Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
grass seed, grains, grasses, plants, trees, wetlands plugs.

This job requires a minimum of one month of employment experience in out-of-doors manual labor jobs, preferably on a nursery or diversified crop farm. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers will be expected to perform manual jobs as well as equipment operation with accuracy and efficiency beginning with planting through harvest.

Primary crops are grass seeds.

Plants, cultivates, harvests, cleans and bags grass seeds. Plants, cultivates, harvests plants, trees, wetland plugs. Install seeds, plants, trees, wetland plugs, and may spread soil, mulch, fabric, plastic or other ground covering. Considerable stooping and kneeling is required. Care must be taken to prevent damaging product.

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. 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. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. 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.

Work on production line. Grade, size, sort, and pack product. Bunch/bundle product pursuant to supervisor instructions. Fill bins/trays and other containers with product, level bins, and prepare product for shipment to market or storage. Perform quality control on inbound/outbound loads. Follow quality control standards and production procedures. Handle product carefully to prevent damage. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Palletize and stack boxes/containers. Use power equipment including, but not limited, to: fork lifts, conveyor belts, and cooling equipment/refrigeration units. Operate equipment safely, with or without direction. Assist with regular maintenance on equipment. Clean/sanitize work station and equipment.

Prepare fields/soil for planting. Remove cull stock, debris, tree stumps, brush, ferns, vines and other growth from planting area using tractor, mattocks, brush hooks and/or axes. Plant, cultivate and maintain nursery stock and/or bedding plants in condition for shipping and sale to customers. Pot seedlings or liners by hand or mechanical planter. Propagate plants from cuttings. Perform general plant maintenance. Prune, trim, space, transplant and cull plants to ensure availability of marketable products. Irrigate and apply fertilizer. Pack, label, tag, pull, and store plants by variety. Count, grade, and inventory plants. Prepare plants for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary. Dig plants. Drum lacing and quarter lacing. Wrap burlap or other covering around root balls and secure with twine and/or staples. Crimp wire baskets. Must understand nursery quality control standards and have working knowledge of production procedures. Must harvest crops according to specific standards. Must select and harvest crops pursuant to customer needs. Products must be handled carefully to prevent damage.

Work is to be done in the field for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including bagging, weighing and loading of seed. Workers may assist in loading trucks with packaged seed weighing from 50 to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of one month of employment experience in out-of-doors manual labor jobs, preferably on a nursery or diversified crop farm. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required and after a worker has an accident at work. Employer-paid post-hire background check required.