Orchard/farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
apples, pears, cherries, beans, corn.

Plant, cultivate and harvest apples, pears, cherries. Plant, cultivate, rouge (no harvest) beans and corn. Use hand tools including, but not limited to: shovels, hoes and knives. Plant roots, seeds and bulbs. Spread plastic or other groundcovering. Clean plastic by hand from ground upon removal. Till soil. Weed and thin plants. Transplant plants by hand. Stake/tie plants, trellis/prune plants, and set poles and wires for vine plants. Pick, cut, lift, or pull crops. Tie vegetables in bunches. Grade, size and field pack product. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. Work in fields.

Planting: Propagate plants by placing buds/scions. Plant seedlings or 'liners' by hand or with mechanical planter. Clear cull stock, brush and debris. Dig holes and shovel dirt.

Tree Training: hoeing, tree painting, weed mat application. Tie/position trees and limbs, together and to trellises, using string, tape, wire or other fasteners and supports.

Thinning: Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit. The employer does not produce Cripps Pink apples.

Pruning: Hand pruning based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers.

Use/handle ladders up to 12 ft. in length and weighing up to 30 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform.

Harvest: Spot, select and/or strip pick apples and pears, based on seasonal need. Snap fruit off tree with thumb and palm of hand to avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Clipping of stems may be required. Pick culls and peelers. Fill fruit buckets and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately.

Observation of bruised, damaged or cull fruit by the supervisor will result in a bad bin mark and after three bad bin marks, the employee will receive disciplinary action up to and including termination. A bad bin mark occurs when a bin is inspected and a significant number of culls, bruised or damaged fruit are found by the supervisors.

Cherries: Hand pick fruit leaving stems attached. Place harvested fruit at bottom of basket/bucket. Avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Identify defects (bird pecks, limb rubs, splits, sunburn) and other damage. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on fruit quality. Must be able to differentiate between colors and sizes accurately.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, putting reflective tarp or plastic in tree rows, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies.

Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, ATVs, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders and mechanical platforms. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of one month of prior experience working in apple or pear orchards handling manual and machine tasks associated with production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to perform all work activities with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required after a worker has an accident at work.