Field Worker

Job description

Field Workers to perform the following duties:
Crawler Driver operates crawler tractor and operates the subsystems to fungicide spray, herbicide spray, mowing, discing, cultivation, undervine cultivation, hedging, mechanical leafing. Pull trailers, build bins on the top of the platform, and transport trailers from the lot to the yard and tarp loads. Drives tractor as bins are filled up. Tractors have gross weight capacity under 26,001 lbs and do not require a commercial driver license to operate.

Tractor Driver operates crawler tractor or wheeled tractor and operates the subsystems to fungicide spray, herbicide spray, mowing, discing, cultivation, undervine cultivation, hedging, mechanical leafing. Pull trailers, build bins on the top of the platform, and transport trailers from the lot to the yard and tarp loads. Drives tractor as bins are filled up. Tractors have gross weight capacity under 26,001 lbs and do not require a commercial driver license to operate.

Vineyard Work (Wine Grape):
• Suckering by hand – removal of any extra unwanted shoots on cordons/canes, trunks, removal of any short canes and shoots from the cordon/cane
• Hand Pruning: Pruning with Shears by hand.
• Hand Tying: Tying by hand or using a hand held tying machine.
• Canopy management by hand – moving wires to position shoots within the trellis system to maintain a vertical growing grapevine
• Leafing and lateral removal by hand – removing leaves from the fruit zone during the growing season; removing lateral growth from the canes within the fruit zone and growing canopy
• Weed control by hand – using mechanical string trimmer for weed abatement and or a shovel (long-handled) to cut weeds from under the vines and for weed control around slopes of vineyards and along adjacent roads
• Crop thinning by hand – removal of clusters during specific times of year to enhance fruit quality
• Irrigation - check the irrigation lines and repair any leaks
• Property Maintenance - clean up trash, downed limbs of trees, water line maintenance and repair/install fence, cut weeds down with weed eaters or with shovels, maintain natural & landscaped areas. (Less than 50% of workdays)
• Tractor Driving - drive tractors provided by grower to cultivate the soil, mow, harvest, and apply seed, compost and pesticides
• Bird Control - apply and remove bird netting by walking and lifting (Less than 50% of work days)
• Planting vines – Digging holes with a shovel, planting vines in the holes
• Erosion Control - apply erosion prevention materials and repair roads and soil after rain events using a tractor or shovel
• Trellis & irrigation installation & maintenance
• Vine, trellis & irrigation removal
• Vertebrate pest control - trapping and exclusion techniques
• Equipment repair & maintenance
• Apply and remove shade cloth

Perform backpack sprayer applications, including but not limited to: walking vineyard rows to apply pruning-wound protectant and fungicide, and applying mammal deterrent along outer vineyard borders and internal avenues.

Vineyard (Wine grape) Harvest:
Work in grape vineyards all season through harvest, including the wine-grape harvest work of cutting grape bunches off of grape vines and into a tub/lug, then the tub/lug then dumped into a bin/gondola. Other incidental harvest work includes weed control and property maintenance, leaf removal, suckering, crop thinning, hedging, tally sheet recording, and picking with a machine harvester. Use sharp picking shears, standing and kneeling on ground to pick fruit. General, non-harvest, vineyard work including the preparing the soil, erecting trellis and irrigation equipment, repairing trellis and irrigation equipment, pruning and training vines, lifting and lowering catch wires, positioning shoots, applying and removing bird netting, and controlling pests/diseases with regular spraying and trapping.

Special Requirements

1 month of harvest experience in any of the commodities listed. Specific requirements include lifting up to 50 pounds frequently and able to use hand tools, including cutting knives. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc. Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions, including rain, cold, high winds, etc. Work involves frequent bending and working in bent or stooped positions. Must be able to walk and stand up extensively. No smoking, alcohol, firearms in the field or residential housing.

Work is performed in open fields and may involve exposure to mud, dust, wind, heat, cold, and other natural elements. Temperatures can range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the environmental and working conditions described.