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.

All work sites covered by this clearance order and all facilities of the employer are drug-free workplaces. Workers must not report to work, enter the employer's property, or perform services while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, illegal substances, or any prescription drugs or medications that impair alertness, coordination, reaction time, or safety. Employer reserves the right to conduct employer-paid random, upon suspicion and/or post-accident drug testing in accordance with state law. Any employee who declines to take or fails a drug test will be immediately terminated.

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 with a clean MVR and able to obtain an insurable driver's license may be requested to operate employer-owned trucks or other multi-purpose vehicles to haul tools, supplies, crops, and transport workers (whether on or off farm) to and from the worker housing to the farm properties and occasionally around the farm properties during the workday including on public roads to reach the fields where work will be performed; and/or may transport workers to the grocery store, bank, or laundry facilities on an as needed basis. Driving does not occur on a regular schedule. No applicants or workers will be rejected for not possessing a driver’s license or who may be unwilling to drive company vehicles. Such duties are completely optional and may be declined by the worker at his or her sole discretion. The Employer can and will make alternative arrangements for the transportation of workers should the need arise.

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. The Employer attests that these workers will be properly trained by their supervisor who has a valid Private Applicators license which is the standard pursuant to Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

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.