Farm Worker
Employer
Produca rd
La Grulla, TX 78548
United States
Job description
Workers will perform manual and mechanical labor to install, maintain, and operate irrigation systems and to plant, cultivate, harvest, grade, sort, and pack watermelons. All job duties must be performed carefully to avoid damage to growing crops or harvested product, and workers are required to follow all Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and field sanitation policies. Tasks include transplanting watermelon seedlings by carrying trays down rows or riding a transplanter, placing seedlings into pre‑made holes, and packing soil around each plant. Workers will tend to and water seedlings, move vines and fruit to prevent damage during cultivation or harvest, walk fields to remove weeds and unwanted plants by hand, and clean and maintain fields, irrigation ditches, and work areas. Irrigation duties include setting up, adjusting, operating, clearing, and maintaining irrigation equipment and ditches throughout the growing season.During harvest, workers walk assigned rows to visually identify mature watermelons based on appearance, including size, shape, weight, external color, vine position, crop age, cutting history, growing conditions, and variety. Once selected, the worker cuts the watermelon from the vine using a knife and places it in the designated area. Workers determine grade or class of harvested melons and discard any fruit with defects that render it unmarketable. During loading, workers lift pre‑selected watermelons and pitch them to another worker, who catches and passes them along or gently places them in the designated area or. Loading Watermelon For the workers who are assigned in the loading area, their task will be to load the watermelon previously chosen and cut ONLY by the cutters. You are not allowed to cut watermelon from the ground or load any watermelon that has not been previously picked and cut by the authorized cutter. You are not allowed to hit or damage the watermelon when they are being loaded into the trailer Variable weather/crop conditions may apply; hours may fluctuate (+/-), with possible downtime and/or extended hours. Workers must be able to maintain the premium quality of work required to complete work requirements all the time. Workers must not alter the quantity or quality of work performed. This job may involv standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting up to 75 pounds for extended periods outdoors in any weather. It also entails making significant decisions based on size, color, and ripeness following predefined standars with important food safety and quality standard operating procedures is necessary, along with the ability to-work rapidly and consistently in collaboration with fellow workers, maintaining a positive, professional, team-oriented attitude while considering the safety and well-being of fellow workers and the consumers who will purchase and consume the fresh produce grown, harvested, packed, and shipped from the farm. Instructions will be provided for each task, and performance standards will be communicated to the worker. Workers will be allocated a row or series of rows and tasked with selecting and harvesting produce based on outlined criteria demonstrated by managers, such as size, color, and ripeness. They will be responsible for grading and discarding poor-quality, rotting, and/or overly ripe produce in the field The crews are regularly formed of 10 loaders and 6 cutters, if for whatever reason one member does not go to work the rate will be the same per trailer.
Special Requirements
none.