Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
berries and vegetables, including but not limited to, strawberries, blueberries, greens, root vegetables, herbs, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash, watermelons.

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable agricultural work experience working on a vegetable farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks including agricultural field work and harvesting activities associated with production of berries and/or vegetables. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency.

Plant, cultivate and harvest vegetables. 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. Workers may work in the packing house packing vegetables and/ or berries. Prune, plant, cultivate and hand-harvest berries. Spread and remove ground covers. Place and monitor bug traps. Trellis berry plants. Train berry canes. Monitor growth for tipping/pruning. Pick/harvest berries according to quality standards. Load/transport harvested berries. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Workers will assist in loading/ unloading trucks with product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences. Workers may work in the packing house packing vegetables.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a workers ability to perform the job. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.

Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings.

Employer has a strict prohibition on tobacco usage. No smoking or tobacco use of any kind will be permitted in the fields, in worker housing, or anywhere on company premises. This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the farms production certification as well as to protect against the Tobacco Mosaic Virus disease, which is transmitted by hands and tools contaminated with tobacco by-products. Employer reserves the right to discharge any employee found smoking or found in possession of smoking materials including cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco or smoking paraphernalia.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable agricultural work experience working on a vegetable farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks including agricultural field work and harvesting activities associated with the production of berries and/or vegetables. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.