Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

One (1) month of experience in general farm labor or manual harvesting is required. No experience is required for incidental equipment operation; all instruction will be provided by the employer on the job.
Primary Duties: Workers will perform routine, manual labor associated with the planting, cultivation, harvesting, and maintenance of processed tomatoes, cabbage, kale, and other mixed vegetables, as directed by their supervisor.
Planting: Workers will retrieve trays of seedlings from trucks and walk assigned rows, manually placing one plant per hole in fields prepared by tractor. Workers will repeatedly return to the truck to obtain additional trays throughout the workday.
Harvesting: Cabbage and Kale: Workers will manually harvest crops by bending and cutting produce at the base. Workers will inspect each head or bunch, trim excess leaves, and place harvested produce into bags or containers. Filled containers will be placed onto mobile tables or trailers that follow the harvest crew. Workers must maintain a pace consistent with the harvest crew, without operating or controlling equipment. Processed Tomatoes and Other Vegetables: Workers will manually harvest vegetables by hand and place them into buckets or bins. Once full (which may weigh up to 60 lbs), containers will be carried to designated trucks or collection points for unloading.
Weeding and Field Maintenance:
Workers will remove weeds from walkways using hoes and remove weeds around plant bases by hand to prevent crop damage. Weeds and debris will be raked into piles and disposed of as instructed.
General Farm and Incidental Duties
During periods when harvesting is unavailable due to weather, crop maturity, or other conditions beyond the employer’s control, workers will perform general farm and field maintenance duties that are incidental to agricultural production. These duties include tying and staking plants, pruning trees, removing weeds and debris, assisting under direct supervision with routine irrigation system maintenance or minor repairs using hand tools only (no technical troubleshooting or independent repairs required), and light cleanup of worksites and common living areas related to the workers’ own use, such as trash removal and maintaining sanitary conditions, as necessary to meet applicable health and safety standards.

Equipment Operation (Non-Essential / Incidental Duty)
Operation of farm equipment is a non-essential and incidental duty. On an occasional, infrequent, and very short-duration basis, workers may assist under direct supervision with minor movement of a tractor, truck, or forklift within farm boundaries only. This assistance is limited to supporting field or material-handling activities.
No prior experience, training, or specialized license is required at the time of hire. This assistance is not tied to productivity standards and will not replace or displace regular equipment operators.

Workers must be able to perform strenuous manual labor outdoors in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, and rain, for a minimum of six (6) hours per day. The position requires physical strength and endurance to bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods, as well as manual dexterity to repetitively use hands in a fast-paced agricultural environment. Lifting up to 60 lbs is required but does not involve specialized skill or training. The employer will provide all tools, supplies, and equipment required (if applicable) to perform assigned duties at no cost to the worker. Consistent with applicable law, the employer may recover the reasonable cost of repair or replacement of tools or equipment if loss or damage results from the worker’s willful misconduct or gross negligence. Any such recovery will occur only after the damage has occurred, upon receipt of the worker’s voluntary written authorization, and provided such recovery does not violate applicable wage law.

Special Requirements

This type of work, involves working conditions that require tremendous stamina, a high level of physical activity in cold or extremely hot conditions in direct sunlight and in adverse weather such as rain. The work requires a high level of physical conditioning.