Orchard Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities: Apples. Workers will manually plant and cultivate apples; use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears and knives. Duties include tilling soil, transplanting, weeding, thinning, pruning, and picking.

Prune trees seasonally to promote optimum growth of tree and fruit. Gather pruned branches from area for disposal. Perform pruning and suckering by cutting terminal growth and water sprouts from inside of tree using hand pruner. Thins trees from orchard to eliminate diseased or nonproductive trees using chain saw. Trim leaves from trees.

Workers will make sure bins are clean and free of debris before placing harvested apples into the bins. Worker places ladder firmly against or within tree in a secure position so as not to break limbs or knock off fruit and to prevent slipping or falling. All fruit is to be handled with care to avoid bruising. Fruit injured by bruising during picking shall not exceed 1% (WNY) for fresh and 1% (WNY) for processing. Each worker's picked fruit will be inspected according to instructions given each day by the orchard foreman. Workers will be directed to strip all fruit from tree at one picking or to spot pick (selective picking) according to size and color depending on crop conditions and state of maturity. Fruit picked as drops is never mixed with tree fruit.

Workers may be asked to perform nursery work which will include budding, care of nursery trees, plant trees, grafting, weeding and leaf removal as directed by management. Workers may help with the pruning, thinning, and other manual labor duties, as directed by management.

Instructions and overall supervision and direction will be provided by a company supervisor. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers will be expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Failure to comply with operating and safety standards may result in termination.

Work is to be done for long periods of time in the field, when plants may be wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Field temperatures may range from below 0 to greater than 90 degrees (F) with possible wet/snowy conditions. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers ability to perform the job. Workers must be able to perform the required work with or without reasonable accommodations. Qualified workers with disabilities must notify the employer of any accommodations needed to perform the job. A worker is not eligible for the job if the worker is not able to perform the job duties even with the requested accommodation, or if the employer is not reasonably able to provide the accommodation (i.e., because the accommodation would cause undue hardship on the operation of the business).

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing appropriate work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Casual clothing not permitted. Workers wearing inappropriate clothing will not be permitted to start work.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of two months of verifiable prior experience working in tree fruit or vegetable crops, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third-party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Employer-paid post-hire drug and alcohol testing required after an accident at work.

Persons seeking employment as experienced Orchard Worker must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.

Use, possession, transfer, offer, sale or manufacture of marijuana and/or controlled substances strictly prohibited on employer property. All work sites are alcohol and drug-free workplaces. Employees must not report for work, enter the employers' property, or perform work while under the influence of or having used alcohol, marijuana, illegal controlled substances, or any other substance that may in any way adversely affect alertness, coordination, reaction time or safety. Possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on company premises is prohibited and will be cause for immediate termination.