Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job description

Agricultural Equipment Operator: Operate tractors to prepare the soil for planting, plant, transplant, cultivate, machine harvest and plow crops. Operate towed machines such as transplanters and sprayers to plant, fertilize, dust and spray crops. May operate peanut combine. May operate forklift to load and unload flue-cured tobacco only. Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect problems. Troubleshoot, repair and perform minor maintenance on farm vehicles and equipment. Perform farm, field and shed sanitation duties. Mow grass and operate trimmer around farm buildings. Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting. Operate farm vehicles to haul crops and drive other farmworkers from place to place around the farm properties (including on public roads to reach farmer’s fields) during the workday. May work in greenhouse. Workers will walk along rows as specified by employer and remove weeds and grass from fields by hand or using a hoe. Workers will cultivate by hand or with mechanical cultivator attached to farm tractor.

Greenhouse Seeding: Workers will fill trays with soil and feed full trays thru seeder. Workers will then transport seeded trays to greenhouse structure and place into float bed in an orderly manner in accordance with supervisors' instructions. Extra care must be taken not to disturb, disrupt or spill the planted seeds from the styrofoam tray cells during transport from seeder to floatbed. Tobacco seeds are extremely susceptible to disease. Therefore, each employee must exercise care and remain vigilant to ensure that their hands, clothes, and shoes are kept clean before entering the greenhouse. Greenhouse workers may be required to cleanse hands by washing in milk before handling tobacco seedlings. Workers will also work in and around greenhouses after germination doing general maintenance, clipping, fertilizing and monitoring according to supervisors' instructions.

Special Requirements

The use or possession or being under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol during working time is prohibited. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. Negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday. Requires minimum 2 months verifiable work experience operating minimum 140hp tractors with farm implements. Must be able to follow basic written instructions, identify and respond appropriately to alerts and other messages in English from the GPS-guided control systems, identify numbers, and count. Applicants must possess proper and current drivers license (minimum Class C or its foreign equivalent) to legally operate farm vehicles on public highways