, crops, and farm workers, and perform general repairs of agricultural equipment. These jobs could be asked of certain workers based on work performance, experience, and or skills.

Special Requirements

Workers must be able to lift and or load 60lbs. Work may take place when temperatures are below freezing and above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. May require extensive pulling and or pushing of tools, wheelbarrow, fruit container, etc. May require worker to sit and or walk for extensive periods of time while sorting, picking, examining, weeding, transporting, pruning, etc. Workers will be required to stoop and or bend over while performing farm labor such as weeding, irrigation pruning, picking, removing debris, etc. There will be repetitive movements while performing most of the farm labor duties, for example picking, sorting, pruning, shoveling, weeding. Etc.